Halukkah

The halukka or chalukah (Hebrew: חלוקה‎) was an organized collection and distribution of charity funds for Jewish residents of the Holy Land.

Sympathizing Jews in a diaspora city or district would form a standing committee, presided over by a gabbai, to supervise collections and to remit funds semiannually to the managers of the halukkah, located in Jerusalem. The halukkah's policy was to divide funds in equally in thirds: One-third was distributed to yeshiva scholars; One-third was distributed to poor widows and orphans, and for temporary relief to helpless men, and; One-third was used to defray Jewish community expenses. The distributions were made semiannually, before the Passover and the New-Year festivals.

The Jerusalem management would send representatives (sing. "meshulach", Heb. משולח‎; pl. "meshulachim", Heb. משולחים‎) on fund-raising missions throughout the Levant, Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and England, with occasional visits to Russia, Poland, and America.

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