Hanukkah might last for eight celebratory nights, but the fifth night is especially poignant: It’s a time to declare that light can be brought everywhere—including to those in need. In recent years, a “5th Night” movement began to honor the Jewish tradition of tikkun olam (repairing the world). On this night, the focus isn’t on gifts and fun (although that’s great, too); it’s all about giving back.
Local philanthropist Rachel Glazer launched the movement in 2008, when her three kids were small, among close friends and family. Over time, it grew to local synagogues and Jewish organizations throughout the Boston area.
The idea, like so many great ones, started unassumingly.
“When my kids were young, we’d spoken to a cousin who lives out of state, and she told us that she took her kids to Target every year on one night of Hanukkah, and they’d put a toy in their Toys for Tots box. I talked about it with my husband and said: ‘This should be a community event,’” Glazer recalls.
The couple teamed up with a friend, Amy Finn, to launch a family-friendly annual event with candle-lighting, songs, blessings and entertainment. But instead of receiving gifts during the party, each child would bring one to donate. For years, the founders gathered at The Rashi School in Dedham, with various congregations from the Boston area invited to participate for maximum inclusivity. Word quickly spread throughout the Jewish school community (her kids were in Jewish preschools at the time) and beyond.
“Our ultimate goal was to teach our kids about giving back, especially in a community setting,” Glazer says. “We got such good feedback, and it became a tradition for all of our friends and family.”
That includes Melanie Camp, associate vice president for growth philanthropy at CJP. Over the past three years, 5th Night has become a treasured tradition for her two kids, ages 6 and 10.
“I want to make sure my kids aren’t just getting presents over eight nights. I emphasize lots of thoughtful philanthropy and service throughout the year, but especially that night,” she says.
Wondering how to begin with your own community? Camp has a straightforward strategy: Each year, she presents three age-appropriate issue areas to her kids; for instance, homelessness, food insecurity and animals. She prints out pictures from organizations that do meaningful work in each arena and lets them choose.
“I explain it to them in a way they can manage and offer them the choice of picking one to make a gift to. For us, this is a dedicated night during the holiday season where the kids themselves are thinking about how they can give back and make a difference,” she says.
Last year, the family chose to support victims of Oct. 7. They also use CJP’s Donor Advised Fund, a charitable gift account that allows donors to recommend grants to favorite charities, while CJP handles the paperwork—an easy way to streamline at a busy time of year.
Now that Glazer’s three kids are teens and young adults, they also choose their favorite foundations: Through Holliston’s Holiday Dreams Foundation, their kids sponsor a child in need, buying items from their holiday wish list. They’ve also supported Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters, Room to Grow and Newton’s Birthday Wishes, which creates birthday celebrations for homeless children. Two of Glazer’s kids, Chloe and Max, volunteered with the organization in high school and continue to stay connected.
Indeed, Camp and Glazer emphasize that giving back is critical year-round, not just for one night. One way to sustain the charitable mindset beyond the holidays? Commit during the holiday season to a family-oriented service project in the spring, when volunteerism often drops off. (Camp is a fan of Natick’s Spark Kindness, which pairs volunteers with community events year-round.)
The most important thing, they say, is to find a cause that resonates—and to remember that charity matters every day.
“This is the season that’s so critically important to make sure kids know how fortunate they are and how many kids don’t have their good fortune. This is an opportunity to have an annual tradition to acknowledge this but also a reminder that this is just one day. Every day, this should be in the back of your mind,” Camp says.
