Campaigns, Community and Coronavirus

Nonprofit Parasha: Terumah

We head into the weekend with the Coronavirus still making headlines as it makes its way across continents. In Israel, the government is taking serious measures to minimize the risk to our citizens with flights to some countries canceled and entry to some airlines and foreigners prohibited for the foreseeable future. Hundreds here are in self-disciplined isolation for at least fourteen days.

There are many debates raging about causes, sources of the virus, solutions and expectations of its strength and spread as the days tick by. There are many unwell people globally and many deaths already, predominantly in China but elsewhere too.

It's a unique situation and it's hard for me to recall many similar, whereby a considerable part of our global citizenry is thinking about, affected by and planning their weeks ahead based on the very same challenge: coronavirus.

The fear of flying, of airports, crowded places and "the unknown" might be at its peak since that horrid day in September 2001 and the days, weeks, months that followed.

We are watching an unusual push and pull, an uncomfortable friction played out between the individual and the community. Between me, my personal rights and responsibilities and the rights and responsibilities of the collective.

This week we discover a Torah portion that leads us straight into the story of a huge achievement and impact on the community as a result of positive action and contributions by individuals. We see in Parashat Terumah a fundraising campaign for an insurmountably central and critical capital project – right there in the desert, on their long walk to the Promised Land.

So successful is this crowdfunding campaign, so high the participation rate of the potential donors, at Exodus 36:3-6 Moses is forced to call for a cessation of this philanthropic giving to the collective task of building the Mishkan (mobile tabernacle). Perhaps a one-in-a-million campaign – we in the industry joke that not since then has the call been made to cease donations. Maybe not since the Six-Day War and then the campaign for the release of Soviet Jewry have we seen the people give and give, march and chant like this.

At that time, everyone wanted to be part of something special. Everyone recognized the centrality and importance of the project at hand and they gave of their own free will. As God had commanded then, "from every man whose heart motivates him you shall take a portion" (Exodus 25:2) That was a precondition to being able to make your philanthropic contribution.

Your contribution, your giving, perhaps your small sacrifice needed to be made from the heart, without a grudge, with positive desire and intention to play your part.

How much we need this spirit today? In so many ways. Those who are expected to isolate themselves from others due to risk of their having been exposed to the coronavirus, are expected to step forward and take the action required for the good of the other, for the wellbeing of the community.

We are being asked to put travel – business and pleasure – on hold for a while. We are expected to consider how we might enhance hygiene and home, in the workplace and in public in general.

We owe it to ourselves and to everyone we call fellow global citizens – despite any disruption, loss of income and the like.

We must do it because our heart motivates us.

This week we Israelis will also go to the polls for the third time in a year. Another instance of the importance of the individual, each of us a vital influential puzzle piece toward electing the next Knesset. We all have a responsibility to vote and to contribute to the building of the next Knesset (and God willing a government).

Do it with a motivated heart. The third time is also a deep privilege.

Shabbat Shalom!

*** Receive weekly via Whatsapp at: https://chat.whatsapp.com/J2J3P34dkv696CpUFXGkn2 ***