There are numerous stories circulating about remarkable things done by seemingly ordinary people. Indeed, social media is awash with such tales, such that one is reluctant to add to them for fear of devaluing the content.
However, sometimes one comes across such a heartwarming story that it is too good not to share. This happened to me last week.
While in the UK for work, I received a letter from His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (the equivalent of the Israel Tax Authority) asking me a question to which I did not know the answer.
One of the advantages of having been a community doctor for over 30 years is that there is almost no area of expertise that is not covered by at least one of my patients upon whom I can call for assistance.
A tax expert from the UK changing lives with charity and action
One such former patient is a man with the unremarkable name of Brian White. Brian, however, is anything but unremarkable. In fact, he is one of the top (if not the top) tax experts in the UK, who, having made aliyah in 2020 to Zichron Yaakov, continues to advise on tax matters back in the UK.
In addition to this, Brian White is a man of action.
He, almost single-handedly, transformed the Jewish cemeteries of Manchester from a disgraceful mess, with badly maintained graves, broken stones, and dangerous pathways, into respectful, neat, and well-maintained places of rest that give great comfort to those visiting their departed loved ones.
He has also been involved with numerous charitable causes both in UK, and here in Israel.
In 2022, Brian was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), an award given for an outstanding achievement or service to the community.
So, I sent a message to Brian to ask when I could speak to him about the question I needed to answer.
In a touch of Hashgacha Pratit (Divine Providence), it turned out that we had both changed our flights back to Israel from different days, and were booked on the same El-Al flight out of London.
We met in the departure lounge at Heathrow, and Brian answered my tax query in about 30 seconds.
Having dispensed with the mundane, and with plenty of time before boarding, he told me the following inspiring story.
ONE OF the charities which Brian works closely with is Special Spirits in Manchester, UK, a volunteer-run charity which provides a wide range of programs and activities for children with special needs and their families.
A child with special needs comes with many challenges and they make sure nobody is left to manage these challenges on their own.
Their programs include after school-clubs, Sunday trips, sleep-away camps, day camps, Shabbatons, birthday parties, bar/bat mitzvah celebrations, family events, family support, and lots more.
The children build friendships with each other and are supported by their 1:1 keyworkers who help them achieve what they otherwise could never do. Over 120 volunteers give their time each week, bringing smiles to these special children.
They really do help ease the difficulties of caring for these special children.
A year ago, Brian bought a 17-seater motorized tail lift minibus (for wheelchair users) so that the children could attend their activities in comfort. This has enabled the charity to go from strength to strength.
The organization has continued to grow, and together with this growth has come greater need. The director, Mrs. Chaya Einhorn, called Brian a few weeks ago, saying they desperately needed a second minibus due to the sheer number of special needs children they were caring for. Brian said he would see what he could do.
An hour or so after that call a client of Brian’s living in Monaco rang him unexpectedly, to thank him for all the work he had done for him during the year.
The client wanted to buy him something really special as a thank you for Christmas. The client suggested perhaps a £40,000 (NIS 184,000) Patek Philippe watch, or an equally outrageously expensive rare bottle of whisky.
Brian told me, “I really do like a good whisky, but frankly, my palate cannot taste the difference between a £150 bottle of whisky and a £40,000 bottle. I equally would never be seen wearing such a watch on my arm! So, I said to my friend, CJ, that what would give me real pleasure would be the purchase of a 17-seater motorized tail lift minibus costing the same!”
Two hours later, the funds were in the charity’s bank account.
It had taken less than three hours from the request by the charity to the money being in the bank!
The special minibus was bought three weeks later.
The inscriptions on the bus include neither Brian White’s nor the donor’s name.
Instead, on one side is written:
“Every child is a different kind of flower that makes this world such a beautiful garden,” while on the other side is inscribed: “Our children paint the world with beautiful colors every day – Let the Sun Shine in.”
The smiles, laughter, and pleasure this new bus has given to numerous children is immeasurable. And, as Brian told me, “The nachat (joy) I have got from being able to facilitate this great mitzvah, is infinitely greater than any watch or vintage whisky could ever bring”.
Brian White is an impressive person, and as we left to board the plane home, he quoted another remarkable man, Sir Winston Churchill, who said: “You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.”
I was then reminded of the story of yet another outstanding charitable man, Sir Moses Montefiore. Someone once asked him: “Sir Moses, what are you worth?” He thought for a while and named a figure.
“But surely,” said his questioner, “your wealth must be much more than that.”
With a smile, Sir Moses replied: “You didn’t ask me how much I own. You asked me how much I am worth. So, I calculated how much I have given to charity thus far this year – because we are worth what we are willing to share with others.”
The writer, a rabbi, lives in Ramat Poleg, Netanya, and is a co-founder of Techelet – Inspiring Judaism.