Why Giving Back Makes Jewelry More Meaningful
By Alissa Haroush
When people ask me why I started Alef Bet Jewelry, they usually expect me to talk about jewelry.
But the truth is, it was never just about jewelry.
I wanted to build something that helped people celebrate their faith, their family, and the moments that matter most.
Over the years, I realized something else.
The meaning behind a piece of jewelry doesn't end when someone opens the box.
Sometimes, that's where the story begins.
A necklace celebrates a Bat Mitzvah.
A bracelet marks a milestone.
A Star of David becomes something a woman wears every single day.
Years later, it becomes the necklace her granddaughter remembers her wearing.
That's the kind of jewelry we've always wanted to create.
Not jewelry that follows trends.
Jewelry that becomes part of someone's story.
But I also came to believe something else.
If jewelry can carry meaning, then the company behind it should too.
A Business Should Be Part of Its Community
I've never believed a business should end at the checkout page.
When someone trusts us with a gift for a wedding, a Bat Mitzvah, a new baby, or a personal milestone, they're trusting us with part of their story.
That responsibility doesn't stop when we ship the order.
Over the years, Alef Bet has supported schools, synagogues, nonprofit organizations, medical charities, community fundraisers, and countless local causes. Some of those efforts have been large. Others have been quiet.
We've kept a growing record of many of those partnerships on our Donations to Date page because they're part of our story just as much as the jewelry itself.
Giving back has never been something we added to our business.
It's always been part of it.
October 7 Changed What Giving Back Looked Like
After October 7, 2023, that belief became even more personal.
Like so many people, I felt helpless watching events unfold in Israel.
But I've always believed that when you can't solve everything, you should do something.
Together with our community, we raised funds, collected supplies, and looked for practical ways to help Israelis on the front lines.
Those efforts weren't marketing campaigns.
They were simply our community responding to a moment that mattered.
Momentum later shared the story of how our Los Angeles community came together to support Israelis during that time. Reading that article reminded me that the strength of a community is often measured by how quickly it shows up for one another.
Building More Than a Jewelry Company
People often see Alef Bet as a jewelry company.
I understand why.
Jewelry is what we make.
But community is what we've always tried to build.
That philosophy extends beyond charitable giving.
It's shaped how I've approached mentoring women in business, supporting fellow entrepreneurs, and creating spaces where Jewish women can connect with one another.
When Dear FoundHer featured my entrepreneurial journey, I appreciated that they didn't just talk about products. They talked about purpose.
Because that's always been the bigger goal.
Jewelry Can Leave More Than Memories
People often remember jewelry because of who gave it to them.
Or when they received it.
Or the person who wore it before them.
Those stories are what make jewelry meaningful.
But I also love the idea that a piece of jewelry can quietly leave another kind of legacy.
That by choosing one necklace, someone also helped support a school.
Or a medical organization.
Or families in need.
Or emergency responders.
Or a community rebuilding after tragedy.
The jewelry becomes part of two stories instead of one.
Why This Matters to Me
I've been fortunate to meet thousands of customers over the past twenty-seven years.
I've heard stories of weddings, births, graduations, loss, healing, and new beginnings.
I've watched customers become friends.
I've watched daughters become mothers.
I've watched grandchildren receive the same symbols their grandparents once wore.
Moments like those remind me that jewelry isn't really about gold or silver.
It's about connection.
And if connection is what we're celebrating, then giving back feels like the most natural extension of that idea.
I hope people love the jewelry they buy from Alef Bet.
But years from now, I hope they remember something else too.
That behind every piece was a company that believed beautiful jewelry could do more than celebrate a life.
It could strengthen a community.
That's the business I've always wanted to build.
About the Author
Alissa Haroush is the founder of Alef Bet Jewelry, a California-based company creating meaningful Jewish jewelry since 1998. Through nearly three decades of serving customers around the world, she has built Alef Bet around the belief that jewelry should celebrate faith, family, community, and the stories that connect us.
Further Reading
- Donations to Date
- After October 7, Jewish Jewelry Became More Than Jewelry
- The One Piece of Jewelry You Never Take Off
- Dear FoundHer: Alissa Haroush, Founder of Alef Bet by Paula
- Momentum: From Los Angeles, Taking Action for Israelis on the Front Lines