FYI, there is currently an attempt to send money to the wife of Yakim directly, via his old PayPal account, and when we know that she can get the money, we can all send our contributions there. Anyone who would like to stay anonymous can send the money to me, and I will send a separate anonymous amount.
It sounds like we have over $1000 already, and I hope that this is enough to make a difference. Apparently their financial situation is difficult.
Carsten, do we know if his wife will be able to withdraw from the Paypal account immediately? It used to be (I've stopped using paypal) that there was a maximum amount that could be withdrawn each month and a waiting period before withdrawal was possible?
Paypal's monitor bots could consider dozens of small deposits "suspicious activity" and freeze the account pending review. Also, Paypal could freeze the account awaiting probate (or the Israel equivalent court process) if they become aware he is deceased. Don't underestimate Paypal's ability to screw up the most well intentioned initiative Direct deposit of the pooled donations to a joint checking account sounds much safer if it could be arranged.
No matter what is finalized. Can we have a thread stick on the top after the way of donation settled. Most people can't follow the latest change on it. Myself included.
zhangyue wrote:
No matter what is finalized. Can we have a thread stick on the top after the way of donation settled. Most people can't follow the latest change on it. Myself included.
CalW wrote:
Paypal's monitor bots could consider dozens of small deposits "suspicious activity" and freeze the account pending review. Also, Paypal could freeze the account awaiting probate (or the Israel equivalent court process) if they become aware he is deceased. Don't underestimate Paypal's ability to screw up the most well intentioned initiative Direct deposit of the pooled donations to a joint checking account sounds much safer if it could be arranged.
I thought it was a common thing to receive donations through PayPal. I see it all across the web (free services/software that ask for donations which can be very small amounts).
RCicala wrote:
Carsten, do we know if his wife will be able to withdraw from the Paypal account immediately? It used to be (I've stopped using paypal) that there was a maximum amount that could be withdrawn each month and a waiting period before withdrawal was possible?
I don't know how active Yakim was on PayPal. I don't have such restrictions on my (purely personal) account, but I use it a reasonable amount.
I am more worried about PayPal vs. the ownership of the account. These accounts are personal, not possessions, and so Yakim passing away would mean that the status of the account is in question.
I would personally pursue the payment as a direct payment to the wife instead, either by PayPal (she doesn't need an account, I am pretty sure, we just need to know her real email address), or by bank transfer (which wouldn't have any problems with money being held), but I understand that Fred is following up at the moment?
I think one or a few bank transfers to an account specified by the family or by their confirmed agent is the best way for a disbursing funds from a central account into which FM members put their donations. This could be done through a PayPal account administered by somebody at FM. OTOH, a PayPal address provided by the family is best for individual donations, if the central account model is not used.
In the meantime, roli_bark notes (link below) that there are important aspects of Isreali law and practice to be considered, and that it might be best to use bank transfers to an account held by Yakim's widow.
Also, and certainly most important, it has not been confirmed that Yakim's widow is prepared to accept donations in his memory.
I note that bank wire transfers are a normal activity for most people in the EU, but not for those in North America. I'm familiar with the process through business, but I can assure you that most Canadian bank tellers don't even know what it is. There may be a way ahead using "e-Transfers" which are relatively new here, but this might not work between North America and Israel. IOW, PayPal gift donations from individuals to an account owned by Yakim's widow might be the most simple and effective way to go; provided that she does not object to receiving donations.
Frankly, I don't need to know how many people have donated, nor the total amount. All I want to know is how to do it.
Carsten, corndog, roli_bark, and Fred - thanks for working on this, for us.
Fred earlier stated that he didn't want FM to be used for donating to the family, except through a coordinated (with Fred) attempt, so that was what was attempted. Unfortunately all attempts to find a way for the money to get to the family failed, as the state/banks are taking everything that appears. I was hoping to coordinate something with a friend of the family, but do not know how to set it up without using FM, which Fred was against, so the process has stalled...
I don't know if anyone is still talking with the family. I decided not to do it when I found out that multiple others were doing so. If nothing happens, I might try to contact them.
I think your approach is entirely correct. Discretion.
Look. No worries. We really don't know a lot about the current situation, and we have less control. We have no control. I'd very much like to help Yakim's family - directly. But, this might not be possible.
Let me know if I can help. Is Roli still a potential conduit?
This is going to sound like the beginning of a bad joke, but has anyone spoken with a Rabbi? Religious institutions have remarkable ways of circumventing local law.
Direct deposit of the pooled donations to a joint checking account sounds much safer if it could be arranged.