how does one say “to contribute” in Hebrew?
לתרום
If you’re familiar with Jewish tradition and Jewish law, you probably know the word for contribution – תְּרוּמָה (troo-MAH). The root ת.ר.מ (t.r.m), which makes up the word תרומה, is itself actually derived from a more basic root – ר.ו.מ (r.w.m), which carries the basic meaning of height and loftiness.
So a תרומה has to do with raising something up – money, the spirit of the recipient… as well as the spirit of the giver.
To contribute or to donate is לִתְרוֹם (leet-ROHM). Likewise, to fund-raise (i.e. to get other people to donate) is לְהַתְרִים (leh-haht-REEM).
Today’s “three weeks” call to action
Let’s look for one way we can contribute to another person today who could really use it, beyond our regular contributions. This contribution can be monetary, but it can also be time or attention.
