A ''meshulach'' (; plural: ''meshulachim''), also known as a ''shaliach'' () or SHaDaR (, acronym for ), was an emissary sent to the

Diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews after ...

to raise funds ('' ḥalukka'') for the Jewish communities of the

Land of Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine (see also Isra ...

. In recent times, the term has come to mean any charity collector for a Jewish organization.

Role of the ''meshulach''

Often an individual ''meshulach'' may operate as an independent contractor for several different organizations, taking a portion of the proceeds as profit. The percentage retained by the ''meshulach'' is sometimes as high as 49%. In response to the public perception of fraudulent ''meshulachim'', some communities (for example,

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...

) have appointed rabbis or panels to investigate ''meshulachim'' and issue them certificates to attest for the validity of their cause.

Notable ''meshulachim''

* 1441. Esrim ve-Arba‘ah: Europe * 1587. Joseph ben Moses Miṭrani the Elder (or di Ṭrani, 1569–1639): Egypt * 1598–1599. Joseph ben Moses Miṭrani the Elder (or di Ṭrani, 1569–1639): Istanbul (first mission) * 1600.

Judah de Leon Judah or Yehuda is the name of a biblical patriarch, Judah (son of Jacob). It may also refer to: Historical ethnic, political and geographic terms * Tribe of Judah, one of the twelve Tribes of Israel; their allotment corresponds to Judah or J ...

: Italy * 1600s–1606. Joseph ben Moses Miṭrani the Elder (or di Ṭrani, 1569–1639): Istanbul (second mission) * 1650.

Nathan ben Reuben David Spiro Nathan or Natan may refer to: People * Nathan (given name), including a list of people and characters with this name * Nathan (surname) * Nathan (prophet), a person in the Hebrew Bible *Nathan (son of David), biblical figure, son of King David ...

: Italy and Germany * 1659.

Benjamin ha-Levi Benjamin ( he, ''Bīnyāmīn''; "Son of (the) right") blue letter bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3225/kjv/wlc/0-1/ H3225 - yāmîn - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) was the last of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel (Jacob's thir ...

: the Levant and Italy * 1670s.

Judah Sharaf Judah or Yehuda is the name of a biblical patriarch, Judah (son of Jacob). It may also refer to: Historical ethnic, political and geographic terms * Tribe of Judah, one of the twelve Tribes of Israel; their allotment corresponds to Judah or Jud ...

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...

, Italy * 1676.

Joseph ben Eliezer Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the m ...

: Italy and Germany * 1676.

Joseph Shalit Riqueti Joseph Shalit ben Eliezer Riqueti (Richetti) was a Jewish-Italian scholar born at Safed, and who lived in the second half of the 17th century at Verona, where he directed a Talmudical school. He was the author of ''Ḥokmat ha-Mishkan'' or ''Iggeret ...

: Italy and Germany (with the preceding, author of ''Iggeret Mesapperet'') * 1688–1692. Ḥezekiah ben David da Silva (1656–1697): Western Europe (including Amsterdam) * 1690.

: the Levant and Italy * 1695.

Avraham Yitzchaḳi Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the ...

: Italy * 1695.

Shmuel ha-Kohen ''Shmuel'' or Schmuel/ Shmeil is the Hebrew equivalent of the name Samuel. It is popular also in Polish Yiddish versions of the name: Szmul or Szmuel and Szmulik or Szmulek. Shmuel and variations may refer to: * Samuel (Bible), the Hebrew Bible pro ...

: Italy, etc. * 1695.

Abraham ben Levi Conque Abraham ben Levi Conque, also spelt Konki and Cuenque, (born 1648) was a 17th-century rabbi and kabbalist in Hebron. Life Swayed by his cabalistic studies, Conque threw himself into the Sabbatean movement around Sabbatai Zevi, and became one of t ...

: Italy, Germany, and Poland * 1700.

Hayyim Asael ben Benjamin The name ''Haim'' can be a first name or surname originating in the Hebrew language, or deriving from the Old German name '' Haimo''. Hebrew etymology Chayyim ( he, חַיִּים ', Classical Hebrew: , Israeli Hebrew: ), also transcribed ''H ...

: Smyrna * 1705.

Gedaliah Hayyim Gedaliah, Gedalia, Gedallah Hirsch, E. G. and Greenstone, J. H. (1906)Gedallah Jewish Encyclopedia or Gedalya(h) ( or ; he, גְּדַלְיָּה ''Gəḏalyyā'' or ''Gəḏalyyāhū'', meaning "Jah has become Great") was, according to the na ...

: Italy * 1709.

Nathan Mannheim Nathan or Natan may refer to: People * Nathan (given name), including a list of people and characters with this name * Nathan (surname) * Nathan (prophet), a person in the Hebrew Bible *Nathan (son of David), biblical figure, son of King David ...

: Germany and Poland * 1709.

Jacob of Vilna Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Isla ...

: Germany and Poland (with the preceding, author of ''Me’orot Natan'') * 1710. David Melammed * 1712. Hayyim Hazzan * 1712. Abraham Rovigo * 1718.

Hayyim Jacob ben Jacob David The name ''Haim'' can be a first name or surname originating in the Hebrew language, or deriving from the Old German name '' Haimo''. Hebrew etymology Chayyim ( he, חַיִּים ', Classical Hebrew: , Israeli Hebrew: ), also transcribed ''H ...

: the Levant and Europe * 1720.

Ephraim ben Aaron Nabon Ephraim (; he, ''ʾEp̄rayīm'', in pausa: ''ʾEp̄rāyīm'') was, according to the Book of Genesis, the second son of Joseph ben Jacob and Asenath. Asenath was an Ancient Egyptian woman whom Pharaoh gave to Joseph as wife, and the dau ...

: Italy * 1730.

David Capsoto David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

: Holland * 1730. Moses Hagiz: the Levant and Europe for a period of 50 years * 1740.

Baruch Gad Baruch may refer to: People * Baruch (given name), a given name of Hebrew origin * Belle W. Baruch (1899–1964), American heiress, daughter of Bernard Baruch * Bernard Baruch (1870–1965), American financier, stock market speculator, statesma ...

: Media and Persia * 1740s–1749. Ḥayyim ben Elias Moda‘i * 1750.

Baruch of Austria Baruch may refer to: People * Baruch (given name), a given name of Hebrew origin * Belle W. Baruch (1899–1964), American heiress, daughter of Bernard Baruch * Bernard Baruch (1870–1965), American financier, stock market speculator, statesma ...

* 1750.

Hayyim Joseph David Azulai Haim Yosef David Azulai ben Yitzhak Zerachia (1724 – 1 March 1806) (), commonly known as the Hida (the acronym of his name, ), was a Jerusalem born rabbi, rabbinical scholar, a noted bibliophile, and a pioneer in the publication of Jewish reli ...

(1724–1806): the Levant and Europe (including Egypt, Amsterdam, England, and Livorno, for 56 years. His ''Ma‘agal Yashar'' contains part of his itinerary) * 1750.

Hayyim Abraham Tzebi The name ''Haim'' can be a first name or surname originating in the Hebrew language, or deriving from the Old German name ''Haimo''. Hebrew etymology Chayyim ( he, wikt:חיים#Proper noun, חַיִּים ', Classical Hebrew: , Israeli Hebrew: ...

: Italy * 1750.

Hayyim Mordecai Tzebi The name ''Haim'' can be a first name or surname originating in the Hebrew language, or deriving from the Old German name '' Haimo''. Hebrew etymology Chayyim ( he, חַיִּים ', Classical Hebrew: , Israeli Hebrew: ), also transcribed ''H ...

: Italy, etc. * 1750. Rahmim Nissim Mizrahi: the Levant and Italy * 1759.

Moses Malki Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...

: America * 1760.

Hayyim Nissim Jeroham of Vilna The name ''Haim'' can be a first name or surname originating in the Hebrew language, or deriving from the Old German name '' Haimo''. Hebrew etymology Chayyim ( he, חַיִּים ', Classical Hebrew: , Israeli Hebrew: ), also transcribed ''H ...

: Germany * 1760. Yom-Ṭob al-Ghazi: the Levant and Italy * 1760s. Ḥayyim ben Elias Moda‘i (1720–1794): Holland (wrote approbation to ''Pe’er ha-Dor'') and elsewhere in Europe * 1765.

Jacob al-Yashar Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Isla ...

: Persia * 1767.

Issachar Abulafia Issachar () was, according to the Book of Genesis, the fifth of the six sons of Jacob and Leah (Jacob's ninth son), and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Issachar. However, some Biblical scholars view this as an eponymous metaphor pr ...

: Italy (wrote approbation to ''Yad Mal’akhi'') * 1770.

Abraham Solomon Zalmon Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the ...

: Europe * 1772.

Abraham Segre Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the ...

: Germany * 1773. Raphael Chayyim Isaac Carregal: West Indies and the British Colonies of North America * 1776. Jacob Raphael Saraval: Holland and England * 1780.

Judah Samuel Ashkenazi Judah or Yehuda is the name of a biblical patriarch, Judah (son of Jacob). It may also refer to: Historical ethnic, political and geographic terms * Tribe of Judah, one of the twelve Tribes of Israel; their allotment corresponds to Judah or J ...

* 1783.

Abraham ha-Kohen of Lask Abraham ben Yechiel-Michel Catz Ha Cohen of Lask was a Jewish ascetic who flourished at the end of the 18th century. He went to live at Jerusalem in 1785, but afterward traveled through Europe as an agent for the collection of donations for the P ...

: Germany and Poland * 1790.

David Hayyim Hazzan David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

: Italy * 1793. Yosef Maimon: Bukhara * 1796.

Joseph Aben Samon Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the lan