By Rabbi Philip Warmflash, Executive Director
From Wikipedia, we learn that Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y in NY as a response to commercialization and consumerism in the post-Thanksgiving season. So, what is so interesting about that? First, as my mother would have done, I take some communal pride in the fact that its creation is attributed to a Jewish organization! But second, and more seriously, whereas Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday all reflect the full force of all of the commercial infrastructure, the origin story of Giving Tuesday is traced back to the work of one organization. If you will, it is another version of David vs. Goliath, and, in that light, demonstrates the power of one important idea to transform.
This Giving Tuesday, each of us can help this idea continue to grow, and each of our contributions can have a real impact on our communities and our world. I hope you each give something today, and I hope that you will consider joining me in supporting the vital work of Jewish Learning Venture to engage and empower our Jewish community.
