All of us frequently face a gift-giving dilemma. We have to buy presents that show how much we care. We have to take the recipient’s age, interests, needs and wants into consideration. We are under pressure to be absolutely perfect.
At one end of the spectrum of people celebrating special events are those who have lots of money and are able to buy anything that their heart desires, if it has a price tag. At the other end are those who are not yet at the top of the economic ladder and can really use some cold cash. Luckily, most of the time we are searching for gifts for people who fit in the middle. But finding a gift that satisfies every recipient’s requirements can be a tougher trick than pulling a rabbit out of a kippah.
For the college kid who frequently suffers from a lack of funds, a whimsical card containing a generous check is always in fashion. But when we get invited to a 50th wedding anniversary party or find a birth announcement in the mail, it’s time for a little more thought about what we want to give.
A good solution is to select something that does double duty. Your nearest and dearest receive something that they can enjoy, and a worthwhile cause has some cash added to its coffers. The feel-good answer to your toughest what-to-buy questions is philanthropic gift-giving.
Sure, making a straight donation to a charity in honor of your bubbe’s 90th birthday bash has been an option since before bubbe was a bride. While she might appreciate the gesture, something that packs some personal punch would surely add to the festive spirit of the big day.
Here are some possibilities for giving gifts that come with a bonus:
• I belong to a relatively small congregation, but the collection of beautiful Judaica displayed in a compact space known as the gift shop is truly beyond belief. From gleaming gold jewelry to wear around the neck to gorgeous silver goblets for the Passover seder table, I know that when I make a purchase, the congregation is benefiting.
If you can’t find the right item at your shul’s shop, a local Judaica store (or the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco) will undoubtedly have a fine selection of items made in Israel that would suit the occasion. Purchasing gifts that were made by Israeli artisans is an easy way to demonstrate that you support Israel.
• Provide trees, water and more to ensure Israel’s future. The Jewish National Fund still handles trees and would be pleased to mark a special occasion by planting one or more in honor of a special person. But there are other things that you can do and stuff you can buy that will benefit the people of Israel.
At the high end of the price scale are two truly exclusive items. The first is the Sderot Tulip, a flower that is made from the steel of a Kassam rocket that landed in Sderot. It is a piece of unique artwork that was created by Israeli sculptor Eldor Levy. Limited quantities are available at $1,000 each, and the proceeds benefit JNF’s important work in Sderot, which has been under attack for years. The sculpture is meant to be a symbol for peace and brings to mind Isaiah’s biblical prophecy of turning swords into plowshares.
A gift that would be spot-on for the sports fan in your life is the Israel Baseball League photo display box, priced at $500. Proceeds go toward building community baseball fields throughout Israel, so kids of all ages can enjoy this increasingly popular pastime.
Less expensive ways of sharing a special occasion include purchasing a JNF mezuzah case ($50) or making a minimum ($18) contribution to one of JNF’s water projects in Israel. In recognition of the donation, the honoree will receive an attractive, frameable certificate. To learn more, go to www.jnf.org and click on the store icon.
• While so much written material is available online, nothing beats curling up in a comfortable chair and having a favorite magazine in your hands. There is now a website that combines a gift-giving opportunity and a fundraising forum, www.magfundraising.com.
You find a group that you wish to benefit and you buy a gift subscription to a magazine. Thousands of schools and charitable and civic organizations are arranged by state (alphabetically). The savings over other subscription offers are considerable, up to 40 percent of your total purchase amount goes to your designated group, and you are performing a mitzvah.
• The Jewish Museum in New York City has a place to shop online (shop.thejewishmuseum.org/jmuseum) for something extraordinary that won’t break the bank. Some of my favorite offerings include the Isfahan folding umbrella, fashioned after a mosaic design of a 16th century synagogue wall ($35); Noah’s Ark wood mezuzah case ($18); and the Vienna seder plate necklace, sterling silver with blue enamel ($60). For the guy who has almost everything, the lions silk tie, available in navy or burgundy ($45), is patterned after a 19th century bronze Eastern European chanukiah and would be a handsome addition to any gentleman’s collection.
The Museum Store at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco (www.thecjm.org and click on “visit”) ships some of its merchandise domestically and internationally, but you can only browse selected items online and then contact them at [email protected] or (415) 655-7888 to place your order.
• While this suggestion doesn’t really qualify as being philanthropic, it just might be a best bet that benefits the entire Jewish community for generations to come. If you have a friend, child, niece or wonderful neighbor who has been looking for “the right one” in all the wrong places, has hit a brick wall in bars, and other paths to making a Jewish connection have been dead ends, consider a gift subscription to JDate.
Costs start at $39.99 for one month, with a six-month agreement priced at $24.99 each month. Since the need to bring Jewish singles together is a major concern of many congregational rabbis, JDate offers a discount to rabbis who wish to give the subscriptions to single congregants. For more information, visit www.jdate.com/gift-certificate.
It’s easy to write a check or buy a gift card. It shows that you care, but just not enough to go through the time-consuming process of selecting a present specifically for the person. By choosing something that both benefits a charity and/or the Jewish community and gives the recipient at least a small token by which to remember the day, you will be able to enjoy those good feelings that come with picking the perfect gift.