There were a few women in Tripoli, the capital, and from the nearby provincial towns who maintained the Rachel Imeinu Fund, the proceeds of which were designated for the renowned Sephardi yeshivot of Jerusalem. It was principally women who donated to this fund…Some of the women who had these charity boxes would go from house to house on the eve of every New Moon to collect donations for Rachel Imeinu and were, of course, graciously received; each woman donated in keeping with her ability.
The privilege of being a Rachel Imeinu member was justly considered a great privilege that was not under any conditions to be relinquished, by neither the aged nor the infirm, and neither the winter rains nor the harsh summer weather could prevent these fundraisers from going out. And so we would see aged women bent with age, who walked with great difficulty, making a supreme effort and going out every eve of the New Moon to fulfill this good deed that required hours of tiring walking from house to house…
The blessings given to the donors by the fundraisers to the effect that the righteousness of Rachel Imeinu protect and preserve them and their entire families were often exceeded by those given to the fundraising women by the donors - for having accorded them the privilege of fulfilling their pledges and being party to supporting Torah scholars in the Holy Land …