OPINION: GIFT’s 20th birthday reminds us there’s always good among all this bad

Smartphones have been the symbol of our individualistic age’s obsession with ourselves.

As Will Storr, a British author and journalist, charted in his book, Selfie, in today’s economy, individuals have been transformed into a currency, with influencers marketing themselves and competing against one another for popularity and followers.

Yet, in the Jewish community, we have seen the rise of another currency altogether, of giving, volunteering and countless acts of charity.

Next month GIFT turns 20, marking over two decades of immense charitable activity.

At its inception, there was a perception that GIFT was simply an organisation that would provide challot and food packages for struggling families, coordinating with drivers to deliver these bags across London.

Yet, we always held a deeper vision, of educating and inculcating an activism and spirit of giving to others, of focusing outwardly and not inwardly. Our smartphones, for example, seen by many as tools of selfishness, have been used to give to others.

WhatsApp groups of thousands of people, ready to volunteer, tutor, deliver food packages, shop, and support are active almost every hour of every day.

GIFT celebrates 20 years of spreading this message, of the importance and pleasure of giving to others, across the entire communal spectrum of British Jewry, Israel and beyond.

As a result of the work of 20 years, it is a profound pleasure to see the beginnings of a palpable transformation from “Me” to “We” happening within our community, from London to Manchester, Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. Giving and volunteering are increasingly the norm amongst young people in our communities.

There is a second wave change in which GIFT has also played a significant part. In today’s world, we are stricken by a sense of disaster.

The recent crises that have stricken us, from the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the horrendous massacre of October 7th and Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas, are earth-shattering catastrophes, all different in scale and personal impact of course, but all catastrophic and, for many, paralysing.

GIFT has served the vital role of enabling us to respond to each of these events positively, of facilitating giving on an unprecedented scale, mobilising an army of volunteers to help provide for those shattered in the wake of those tragedies.

We need not only focus on the negative, dwelling on the despondency and destruction that pervades, but can also stand up and act, improving the lot of so many around us. We need not simply be coloured by the terror around us, but can actively fight back through acts of kindness, changing society for the better.

GIFT exists thanks to the thousands of volunteers, supporters, and friends that make GIFT what it is. A grassroots movement educating, inspiring, and enabling a positive attitude towards giving, transformed daily into thousands of acts of giving. GIFT, and its spirit, have now come of age, a permanent and much beloved feature of our community.

Happy 20th birthday to a movement, part of the Jewish Futures family, that just keeps on giving.