This publication informs potential volunteers and donors about the many aspects that need to be considered before engaging in aid.

1. Improve Aid for Ethiopian-Israelis
Kenneth Blok, 2/5/2016
The wealth of a nation is determined ultimately by the product of the healthy adults within its
borders. The economy of the land of 'Milk and Honey' – Israel, faces as many challenges as any
other nation on our planet. Unlike most nations, Israel has to deal with two additional factors
influencing its economy: terrorism and workforce participation[1]
.
With today's workforce participation number averaging at 64%[2]
, an unemployment number of
5.4%[3]
, and soaring poverty and inequality rates being among the highest in the Western world[4]
, it
is assumed that Israeli citizens are focusing on getting and maintaining adequate paid work and
don’t feel they have time to think about helping others. But that is not true. According to the World
Giving Index survey 32% of Israelis donated last month and an average of 21% was volunteering[5]
.
In countries where poverty is abundant, organizations and individuals are working hard at showing
examples of other ways to live in a functioning society that truly creates greater prosperity for all. In
this article The Touching Hearts Foundation elaborates about the decisions to consider when
attempting to help the Ethiopian-Israeli community in Jerusalem[6]
.
Choose carefully
The Radbaz (Rabbi David ben Zimra, 1479–1573) said in a response concerning the status of
Ethiopian-Israelis: ...their status is comparable to a Jewish infant taken captive by non-Jews… And
even if you say that the matter is in doubt, it is a commandment to redeem them. The Radbaz was
referring to slaves.
Today slavery, a word we commonly refer to when a human becomes property of another human,
exists only in criminal circuits[7]
, even in Ethiopia this type of slavery was officially abolished by
Haile Selassie on the 26th
of August 1942[8]
, 65 years before all property slavery was outlawed, the
last being Mauritania in 2007. Unfortunately there are still many more types of slavery[9]
that could
have been part of slavery history a long time ago. Being dependent on another human is the modern
definition of being enslaved.
A vast money generating market exists in funding concepts and organizations that do little to
nothing to overturn this type of dependency, ultimately contributing to a feeling – in those offering
assistance, that donations won't help those in need, and ditto feelings exist among those still
suffering inequalities and relative poverty.
When we look-up the many meanings of 'to redeem' in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary[10]
we
understand why the RadBaz carefully choose this verb, and refrained from using verbs like 'to (set)
free', or 'to release' (from slavery): he commanded not to limit the assistance to Ethiopian-Israelis.
If many organizations and individuals in Israel and around the world are already offering their
assistance to the Ethiopian communities in Israel, then why do they still rank as poorest among the
poor? This is due failure to understand what kind of assistance is most effective for the Ethiopian-
Israeli community members as well as for the organization or individual offering aid.
The Touching Hearts Foundation with its refreshing approach to solving relative poverty and
inequalities – based on intensive studies of trial and error of other institutions and direct feedback

2. from community members, pretends to know how to solve this dilemma. The Radbaz choose his
words carefully, we choose our business formula's carefully and in the remainder of this article we
hope to convince you, to make thought-out decisions about the elements of assistance, before you
engage in volunteering or donations.
Elements of Assistance
Before we take a closer look into the constituent parts of assistance we need to categorize offered
help into types. We distinguish physical, oral, monetary, and political support.
Next to categorizing assistance into types we sub categorize each of them into aid from the outside
– by individuals and institutions, and personal empowerment, a tool often getting way to little
attention or being seriously underestimated by aid givers.
We take a closer look at how religion and cultural differences play a role in donors, receivers and
the aiding institution and how influences from the environment of a donor can impact his
motivation to do good deeds.
Finally, we will make an attempt to explain why as a charitable organization, it is important to be
tolerant towards the reason behind aid rejection. Understanding cultural, political, and personal
decision making increases effectiveness of campaigns and it can potentially save a lot of effort, risk
taking, money and time for all parties involved.
Types of assistance
Organizations and individuals generally decide to aid based on their ability to do so. The possibility
that Mr. Barrack Obama – President of the United States, will jump on a plane to assist a particular
Ethiopian family in the Katamon neighborhood of Jerusalem is slim, neither can a person with
financial hardship donate beyond his tight budget or volunteer if he has not time at hand.
It is however a misconception that if you can't assist financially or if you can't volunteer for a period
of time, that other types of assistance are automatically superfluous, on the contrary! You should not
look at your perspective or that of your organization only, and waive support if you can't make a big
impact, but see through the eyes of the receiver, and know that even a minute of your attention can
save a life.
Ethiopian-Israelis assisted by The Touching Hearts Foundation benefit as much from your effort to
speak about us positively, from a shared link on your social media (raising awareness) as from
supporting a family with your money or volunteering time. The difference that makes your support
count is getting involved even if it is only for a minute!
How do you get involved? By letting the organization of your choice know about your intentions.
Usually one email will do more than a days worth of browsing charity websites on the internet.
Personal empowerment
Rabbi Yannai – a Jewish sage, living during the first half of the 3rd century said:
“Better not to have given him anything, than to have given and caused humiliation.”

3. and In his Eight Degrees of Charity[11]
, Maimonides[12]
listed the foremost way of giving as:
“The highest form of charity is to help sustain a person before they become impoverished
by offering a substantial gift in a dignified manner, or by extending a suitable loan, or by
helping them find employment or establish themselves in business so as to make it
unnecessary for them to become dependent on others.”
Israeli (relative) poverty rates are among the highest in the Western World[ibid. 4]
, and the Ethiopian
community in Jerusalem are among the poorest of the poor, suffering from inequalities more than
any other ethnic group. Many are about to become dependent on the good-will of charities.
Regardless their suffering and contrary to stereotypes of Ethiopians being lazy and unproductive,
the members of the Ethiopian-Israeli community are more than willing to participate in projects
encouraging personal empowerment and with minimal motivation the underprivileged do assume
personal responsibilities.
Their unstoppable desire to help themselves and eventually be regarded equal to, and to function
like any other Israeli citizen, will lead to collective actions once they are elevated out of their
suffering in a dignified way.
When you or your organization speculate about aiding Ethiopian-Israelis, it is well worth
investigating charitable organizations with an extended do-it-your-self program for its Israeli
clientèle of Ethiopian descent.
Religion and Cultural Differences
“How to give”, is one of the most asked questions of a potential donor or volunteer. I myself have
questioned many charities based on my intentions, about how to contribute to their cause. I
discovered that 1 out of 4 times my intentions were interpreted wrongly, leading to frustration and a
waste of time on all ends. What was the cause of being misunderstood?
Jews and institutions managed by Jews are often misunderstood in conversations about charity. This
is due a different translation (and interpretation) into English of the Hebrew word 'tsedakah'.
Tsadakah is freely translated as charity but it has different connotations in Hebrew where it doesn't
mean 'love' or 'love of' but in the Hebrew language it refers to being righteous[13]
.
Righteousness in the biblical context[14]
is woven into Israeli society. This does not mean that
Israelis are righteous – by far they are not. What is meant here is the urge to do a good deed, to
perform a mitsva[15]
. Ethiopian-Israelis whether they were born and raised in Israel or immigrated
from Ethiopia have a strong moral character and high religious standards always willing to go the
extra mile to perform a mitsva.
The interpretation of doing a good deed and to what extent an individual or organization must
donate or volunteer is rooted – for Jews in the Torah[16]
, for Muslims in the Holy Quran[17]
and for
Christians in the Holy Bible[18]
. Doing a good deed is also influenced by cultural habits, history,
disasters, politics etc., but foremost by what parents have taught their children. It is therefor
recommended to volunteer together as a family, and to create awareness among children at home
and in educational institutions.

4. Getting involved can be a challenging and highly rewarding endeavor which sometimes involves
taking a tremendous amount of risk – even if you are aware of the cultural backgrounds, that can
hardly be accounted for or measured in monetary values. I personally admire people like Dr. Jaques
Faitlovitch who dedicated himself to Ethiopian-Israelis and became a champion of their cause[19]
even in the face of touch circumstances.
The success of committed time, risk, effort and resources are depending on the acceptance of
support offered. To ignore religious and cultural backgrounds of any of the stakeholders in
preparation for giving support is a painful mistake. A very recent example was the rejection of aid
by Syrian Refugees[20]
.
Motivation and tolerance
Although volunteering rates and the number of donations have declined worldwide, probably due
struggling economies, many individuals and organizations find ample reason to provide for others
because the reward for doing good far outweighs the blood-letting.
Be aware that not everyone is able or willing to aid. Its is not because they are selfish, or do wrong
unwillingly, or unconsciously. It is probably because people are susceptible to influences from their
environment, and because they justify their morals in a different way[21]
.
“No good deed goes unpunished”, is proof of lack of motivation and bad influences from ones
environment. It is important to be tolerant[22]
of rejections not only from the perspective of the
charitable or non-profit organization but also of receivers refusing aid or donors and volunteers
unwilling to assist. Confronting or contesting your opponent is useless and quite destructive for a
relationship, being tolerant however shows your opponent that you fully understand the rights of
your opponent to reject and elaborate about it.
To be aware of what motivates an organization and what its goals are can considerably increase the
reward for all participants and prevent misunderstandings, rejections and disappointment. Before
you engage in volunteering or open your wallet you should look into whether the charity or non-
profit of your choice is motivated by financial, social, political or biblical aspects and if these
motivations meet yours and that of their clientèle.
Conclusion
All to often it is heard of that charitable or non-profit organizations make promises that they cannot
keep or that they didn't live-up to the expectations of the donor or receiver, leaving behind a general
feeling of disappointment and making it unnecessary difficult for organizations that can achieve its
goals to gain trust of volunteers, donors and receivers for their cause.
The Ethiopian-Israeli community has had a fair share of disappointment in the past that has altered
the community from being hopeful into skeptic participants.
Individuals and institutions can contribute to a positive change in the realm of aid by refining their
discernment, and by making conscious decisions about the elements of assistance before they
engage in support.
The Touching Hearts Foundation has recognized the need for refreshment and has committed itself

5. to achieve a synergy between participants and the impoverished and underprivileged Ethiopian-
Israeli community in Jerusalem before it will cater to their needs.
If you or your organization is motivated to join our efforts to eradicate relative poverty, and relative
hunger and to help promote equality, diversity, economic growth and development assistance to
give purpose and meaning to life of the Ethiopian-Israelis in Jerusalem then feel free to contact us
per email.
Sources
1. Israel's Economic Challenges by Ziv Hellman, published on-line at:
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/israels-economic-challenges/
2. Israel Labor Force Participation Rate by Trading Economics, published on-line at:
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/israel/labor-force-participation-rate
3. Economic Indicators: Israeli Economic Data, Bank Of Israel, published on-line at:
http://www.bankisrael.gov.il/en/DataAndStatistics/Pages/Indicators.aspx?
Level=1&IndicatorId=1&sId=0
4. Picture of a Nation 2015 by the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel, published
on-line at: http://taubcenter.org.il/wp-content/files_mf/pictureofthenation2015english.pdf
5. The World Giving Index 2015, by the Charity Aid Foundation, published on-line at:
https://www.cafon-line.org/about-us/publications/2015-publications/world-giving-index-
2015
6. Relative Poverty among Ethiopians living in Jerusalem, by Kenneth Blok, The Touching
Hearts Foundation, published on-line at:
http://www.thetouchinghearts.org/projects/ethiopia/pdf/poverty.pdf
7. Sociologists in Action on Inequalities: Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality edited by Shelley
K. White, Jonathan M. White, Kathleen Odell Korgen, https://uk.sagepub.com/en-
gb/mst/sociologists-in-action-on-inequalities/book237947
8. Ethiopia : the land, its people, history and culture. [S.l.]: New Africa Press. ISBN
9987160247.
9. Slavery, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery#cite_note-WhiteWhite2014-4
10. To Redeem, The Merriam-Webster Dictionary on-line: http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/redeem
11. To Be A Jew: A Guide To Jewish Observance In Contemporary Life, by Hayim H. Donim,
Excerpt found on-line at
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/Levels_of_Giving.html
12. Maimonides, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maimonides
13. Tzedakah - Charity in the Jewish Tradition, by the NSW boad of Jewish Eduction, published
on-line at http://www.bje.org.au/learning/judaism/ethics/social/tzedakah.html
14. Definition of Righteousness, by Anne of Anne's Coffee Break. Published on-line at:
http://anneelliott.com/2015/01/definition-of-righteousness/ and Righteousness and Salvation
by The Rev Professor Lester J. Kuyper, Scottish Journal of Theology, Volume 30, Issue 03,
pp 233-252, available on-line at: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?
fromPage=on-line&aid=3352456&fileId=S0036930600025497#
15. What is a mitsva, by Zvi Freeman, published by Chabad on-line at:
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1438516/jewish/Mitzvah.htm
16. 365 negative commandments like the number of days in the solar year, and 248 positive

6. commandments corresponding to a person's limbs — Talmud, Tractate Makkoth, 23b
17. "And he who comes before Him as a believer having done righteous deeds..." (Holy Quran
20:75-76)
18. Good deeds mentioned in the Holy Bible, by the Open Bible project at:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/doing_good_deeds
19. Colloquium. Jaques Faithlovitch and the Jews of Ethiopia: a century, by Lisa Anteby-
Yemini, published on-line by Bulletin du Centre de recherche francais a Jerusalem at:
http://bcrfj.revues.org/272
20. Refugees Refusing Aid because it has a red cross on it, by John Zuhldorf, Fr. Z's blog
published on-line at: http://wdtprs.com/blog/2015/09/refugees-refusing-aid-because-it-has-a-
red-cross-on-it/ and Muslim refugees reject food because it is not Halal, by Ken Daily,
published on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EYlwyoP4vc
21. Why Do Good People Sometimes Do Bad Things? By Muel Kaptein, Erasmus University –
School of Management, published on-line at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?
abstract_id=2117396
22. Why Be Tolerant, by David A. Strauss, The Tolerant Society: freedom of Speech and
Extremist Speech in America, Published by the Oxford University Press on-line at:
http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=11328&context=journal_articles