WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- U.S. Jewish experts say many families are forgoing gift-giving for at least one night of Hanukkah to give focus to tzedakah -- Hebrew for charity.
Sharon Duke Estroff, a mother of four and author of "Can I Have a Cell Phone for Hanukkah?: The Essential Scoop on Raising Modern Jewish Kids," said the practice of giving one night of Hanukkah -- which begins Tuesday at sundown -- to filling a tzedakah box with coins to be donated to charitable causes has been growing in recent years, USA Today reported Tuesday.
"It's a time of year when kids lose perspective, and they have a real sense of entitlement ... Tzedakah is a balancer. When you add a tzedakah box or a day of service to the holiday celebration mix -- something that should be built into what Jews do in life -- kids love it," Estroff said.
Russell Robinson, chief executive of the Jewish National Fund, said some of the land-buying charity's largest donors learned the importance of tzedakah as young children.
"It teaches the history of our people, the importance of responsibility for all," he said.
