In celebration of Hanukkah, Lower School and Middle School are working together on a tzedakah initiative, Tamchui (collection pot): a meaningful experience of giving.

Your contributions fund six student council-selected organizations, and the total we collect directly determines the difficulty level of our students' Math Day challenges this Friday, December 12. To ensure your tzedakah is included in the Math Day calculations, please contribute to our Tamchui by the end of tomorrow, Thursday, December 11.

Click here to Donate

 Q: What is a Tamchui?
A: A tzedakah collection from an entire community!

Tamchui is an Aramaic word that means collection pot. Six organizations have been chosen by the Bernard Zell Student Council, who will be the beneficiaries of our Hanukkah Tamchui.

Q: How does it work?
A: Families contribute to the Tamchui collection. 

Please consider these ways you can make it meaningful for your child(ren):

• You can frame the monetary support as an opportunity for students to reflect on the importance of giving during this season. By sharing the equivalent of one Hanukkah gift—or the gifts of one night—with organizations working to repair the world (Tikkun Olam), we can collectively make a meaningful difference.

• Empty your family’s tzedakah jar and use the opportunity to have a family discussion about which organization(s) you would to support with the money.

• Have your child(ren) help around your home with the intention of earning money to donate to our Tamchui!

Q: What will it look like at school?
A: Students will use pom-poms as tokens to determine which organization to support.

In preparation for Hanukkah, students will each receive two small pom-poms per day from Monday, December 8 through Thursday, December 11. They will choose which organization(s) to support by putting them in the jar(s) of their choice. This will be done for four days, and by the end of the week, each student will have contributed a total of eight pom-poms.

On Friday, December 12, students in Lower School will count, multiply, and divide all of the pom-poms to determine how much tzedakah each organization will receive from our Tamchui, based on how many pom-poms are in each jar.

Our Middle School Student Council will compile all of the information and share it with the whole Bernard Zell community before we adjourn for winter break.

Q: What are the organizations this year?
A: Below are the six organizations that the Bernard Zell Student Council selected:

• Anti-Cruelty Society

• The Ark

• Bernard Zell

• Cradles to Crayons Chicago

• JCFS Chicago

• Ronald McDonald House Chicago

Lower and Middle School students will have the opportunity to watch videos created by members of the Middle School Student Council, explaining why each organization is important and deserving of support.

In addition, it would be wonderful if you spent time with your child(ren) discussing each organization and its importance by looking at the websites or sharing what you know about them.

Q: How is this different from if I just make a donation to an organization?
A: The student community is empowered to decide how much each organization will receive.

Not only do students learn about each organization, but they also engage in discussion about which organizations they find most meaningful and why. Tamchui empowers children to know that they can make a difference by being part of a community that values tzedakah.

Q: How do I make a donation for Tamchui?
A: There are two ways to donate:

1. There will be a collection box in the main office for cash donations.

2. Click here to donate to the online collection box.

A suggested donation is $10.00 per child, or any amount that is meaningful for your family.