Rabbi Knopf's Blog

Dear friends,

Giving Tuesday is a great innovation. It interrupts the gluttonous consumerism that has come to mark the holiday season by reminding us what this time of year is supposed to be about — gratitude and generosity.

In that spirit, we at Temple Beth-El will not be joining in the chorus of (worthy) organizations asking for your gift. Instead, we encourage you to give generously to a cause near and dear to our hearts: the State of Israel.

One way to support the world’s only Jewish State this holiday season is to purchase Israel Bonds . Of course, Israel Bonds are, strictly speaking, an investment and not a donation. As a rabbi, I cannot speak to whether the purchase of an Israel Bond is a good financial investment. But I can tell you that Israel Bonds are a crucial and meaningful investment in Israel’s future. Even better, Israel Bonds is not a political organization. Their sole goal is to support the State of Israel, which they have been doing since its birth. You can purchase Israel Bonds online here:

In addition, consider supporting Israel and contributing to its vibrant future in one of several other ways:

• The Masorti Foundation for Conservative Judaism in Israel  directly supports Conservative Jewish congregations and programs in Israel, ensuring a vibrant future for Conservative Judaism in Israel and religious freedom for Israel’s diverse Jewish population. The cause is doubly important because, unlike Orthodox congregations and programs, the Conservative/Masorti movement receives no financial support from the Israeli government. I hope you will consider this worthy cause.

• The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and Leket Israel  are two wonderful organizations supporting the most disadvantaged individuals and communities in Israel.  Israel is flourishing, a true modern miracle. But too many Israelis continue to live in dire poverty. Please consider helping them this holiday season.

• New Israel Fund, Hand in Hand Schools in Israel, and  Givat Haviva International Center   advance the cause of human rights and peace-building in Israel, and two of the organizations deeply inspired participants of our recent congregational mission to Israel. These causes inspire us with hope for Israel’s future.

We feel these are worthy ways of supporting the Jewish State and playing a role in building its bright future. There are countless other ways to do so; too many to list here (yes, we know we left your Israel charity of choice off the list and we apologize for the omission!). Whether you avail yourself of one of these options or another organization, we encourage you to hold Israel in mind for your charitable giving on Tuesday and, indeed, all year round.

Happy Giving Tuesday,

Rabbi Knopf