Chessed Dollars

I was in Sheepshead Bay yesterday shopping in the local stores. Much of this area is now Russian and it is quite apparent that there is a cultural difference. The stores are stocked with Russian brands and most of the signs are also in Russian. I love cultural diversity and the new foods that I have tried are very good. As I was checking out at one of the fruit stands, I saw a sign that said, "We accept Chessed Dollars". I had no idea what that meant so I asked the cashier. In broken English, she said "For Jewish people". I said, "Is that Russian money?" and she replied again, "For Jewish people".  I did not ask anything further because I knew I would get the same answer. Instead I went home and looked on the internet. It seems that Chessed Dollars are like gift certificate dollars that are bought through local Yeshivas. You buy the money and when you use it in a store, the store gives a percentage back to the Yeshiva as a donation. Yeshivas require you to purchase this money, sometimes thousands of dollars of it, but in the past no stores really accepted it. By accepting these dollars, the store owners are steering people to their stores and away from the other stores that do not accept the money. It is a convoluted plan that really only works in the Yeshiva's favor. I hope that next time I go to Brooklyn, I am not required to pay in Disney Dollars.