Jewish tradition teaches us that acts of tzedakah must be done by all, no matter one's economic status. Everyone is responsible to give what they can. In popular culture, this has changed. Many people give all that they can, but the general perception is that one must be very well-off before being able to give tzedakah. Only the rich can afford to give away money. In this way, tzedakah is thought of as a activity only for the privileged.

As we review grant proposals and try to decide who we, as the B'nai Tzedek Youth Foundation, will fund, I cannot help but feel very privileged. Yes, we do have a large amount of capital that we were very lucky to be able to raise, but it is the process that gives me this feeling.

Often times, people think of giving as giving something up. You have to give up some of your comfort to make someone else's life more comfortable. The only good feeling about giving tzedakah is knowing you have given something up for the good of another. I have found this to be untrue.

People are coming to us with proposals, asking us for our money. I feel very privileged to be so sought after by all of these organizations. I find this, with a little imagination, to apply to even individual small gifts of tzedakah. Imagine that as you peruse a list of organizations to donate to, each one is presenting a case for you asking for your help. You are the judge of which organization is the most deserving, which is a very privileged feeling.

Think of American Idol. The contestants are nervous, usually on the verge of tears. Meanwhile, Simon Cowell simply leans back in his chair and sips his water. Being the judge (the funder), is much better than being the contestant (the organization). It is a feeling of power and freedom, that we as teenagers don't often feel.

Giving tzedakah puts you in the driver's seat, you are evaluating organizations and picking a winner. Even if you are just giving a small amount of money, you are still privileged with the opportunity of evaluating and choosing organizations. This is exactly why everyone, not just the rich, is expected to give tzedakah. A poor person, who rarely experiences feelings of power and freedom, has all the power in the world when they decide where their money will go.

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