Wedding plane tickets gemach?

mumoo

Wed, Aug 08 2007, 8:25 pm

amother wrote:

Wouldn't that be tzedaka rather than a gemach? Isn't a gemach for something you borrow?

Strictly speaking, a gmach was for cash loans. But if gmach stands for gemilus chasodim, it can be a wider definition.

We have no-return gmachim for food, furniture, baby and children's clothes/equipment and a kallah gmach for new kitchenware.

Motek

Wed, Aug 08 2007, 8:49 pm

mumoo wrote:

We have no-return gmachim for food, furniture, baby and children's clothes/equipment and a kallah gmach for new kitchenware.

Then the word gemach is being used in its literal sense - as a kindness, as opposed to the usual sense of the word. I mean, is a food package from Tomchei Shabbos or Yad Eliezer a gemach? No.

mumoo

Thu, Aug 09 2007, 12:19 am

Motek wrote:

mumoo wrote:

We have no-return gmachim for food, furniture, baby and children's clothes/equipment and a kallah gmach for new kitchenware.

Then the word gemach is being used in its literal sense - as a kindness, as opposed to the usual sense of the word. I mean, is a food package from Tomchei Shabbos or Yad Eliezer a gemach? No.

Right, literally speaking. There are no 'food packages'. In each gmach, everything is set up like a store. People come in and shop. The only difference is there is no checkout/cash line.

greenfire

Thu, Aug 09 2007, 9:02 am

there are all types of "gemachs" which simply means as you said a kindness ... the ones you borrow money from & payback (usually with no interest) and the ones that give out food ... here you can get uniforms or clothing, shoes, furniture, etc. - and if you can you give some tzedaka towards running it ...

up the street - down the street - same dif

myheartalk

Sun, Aug 12 2007, 11:25 am

I forgot to look at the answers to the post till now.
Lee me rewrite my question. Do you know of a gemach that would help pay for airfair to a family members wedding.

If you notice, I didn't askyou for your opinion as to wheather someone should attend a wedding. I asked if you knew of a gemach that would support this. If you don't you don't. Yes it is a very close family member and yes it is essential for the bride and no she doesn't have the funds to pay for a wedding both her and her choson being young and not yet employed. The reason I said tickets is because it is two ways not two people. My husband would take off work to stay home with the kids. The person helping to pay for the wedding simply cannot be asked.

So, back to the original question. Does this exist. Gemach stands for gemilut chassadim which means charitable acts, not loans.

amother

Sun, Aug 12 2007, 12:05 pm

I think this is a great idea>
another idea would be =
if we could donate or points that we get when we fly
and contribute them to a charity . On certain airlines you can donate your points.

amother

Sun, Aug 12 2007, 3:36 pm

I have never heard of such a thing. I understand the frustration, because we missed a few out of town sibling and close family weddings and simchaot because we could afford neither plane tickets nor hotel rooms, and we didn't want to impose further on the people already financially extending themselves to make the affairs to give us money to fly in or provide lodging. The bottom line is, sometimes you just can't have what you want. That's what being a grown-up is all about - and both the baal simcha and the ones who can't attend the simcha have to understand and move on.

chocolate moose

Sun, Aug 12 2007, 4:20 pm

MyHeart must think it's a mitzvah of Hachnosas Kallah to have the family at the simcha, to be looking into such a thing.

lubcoralsprings

Sun, Aug 12 2007, 4:36 pm

I think it depends on where and how close a relative you are. If you are a parent of the child then it is ABSOLUTELY a necessity that you attend the wedding, even if it is half way across the world. If you are a sibling it depends on where the wedding is. If you live in the US and the wedding is within the US then I don't think it unreasonable for someone to help you with a ticket. However, if you are in the US and it is in South Africa then it's not necessity. How many people can afford 2000 dollars for a ticket? I have seen many large LUbavitch families where siblings haven't gone because the wedding took place outside the country and tickets were just too expensive.

myheartalk

Sun, Aug 12 2007, 4:38 pm

Thank you chocolate moose. I don't go traipsing off and leaving tiny kids behind and asking my husband to take off from work which he hates to do unless I knew how crucial it was. We will find the money somehow.

su7kids

Sun, Aug 12 2007, 4:40 pm

Can't you go to a regular gmach, where you don't necessarily have to tell the reason you need the money, and get it and pay it back????

myheartalk

Sun, Aug 12 2007, 4:47 pm

Maybe I sound innapropriately irate but I really never asked anyone if they think I should go or not. I know I must go, it's the how I was looking for help with and there has not been a single answer to that one. Yes we will probably figure it out on our own. What I was looking for was help for a certain portion of several expenses. I thought people would have answered google this or call that. No one?

chocolate moose

Sun, Aug 12 2007, 6:41 pm

Did you try the usual sources like Hachnases Kallah? Could the couple take other expenses from tzedekah and use the avilable cash for the travelling expenses?

greenfire

Sun, Aug 12 2007, 11:33 pm

amother wrote:

ask your local Jewish Federation or other similar jewish organization

you said nobody gave you advice ... there it was ... so did you call ?!?! Discuss the situation ... with them or other local Jewish Family Service ... and such places ... a local gemach ... there are all kinds that sometimes one doesn't know they exist till you actually need one ... sometimes one place will lead you to the right place ... keep asking around

amother

Sun, Aug 26 2007, 1:14 pm

you can donate your miles to tzedaka
one of which is the make-a wish
go to Usa airways.com
go to Member benefits
click on donate miles.