Giving Tuesday

Holiday season has arrived, with its pluses and minuses.  Turkey partly eaten, partly carved and frozen for subsequent meals.  Thanksgiving fleishig dishes nearing completion of hand washing.  Kids' Hanukkah gifts wrapped.  Black Friday was once a day in which I would get up very early, pick my bargain from the plethora of store ads that accompanied the Thanksgiving morning newspaper, and make a bee line for my selection, usually a gift for my wife's birthday that follows the holiday by about a week.  No interest in this day for a few years, though this year I drove my daughter to the nearby Farmer's market where I indulged myself in a slice of pizza and a piece of crumb cake, then picked up a few bags of candy at their dollar store.  Cyber Monday of no interest, but it probably beats people scouring the stores, large and small, for just the right gift while they crowd the parking lots.  That brings us to Giving Tuesday.

Already every organization that I ever visit or donate to, other than my synagogue, has automated its request for contributions on that day.  My email teems with reminders that tomorrow has been earmarked for supporting non-profits of various types.  Social agencies, the arts, alma maters, advocacy groups, even political candidates.  There is a lot of money to share and mostly good causes to share it with.  And it helps that people are now starting to consider reducing some of their tax burden next spring.

My own Tzedakah process has been semi-automated for decades.  On a certain day each month, I give a fixed sum.  The destination is set in advance for some agencies, others vary over the course of the year.  I think it's a better system than a single day each year with reminders from worthy causes, and a few questionable ones, dominating the subject line of my email Inbox.