Posted on March 8, 2012
This amazingly insightful article by Sarah Indyk, addresses the idea that “anything can be Jewish giving,” and highlights the work of teens who particpate in a program to award $60,000 to solve community problems in Greater Denver and Boulder CO. Indyk writes, “To say that ‘anything can be Jewish giving’ is an embrace of the universal, but not necessarily a denial of the particular. The Jewish tradition has a lot to say about philanthropy….I have learned not just that the universal and the particular are both essential components of Jewish philanthropy, I have also learned that considering them in opposition to one another – as two separate choices – creates a false dichotomy.” Giving to the Jewish community is not only essential for us as Jews, but it enables an overall love for giving to all people and encourages further giving. May we always see the beauty in the statement that “anything can be Jewish giving” and allow our giving to enrich the lives of everyone we meet.
