To the best of my knowledge, when I was growing up everyone had a pushke, a tin can that served as an alms box. I remember two types, cylindrical and squared, always wrapped in paper with a Star of David, and a coin slot at the top. Each Sabbath (Friday) evening, we dropped coins into it, and when it was full, we would bring it to the local synagogue to be given to Jewish groups that would somehow help the Jews in Europe.
