In his column “Is Patience a Virtue?” (The Jewish Link, June 27, 2024) Norman B. Gildin describes the method whereby cultivating potential donors over a period of time can reap rewards. However, solicitors should also bear in mind that some donors may give simply out of the goodness of their heart under the right circumstances.

The following incident actually happened in our shul some years ago. In the midst of a fundraising campaign, one of our congregants, with little previous history of large donations, pledged a substantial sum of money. Our rabbi thanked him for his generosity and parenthetically asked what prompted the gift this time when he hadn’t given very much before.

The answer was very simple: “Nobody ever asked me before.”

Max Wisotsky
Highland Park