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We both bring the practice and value of charity to our relationship. It is central to Judaism, other faiths, and our personal beliefs, and we wish to honor it as as we celebrate our marriage. The word Tzedakah derives from the Hebrew word tzedek, which means justice or righteousness - doing the right thing. Giving charity is not viewed in Judaism as an act of generosity by those who have for the benefit of those who have-not. Rather, it is simply a human responsibility to give of time and money to help others in any way possible. The philosopher Maimonides wrote, “Even a poor person who lives entirely on tzedakah must also give tzedakah to another.”

Also,
  • Southern Poverty Law Center- From the SPLC site: The Southern Poverty Law Center was founded in 1971 as a small civil rights law firm. Today, the Center is internationally known for its tolerance education programs, its legal victories against white supremacists and its tracking of hate groups.

    To combat the causes of hate, the Center in 1991 established Teaching Tolerance, an educational program to help K-12 teachers foster respect and understanding in the classroom. Teaching Tolerance is now one of the nation's leading providers of anti-bias resources – both in print and online. Its award-winning magazine is distributed free twice a year to more than 500,000 educators, and its innovative multimedia kits are provided at no charge to thousands of schools and community groups.

  • American Jewish World Service- From the AJWS website: American Jewish World Service (AJWS) believes that empowering individuals and communities by working at the grassroots level, regardless of people's race, religion, or nationality, advances human dignity, builds civil society and transforms the world for the better. AJWS is an international development organization that helps hundreds of thousands of people in Africa, Asia, and the Americas move beyond poverty, illiteracy, disaster, and war.

  • Nature Conservancy- From the NC website: The Nature Conservancy's mission is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.

    We have developed a strategic, science-based planning process, called Conservation by Design, which helps us identify the highest-priority places—landscapes and seascapes that, if conserved, promise to ensure biodiversity over the long term.

    We can't buy them all, and we certainly can't protect them single-handedly. But by joining together with communities, businesses, governments, partner organizations, indigenous people and communities, and people like you, we can preserve our lands and waters for future generations to use and enjoy.