[ad_1]
As we celebrate Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, the people of Israel are experiencing their darkest hour. Countless Jews around the world are looking to help them in a tangible way. But how?
One café in Tel Aviv provides a blueprint. All three partners in the business have been called up through the IDF reserves, meaning that revenue has come to a halt. Further complicating matters, the owners are serving on three different military bases, making it more difficult for them to communicate and coordinate.
SparkIL, a peer-to-peer lending platform that enables individuals to support the small business of their choice in Israel, jumped into action. We went from base to base to ensure that each partner signed the paperwork needed for the business to receive a loan as quickly as possible. And in truth, we provided more than a loan. As a beacon of light, we turned their hurt into hope.
Another business owner, who is from the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community, agreed to participate in a photo shoot for social media posts about her loan. This was an unconventional choice for a haredi woman. Why did she do it? She told me that she has children to feed and that after multiple banks rejected her application for a loan, we provided her with a lifeline.
Crucially, SparkIL is helping Israeli business owners who have nowhere else to turn at a time when economic conditions are creating an unprecedented strain on their operations. Israel’s central bank forecasts that the war with Hamas will cost the country roughly $53 billion between now and 2025. JPMorgan Chase & Co. predicts that the Israeli GDP will shrink 11% this quarter on an annualized basis.
Israelis and Diaspora Jews are rallying together
While the government is providing an insufficient grant to small businesses affected by the war, the newly launched SparkIL Emergency Loan Fund is substantially increasing the assistance that is available to those businesses at this time. The loan fund is offering up to NIS 100,000 (about $27,000) in aid per business. During these sleepless wartime nights – indeed, I have two sons serving in Gaza as combat soldiers in the IDF – the manner in which we spread light to these businesses gives me comfort.
In fact, the light is spread in both directions, providing a purpose for Jews across the globe who are searching for a way to help Israelis at their time of need. At the same time, through these loans, the Israeli business owners gain an understanding of how world Jewry has risen to the occasion during the country’s economic crisis.
On both sides, we provide a vehicle for people who are longing to connect. Lenders can come visit the businesses they are supporting. The owner of an Israeli baker can literally tell a lender from the Diaspora, “Here is the bread we made because of the oven you helped us buy.” The connection is tangible. You can feel and see the gratitude. Perhaps most importantly, the mutual understanding between lender and recipient is that, as the Jewish people, we are one.
I joined SparkIL as its first CEO last year with a desire to help business owners from Israel’s geographic and social periphery. Today, we are helping Israelis from all backgrounds nationwide who are affected by the war. The assistance directly reaches individuals who need it, and it is immediate. Participation for lenders is highly accessible, as the minimum loan amount is $25. A gift card for Hanukkah, meanwhile, can get your friends and family involved with spreading the light at Israel’s time of darkness.
After the initial horror and shock of October 7, the immediate focus for Israel and its Diaspora supporters was on helping soldiers, bereaved civilians, and families of hostages. But we understood from the outset that the economic crisis would be the next major domino to fall for Israel. As small businesses comprise 97% of all businesses in Israel, they drive the economy forward. If small businesses do not receive the assistance they need, not only business owners but the entire economy will be in peril. That is why we launched the Emergency Loan Fund as a wartime lifeline for these small businesses.
Today, a new generation of Israelis is learning what it means to navigate an economic crisis, and Jews not only in Israel but around the world are learning how they can play a direct role in the economy’s maintenance and eventual revival.
During this war, Israelis and Jews worldwide have been rallying around the same mantra. The same sentiment can ring true for the economic front. Together, we will prevail.
The writer is the CEO of SparkIL.
[ad_2]
Source link