Gemillat Chassadim acts of kindness to others is a beautiful trait of the Jewish People everywhere. But it reaches its greatest heights in the Torah communities of Israel.

Open up the Orthodox Telephone Directory of Yerushalayim and you will find no less than 80 pages of different GeMaCh (acronym for Gemillat Chassadim) listings.

Six of these pages deal with equipment needed for brit mila (circumcision) and pidyon haben ceremonies. There are pages for meals for families stuck in a hospital for Shabbat and for housing them. There is even a full page for used clothing centers.

Consideration for both the physical and spiritual needs of the community finds expression in three pages of Gemachim for medical supplies and three pages of Gemachim for tefillin and people who will pray in your behalf.

Some of the more unusual Gemachim are the ones for pacifiers and baby bottles and for ladies wigs and shtreimlech for men who left theirs at home.

There is no limit to the imagination displayed by people who want to help others.