Jack Richards " ... more ways than money."

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In the Jewish culture, no one is exempt from the concept of tzedekah, which requires all human beings to give money to charities as a way to gain the forgiveness of sins.

Not only is this a requirement for adults, but teens and preteens are encouraged to take part in tzedekah, which could range from giving a portion of their income to charity to feeding the hungry during religious holidays.

A local branch of a nationwide program is about to start its second year of getting more youngsters involved in charitable acts.

Last year, the B'nai Tzedek program started with 28 teens from six Tucson synagogues and varying backgrounds. It wasn't difficult getting teens interested in the program, said Abigail Foss, the program's coordinator.

"We're trying to combat the myth that teens are apathetic and only interested in TV and movies," she said. "The reality is they are interested in a lot of things but don't know how to express that."

The teens create endowment funds for a charity of their choice by donating $180 each. Public donors add $320 to give each teen a starting fund of $500, Foss said. More money is contributed to the fund through the years and distributed to the charities.

Teens who are not able to contribute $180 are given subsidies, Foss said.

"It's not a huge sum of money, but it's about teaching a lifelong philosophy of philanthropy," she said.

Four events throughout the year teach the youngsters more about philanthropy. One of them is a winter retreat, which Foss hopes will feature a lecture by "Survivor: Africa" winner Ethan Zohn, who donated some of his game-show winnings to a charity in Africa.

Three teens who participated last year wrote about their experiences with the B'nai Tzedek program, which is coordinated by the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona's Coalition for Jewish Education.

Adam Bukani, 14:

B'nai Tzedak has been a great experience for me. In one of our gatherings this past year, we had the chance to feed those less fortunate than us. It felt good, preparing food and knowing that the food we were giving out would help families live. I am choosing to donate my money to the World Wildlife Fund because it saves animals and makes people more aware of the toll that global warming is taking on the world. It feels good to know I can make a difference.

Abbey Roberts, 14:

At one of the B'nai Tzedek charity events, we served food to people who didn't have enough money for food. It was kind of like an outdoor soup kitchen. It definitely wasn't what I expected. After about 30 minutes, there was a huge line of people waiting to be served. When we started to serve everyone, it touched my heart to know that because I was there to serve it, a small child would get to eat a meal. Seeing the children made me want to give them larger portions so they would get full. But you have to remember about everyone else in the line and make sure there is enough. The entire experience that day was amazing.

Jack Richards, 14:

Everyone can always use a helping hand. B'nai Tzedek is a great way to pursue the Jewish commandment of tzedekah. I am honored to be a part of the first B'nai Tzedek Tucson group. The endowment fund is a good mitzvah in itself, but also going out into the world and helping is wonderful. Helping out at the Giving Tree Feeding Project, it was great to help distribute things that most of us take for granted, like food, water, clothes and books, but really are only a luxury for a lot of people in the world. I always want to help out in the community but never get around to doing it. I'm glad that I'm a part of something that pushes me to help in more ways than just donating money.