Danny Siegel - Biography

Biography

Danny Siegel founded the Ziv Tzedakah Fund in 1981 after making several trips to Israel carrying money to be distributed to those in need. Jewish tradition teaches that anyone on a mission of good deeds will be saved from harm, and so, on each trip, Danny followed this age-old custom and asked friends and relatives for a dollar or two to give away to Tzedakah upon his arrival in the Holy Land.

Once in Israel, Danny went in search of "the Good People" (he refers to them as "Mitzvah Heroes"), ordinary Israelis who were doing extraordinary work, by simply in trying to make the world a better place. Within a short time, he learned of the efforts of such people as Hadassah Levi, who made her life's work the rescue of abandoned Down Syndrome babies from hospitals, Myriam Mendilow, who found Jerusalem's poor, elderly residents on the streets of the city and gave them respect and new purpose in her program, Yad L'Kashish (Lifeline for the Old), or Uri Lupolianski, a young teacher who started Israel's now famous lending program, Yad Sarah, in his living room.

He has found these "Mitzvah heroes" in countless places around the world. And his challenge to everyone is that he "wants to turn ordinary people into superheroes".

Siegel works with over 100 such altruists around the world. He "has a stable of everyday, real-life Mitzvah heroes, young and old, with projects ranging from the ordinary to the unusual".

After returning from his first trip, Danny issued a four-page report to all of his donors in which he described all of the places that he had distributed their Tzedakah money. From that first $955 Danny collected and gave away, Ziv has grown to an organization that in 2007 completed its 32nd year of operation and has distributed more than $14,000,000 primarily to small programs and projects in both Israel and the United States. (In 2006, over $2,000,000 was given away to people in need; and the same for 2007-8). Danny has decided to retire from the active running of Ziv Tzedakah Fund, and Ziv has closed its doors as of December 2008. Danny Siegel influenced thousands of people with his unique tzedakah and mitzvah philosophy. With the closing of Ziv Tzedakah Fund in 2008, Danny identified several other organizations in his final report to donors. All of these groups operate in a similar manner as Ziv and they include Hands on Tzedakah, the Mitzvah Heroes Fund, started by Danny's students (Steve Kerbel, Bill Begal, and Mary Meyerson) and continues Danny's long standing tradition of employing someone in Israel, on the ground choosing Arnie Draiman as the Director for Israel Projects (Arnie worked for Danny Siegel for 15+ years and continues to work closely with him today); KAVOD, Tzedakah Fund, Inc., To Save A Life Foundation and The Good People Fund. His approach to Tzedakah "offers a no frills, no red tape way to help those in need", according to the San Diego Jewish Journal.

Danny has a B.S. in Comparative Literature from Columbia University's School of General Studies, and a Bachelor's and Master's of Hebrew Literature from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.

He is one of three recipients of the prestigious 1993 Covenant Award for Exceptional Jewish Educators.