I have tzedakah on my mind. On my recent trip to Israel, I spent a part of each day thinking about which worthy individuals and agencies would receive all of the shaliach mitzvah (mitzvah emissary) money I had been given in the weeks before my trip. And, of course, we have just come through December, which, as the end of the tax year, brings with it myriad solicitations from organizations hoping to benefit from a combination of end-of-the-year panic and good cheer.

But I'm not the only one thinking about tzedakah. if I were to tally the number of questions I'm asked on different subjects, I'm pretty sure tzedakah would come in second after questions about God. (For a few answers on the latter, you might go to our Web site, and look at the sermons I gave in response to some recent bar mitzvah queries.)

Philanthropic giving is a very personal thing. There is no one right answer for everyone. One friend, a fund-raising consultant, chooses to give large donations to three causes that are close to her heart instead of giving small donations in response to all of the solicitations she receives. Another travels to Israel every year and provides pediatric dental services to those who would otherwise not have access to care. One of my colleagues tithes, setting aside 10 percent of his income each year for the charitable causes of his choice.

In the world of Jewish philanthropy, you frequently hear the words "Jewish giving." Most often, these words are meant to signify the amount of (almost exclusively) money an individual has set aside for Jewish agencies or causes. At Temple Micah, I like to think that we give Jewishly, incorporating tzedakah into every aspect of our communal life. The spirit of tzedakah lives in our school, our sanctuary and our kitchen.

Over the past few weeks, you may have participated in "Share Your Hanukkah" or "Green Your Light Bulbs Month," purchasing gifts for needy families or compact fluorescent light bulbs for your home. These two projects came together beautifully when someone suggested including light bulbs in the packages for the families in an effort to help them save money by reducing their electricity bills.

At Purim, we shake boxes of macaroni and cheese and then donate these improvised groggers to a food pantry. in the spring, temple members refurbish houses, and with the fall holidays we collect underwear. All year long members support Micah House and provide meals for the shelter at St. Luke's.

This year we've added two new projects to our list. In conjunction with the anniversary of Kristallnacht, we made an appeal to support our sister congregation in Germany. in our religious school, many families are participating in the mitzvah corps, making hats and scarves for homeless men and women and learning about group decision making as part of a tzedakah collective. We also received a new tzedakah box, the work of one of our bar mitzvah students in conjunction with his bar mitzvah.

Giving Jewishly means that there is not simply one season, or time, for giving. Perhaps my accountant would be pleased to know that my tzedakah-oriented thoughts and actions will continue as we enter into the new calendar year. I invite your continued participation as well, in giving in whichever ways feel right to you.