Giving Tuesday did not begin as a fundraising tactic. It began as a rebellion.
In 2012, a small team at New York’s 92nd Street Y looked at the frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday and asked a simple question: What if the world paused for one day, not to buy, but to give? The idea was quiet and almost naïve, yet it spread faster than anyone imagined. Within a year, it reached dozens of countries. Within five years, it reached hundreds.
People were hungry for it.
Hungry for something deeper than discounts. Hungry for meaning. Hungry for the chance to choose generosity instead of consumption.
Giving Tuesday became the world’s annual reset button, a reminder near the end of each year that compassion still has the power to bend history. By 2024, Americans gave more than 3.1 billion dollars in twenty four hours. Not governments. Not institutions. Ordinary people. Clicking “give” instead of “add to cart.” Millions of small acts creating a cultural earthquake.
And the most remarkable part is not the money. It is the message. We still believe our choices matter. We still believe giving can heal something real.
And today is that day.
Across the world, people will choose generosity over accumulation, and that choice carries real consequences for communities far beyond their own. In Israel, it determines whether lone soldiers find a homecoming, whether Holocaust survivors in Sderot can age with dignity, whether young leaders have the tools to stand up to global hostility, and whether the land itself continues to bloom through forests planted in its soil.
This is why today matters. It sets the tone for what comes next.
Beginning today, December 2nd, Israel365 will open a month long focus on projects that reach deep into the heart of Israel- and are at the core of what Israel365 does. Practical support for lone soldiers, care for the elderly, the cultivation of future leaders, advocacy that pushes back against manufactured hostility, and the planting of forests that turn biblical prophecy into living landscape. These efforts do not appear out of thin air. They emerge from days like today, when generosity becomes a force multiplier.
Giving Tuesday began as a challenge to a culture obsessed with consumption. Today, it stands as proof that people still want to build rather than retreat, to contribute rather than withdraw. In a world that often feels fractured, this day remains one of the clearest signs that kindness can still set events in motion.
So, as you reflect on the power of your choice today, remember: the work that will unfold over the next month through Israel365—across Israel, for the soldiers, survivors, and communities—is only possible because of people like you. Your generosity today ensures that we can continue to bring tangible support and lasting change.
Giving Tuesday has always been about choosing to give when the world is focused elsewhere. This year, your choice to give can be a light that strengthens Israel and its people when they need it most.
