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

Jewish communities Jewish ethnic divisions refer to many distinctive communities within the world's ethnically Jewish population. Although considered a self-identifying ethnicity, there are distinct ethnic subdivisions among Jews, most of which are primarily the ...

of the Land of Israel. 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 List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

) 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: Italy * 1600s–1606. Joseph ben Moses Miṭrani the Elder (or di Ṭrani, 1569–1639): Istanbul (second mission) * 1650. Nathan ben Reuben David Spiro: Italy and Germany * 1659. Benjamin ha-Levi: the Levant and Italy * 1670s. Judah Sharaf: Livorno, Italy * 1676. Joseph ben Eliezer: 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. Judah Sharaf: the Levant and Italy * 1695. Avraham Yitzchaḳi: Italy * 1695. Shmuel ha-Kohen: Italy, etc. * 1695. Abraham ben Levi Conque: Italy, Germany, and Poland * 1700. Hayyim Asael ben Benjamin: Smyrna * 1705. Gedaliah Hayyim: Italy * 1709. Nathan Mannheim: Germany and Poland * 1709. Jacob of Vilna: Germany and Poland (with the preceding, author of ''Me’orot Natan'') * 1710.

David Melammed 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 ...

* 1712.

Hayyim Hazzan 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 ''Ha ...

* 1712.

Abraham Rovigo Abraham Rovigo (born ca. 1650 in Modena, died 1713 in Mantua) was a Jewish scholar, rabbi and kabbalist. Biography Rovigo studied in Venice in the ''yeshiva'' of Moses Zacuto and devoted himself to study the Kabbalah. He was one of the main sup ...

* 1718. Hayyim Jacob ben Jacob David: the Levant and Europe * 1720. Ephraim ben Aaron Nabon: Italy * 1730. David Capsoto: Holland * 1730.

Moses Hagiz Moses Hagiz (1671 – c. 1750) (Hebrew: משה חגיז) was a Talmudic scholar, rabbi and writer born in Jerusalem during the time of the Old Yishuv. He was also one of the most prominent and influential Jewish leaders in 17th-century Amsterdam. Du ...

: the Levant and Europe for a period of 50 years * 1740. Baruch Gad: Media and Persia * 1740s–1749. Ḥayyim ben Elias Moda‘i * 1750. Baruch of Austria * 1750. Hayyim Joseph David Azulai (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: Italy * 1750. Hayyim Mordecai Tzebi: Italy, etc. * 1750. Rahmim Nissim Mizrahi: the Levant and Italy * 1759. Moses Malki: America * 1760. Hayyim Nissim Jeroham of Vilna: 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: Persia * 1767. Issachar Abulafia: Italy (wrote approbation to ''Yad Mal’akhi'') * 1770. Abraham Solomon Zalmon: Europe * 1772. Abraham Segre: Germany * 1773.

Raphael Chayyim Isaac Carregal Raphael Hayyim Isaac CarregalAlso spelt: Carigal, Carrigal, Karigal, Karigel, Karigol, Kargol, Kragol. (October 15, 1733, Hebron, Ottoman Empire – May 5, 1777, Barbados) was an itinerant Palestinian rabbi and preacher. He is the first rabbi ...

: West Indies and the British Colonies of North America * 1776.

Jacob Raphael Saraval Jacob Raphael ben Simhah Judah Saraval ( 1707 – 1782) was an Italian Rabbi, man of letters, and musician. Saraval was born in Venice. Saraval was one of the rabbis of Venice who supported Jacob Emden in his dispute with Jonathan Eybeschutz. He c ...

: Holland and England * 1780. Judah Samuel Ashkenazi * 1783. Abraham ha-Kohen of Lask: Germany and Poland * 1790. David Hayyim Hazzan: Italy * 1793.

Yosef Maimon Rabbi Yosef ben Moshe Mammon (Maimon) Maravi (1741 – 7 December 1822) is the spiritual leader credited with helping strengthen religious observance and introducing the Sephardic liturgy to the Bukharian Jewish community. The title Maaravi ...

: Bukhara * 1796. Joseph Aben Samon: Tripoli (wrote approbation to ''Ḥayyey Abraham'') * 1800. Israel of Shklov: Lithuania and Belarus * 1804. Israel Raphael Segre * 1807. Hayyim Baruch of Austria: Germany (wrote approbation to ''Otsar ha-Ḥayyim'') * 1810. Solomon David Hazzan: the Levant and Italy * 1830. Joseph Edels Ashkenazi: Italy * 1848.

Isaac Kovo Yitzhak Ben-Hezekiah Yosef Kovo (1770–1854) was born in the large History of the Jews of Thessaloniki, Sephardi community of Ottoman Empire, Ottoman Salonica and later settled in Ottoman-era Jerusalem. In 1848 he succeeded Chaim Abraham Gagin as ' ...

: Egypt * 1848.

Jacob Saphir Jacob Saphir ( he, יעקב הלוי ספיר; 1822–1886) was a 19th-century writer, ethnographer, researcher of Hebrew manuscripts, a traveler and emissary of the rabbis of Eastern European Jewish descent who settled in Jerusalem during hi ...

: Southern countries (''first mission'') * 1850. Isaac Farhi: Italy * 1850. Levi Nehemias: Italy * 1850. Joseph Schwarz: the United States (author of ''Ṭevu’at ha-Arets'') * 1854.

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

, and Australia (''Second mission'') * 1856. Moses Hazzan: the Levant (author of ''Naḥalah le-Yisra’el'') * 1865. Raphael Meir Panigel: Europe ( haham başı and author of ''Lev Marpe’'') * 1870. Moses Pardo: North Africa * 1885. Moses Riwlin: Australia * 1885. Nathan Natkin: the United States (d. 1888, in New York) * 1890. Abraham ibn Ephraim: Persia (Sephardic) * 1894. Yosef Haim HaCohen: Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Caucasus Mountains * 1899. Yosef Haim HaCohen: Bukhara. * 1903 (then serving): ** Shalom Hamadi: Yemen (Sephardic) ** Benjamin ha-Kohen: Caucasus, Russia (Sephardic) ** J. Meynhas: India (Sephardic) ** Eliezer Zalman Grajewski: the United States ** Joshua Loeb Suessenwein: the United States (author of ''Tsir Ne’eman'', Jerusalem, 1898) ** Solomon Joseph Eliach ** Yosef Haim HaCohen: Algiers, Constantine, Algeria * 1934. Amram Aburbeh: Morocco.

Notes

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite book, first1=Graziadio, last1=Nepi, author1-link=Graziadio Nepi, first2=Mordecai, last2=Ghirondi, author2-link=Mordecai Ghirondi, title=Toledot Gedoley Yisra’el, location=Trieste, publisher=Tipografia Marenigh, date=1853 {{cite book, first=Heimann Joseph, last=Michael, author-link=Heimann Joseph Michael, title=Or ha-Ḥayyim, location=Frankfurt, date=1891 Jewish religious occupations Jews and Judaism in Ottoman Palestine Hebrew words and phrases Jews and Judaism in Ottoman Galilee