Judaism & Poverty (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Religious Studies): Revision Note

The importance of charity in Judaism

• The commandment of tzedakah encourages Jews to give to charity

• The laws of charity are found in the Torah and are known as Maimonides' eight levels of charity

  • Judaism teaches that the greatest level of charity is helping a person before they become desperate

  • The lowest level of charity is when donations are given reluctantly

• The giving of charity is important to many Jews, and this is supported by scripture:

• In Judaism, there are two kinds of charity:

  • Giving money or possessions

  • Giving of oneself

• Some Jews believe people should donate money to someone anonymously, which retains the dignity of all involved

• Other Jews prefer to invest in relief programmes that provide long-term solutions to issues such as famine so that people can help themselves

• The commandment of tzedakah is closely related to the Jewish belief of tikkun olam (repairing the world)

  • This belief encourages Jews to make the world a better place, which includes helping those in need

• Tzedek, Jewish Care and World Jewish Relief are three key Jewish organisations that put Jewish teachings such as tzedakah and tikkun olam into action

What is Tzedek & what does it do?

• Tzedek is a Jewish organisation that works to end global poverty in line with Jewish values

• The word tzedek means justice or righteousness, and the organisation aims to help people in developing countries through:

  • Education

  • Livelihood training

  • Leadership development

• There are many reasons why the organisation exists:

  • It fulfils the Jewish teaching of tikkun olam (repairing the world)

  • It also expresses tzedakah (charity as justice)

  • It helps both Jews and non-Jews in need

• The organisation follows the teaching in the Bible to “Love your neighbour as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18)

• Tzedek focuses on sustainable development, working in countries experiencing serious poverty

  • For example, in India, Tzedek is involved in a project called Stri Shakti, where small loans and business training courses are provided to women on low incomes

    • This has helped women start to generate income for their families and communities

  • Tzedek also runs an initiative called Schlep to School

    • Schlep is a Yiddish word meaning a long, hard walk, usually while carrying or dragging something

    • This initiative encourages students to do a sponsored walk to school to raise funds to support education projects in Ghana

What is Jewish Care & what does it do?

• Jewish Care is a UK charity that supports vulnerable Jewish people through care homes, mental health services and community support

  • It puts Jewish teachings such as gemilut hasadim and tzedakah into action by supporting the physical, emotional and social wellbeing of vulnerable members of the Jewish community

• Jewish Care provides a number of services, including:

  • Care Homes for the elderly and those with dementia or disabilities

  • Support services for carers, bereaved families and people with mental health issues

  • Provision of social activities, meals and support for lonely or isolated people

  • Special help for Holocaust survivors and refugees

  • Support for people who want to stay independent at home

• Jewish Care is inspired by core Jewish values, including:

  • Gemilut hasadim, or performing acts of loving kindness

  • Tzedakah, or giving help as a form of justice and not charity

  • Pikuach nefesh, or preserving life and caring for others

  • Honouring the elderly as instructed in the Torah: “Stand up in the presence of the aged” (Leviticus 19:32)

What is World Jewish Relief and what does it do?

• World Jewish Relief is a Jewish charity that provides international aid to people in crisis

  • It follows Jewish values such as tzedakah and tikkun olam by helping victims of poverty, disaster and conflict

• It was originally founded in the 1930s to help Jewish refugees escaping Nazi Germany

• Today, it helps people of all backgrounds in crisis situations around the world, including:

  • Providing emergency aid in response to natural disasters, war and famine by providing food, clean water, shelter and medical aid

  • Helping people escaping poverty by supporting employment and training, ensuring that these individuals can become self-sufficient and resilient

  • Providing support for refugees and the elderly

    • For example, by giving aid to Ukrainian Jews and other marginalised communities and offering help to older people living in poverty in Eastern Europe

• World Jewish Relief is guided by Jewish teachings, including tzedakah, tikkun olam and pikuach nefesh

  • It is also inspired by scripture, which encourages Jews to help those in need, even if they are strangers or foreigners

What does Judaism teach about stewardship?

• There are many other Jewish organisations that help to relieve poverty within the community or further afield

• The Jewish Welfare Board (South Africa) offers food parcels, social support and housing assistance to poor Jewish individuals and families in South African cities

  • It also helps elderly people in need and runs community centres

  • It is inspired by the Jewish values of compassion and dignity

• Yad Eliezer is one of Israel’s largest poverty relief charities

  • It provides food baskets, baby formula, money for weddings and job training for low-income Jewish families

• Masbia Soup Kitchen Network (USA) runs a network of kosher soup kitchens in New York

  • Its kitchens serve hot, nutritious meals to anyone in need, with no questions asked

  • This is based on the values of dignity, hospitality and feeding the hungry (tzedakah and pikuach nefesh)

• Jami is a mental health support group based in the UK

  • It supports UK Jews experiencing poverty linked to mental illness

  • It offers therapy, housing support and workplace training

  • This fulfills the Jewish teaching of tikkun olam by addressing hidden causes of poverty

What do different Jewish traditions teach about responding to the spiritual and physical needs of those suffering from poverty?

• There are some common shared values and beliefs that unite all Jewish traditions

  • Jewish Law highlights the importance of caring for the vulnerable, including those in need due to poverty or disaster

    • This is rooted in the concept of chesed, which is about showing kindness and compassion towards others

  • All Jewish traditions teach about the importance of tzedek (righteousness, justice) and tikkun olam (repairing the world)

    • These teachings encourage individuals and communities to address injustice and suffering

  • All Jews recognise the importance of community in helping those in poverty

    • All traditions provide a network of support and often work with each other to support vulnerable people

  • Most Jewish groups incorporate prayer and spiritual practices into their response to suffering, seeking guidance from G-d and finding solace in faith

  • Most Jewish traditions support the Jewish organisations that work to address poverty and inequality

• However, different Jewish groups demonstrate different approaches to addressing poverty and natural disasters

  • While many groups often share common beliefs, they may differ on the methods and priorities for providing aid and support

Orthodox Judaism and poverty

• Orthodox Jews may focus on traditional halachic (Jewish legal) approaches to poverty relief

  • They may follow the practice of giving 10% of their income to charity

  • This is often directed to individuals, yeshivot (religious schools) or organisations that serve the poor

• Charity (tzedakah) is often seen as personal responsibility 

  • Orthodox Jews might encourage community-based, religious solutions that also preserve dignity

    • One example is Masbia Soup Kitchen (USA), which runs Orthodox-run soup kitchens serving kosher meals with dignity and no judgment

    • Another example is gemachim, which are community-run, free loan societies offering items and money

    • A third example is Yad Eliezer (Israel), which is an Orthodox charity distributing food, supporting weddings and preserving spiritual needs

Reform Judaism and poverty

• Reform Judaism often interprets Jewish values with modern ethics in mind

• While many Reform Jews continue to give direct aid, there are also many who take part in social action to bring about change

  • For example, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC), which campaigns for fair housing and health care reform and to remove poverty

  • The URJ (Union for Reform Judaism) supports congregations with resources to tackle poverty through programmes such as Just Congregations, which helps synagogues engage in community organisation

  • Many Reform synagogues organise community service events that may involve serving meals, distributing clothing or volunteering at shelters

  • Reform Judaism often combines tzedakah with activism, viewing assistance to the poor not just as charity but as a means to bring about social justice

  • Groups such as Conservative Judaism and Reconstructionist Judaism may try to balance both providing direct aid and bringing about change to unfair systems, believing the importance of both individual responsibility and collective action

How do Jewish religious teachings act as a motivation for organised charity work?

• Jewish teachings strongly encourage charity (tzedakah) as a religious obligation, not just a voluntary act of kindness

  • Giving to those in need is seen as doing what is right and fair, which is a mitzvah (commandment)

  • This motivates many Jews to support or establish organised charity efforts

  • This sense of duty leads many Jews to give money, time or resources to Jewish charities such as Jewish Care or World Jewish Relief

• This sense of obligation comes from scripture, where the Torah commands Jews to help the poor and vulnerable:

• The Talmud develops these teachings by stating that giving tzedakah is one of the highest forms of religious duty

• Although giving money to charity is important and valued within Judaism, gemilut chasadim (acts of loving kindness) are considered more important

  • These actions go beyond money and include helping people personally 

    • This encourages volunteering and community service through organised groups

• There are many different ways in which these religious teachings translate into action through charity work

  • Some Jews support food banks and meal services 

    • For example, GIFT, a Jewish charity that delivers food parcels to struggling families

  • Some support Jewish charities such as Jewish Care, which runs care homes, dementia support and day centres

  • World Jewish Relief helps refugees, disaster victims and people in poverty around the world

  • Some Jews might deliver Shabbat meals to those who cannot cook or help with burial societies (chevra kadisha), respectfully preparing bodies for burial