We just celebrated Giving Tuesday, a time when Americans of all backgrounds—including the Jewish community—donate to the nonprofit and charitable organizations that uplift and enrich their lives. It’s a way to show appreciation for the causes we cherish and organizations we admire.
Amid the ongoing pandemic, and economic recession, many Americans find themselves facing new challenges this holiday season. But even if you were not in a position to donate this year, you can still honor the GivingTuesday spirit. You can take the Jewish Future Pledge.
The Jewish Future Pledge is a worldwide movement that works to secure funds to perpetuate Jewish giving and ignite intergenerational conversations around giving back to Jewish causes. The Pledge is a commitment that from the funds you leave to charity at your passing, at least half will be earmarked to support the Jewish people and/or the State of Israel. It’s not a fundraiser for any one organization, nor does it collect or disburse funds. Rather, it is a vehicle for spurring important discussions about investing in the Jewish future and ensuring that we sustain the Jewish organizations we love for generations.
“Whether you leave $10 or $10 million to charity in your will, taking the Pledge gives each and every Jew an opportunity to write their chapter in our people’s remarkable story,” said Jewish Future Pledge Founder Mike Leven.
Leven learned this lesson from his grandparents, immigrants who didn’t have much but taught him “that everyone has a role to play in strengthening the Jewish people.” He vividly recalls watching them drop pennies into their pushka every Shabbat, a memory that inspired him to start the Jewish Future Pledge.
And that’s why taking the Pledge is a truly meaningful gift—because it inspires future generations.
Jodie Kaufman Davis and Jaimie Davis, pledgers from Birmingham, Missouri, summed this up when they explained why they took the Pledge: “As we were inspired by the generations before us who gifted us with incredible opportunities and a strong, vibrant Jewish community, it is our wish and we believe, our responsibility, to perpetuate this for those who come after us.”
Or as Dr. Sol and Lauren Lizerbram from San Diego, California noted: “It is our responsibility to educate every generation about our proud heritage.” The coming decades will be pivotal for the Jewish people. Antisemitic incidents have reached record highs in the United States. Anti-Zionism has flourished on college campuses. Young people are increasingly walking away from Judaism. The Jewish organizations equipped to address these concerns face perpetual funding deficits.
This is not inevitable. Together—as a Jewish community—we can reverse these trends.
Over the next 25 years, it is estimated that Jewish donors will allocate in their wills approximately $1.26 trillion to charitable causes. The Jewish Future Pledge strives to ensure that at least half of this sum—roughly $630 billion—makes its way to the Jewish organizations, summer camps, schools and synagogues that form the backbone of our community.
GivingTuesday is a day to express our gratitude for all our blessings in life. But this year, make a different kind of pledge – a moral commitment to the Jewish People. Let’s head into the lights of Hanukkah by blazing a trail forward to a stronger, brighter future for us all.
Go to www.jewishfuturepledge.org to take the Pledge today!
