When earlier communities were troubled by large numbers of orphans, the community did not leave them to their own devices but took care of them. In the unstable conditions of the Middle Ages, foster families were emphasized; there are responsa which deal with this. It became a major mitzvah for those with means to provide a home for a number of children who otherwise would have been abandoned. This was the preferred way in the smaller communities of the Middle Ages* in which Jews constantly moved because of persecution or debilitating legislation. It would have been impossible to establish orphanages. They would have been seized by the dominant churches and the children converted.
In the nineteenth century, when Jewish life became more stable and communities became larger and more anonymous, communal orphanages were established to deal with abandoned or orphaned children.
We can cite as examples the communal responsibility of providing an education for all children to the age of Bar Mitzvah. Communities fostered the education of abler students through subsidized Yeshivot found in virtually every community in Central and Eastern Europe; room and board was provided by the community. In other words, a system of caring for a large number of children was established and has been part of the Jewish community for many centuries.®> With us, this should translate itself into heavily subsidized day care and religious education, be it on weekends or in Day School . It should extend to scholarship aid for appropriate training at the college level.
We have put segments of such programs into place within our communities, but we need to do more if we intend to establish a policy of population growth. This means a broader sharing of income and wealth by the total Jewish community on a voluntary basis. It will necessitate not only a restructuring of various aspects of communal life but also establishing a different psychology and concept of tzedagah and a redirection of funds