Block’s biggest gift is her 52 years of service

“I am who I am because of who we are,” Joan Block relayed to an audience at the 2026 Investec Jewish Achiever Awards on Sunday, 1 November, on receiving the Mann Made Community Service Award. She said those words encapsulate five decades of running the Selwyn Segal Gift Centre, working alongside others to make a difference in the lives of others. 

“I have watched the Selwyn Segal Gift Centre grow from its humble beginnings into the incredible gift emporium it is today. I feel so blessed that it chose me for this journey, to love what I do, and I hope that along the way, I have made a difference in a life or two,” she said. 

In her 52 years at the shop, she has seen it grow from selling 4 500 gifts a year to 4 500 gifts just this past Rosh Hashanah season, when they used 560kg of dried fruit, about the same weight as a rhino, six kilometres of ribbon, eight kilometres of cellophane, and five kilometres of tissue paper. 

“I’m gratified to know that our gifts have touched the lives of so many. It is with the gift shop and our beloved Selwyn Segal residents, with their beautiful neshamas [souls] in mind, that I thank you with all my heart for this unbelievable honour.” 

When Block thinks back on her journey, she is reminded of a story about a man who visited a village in Uganda and saw a group of children playing with sticks and stones. He placed some sweets under a tree a short distance away and told them that when he said ‘go’, whoever reached the sweets first could have them. But instead of racing against one another, the children held hands, ran together and shared the sweets. When asked why, they replied, “I am who I am because of who we are.” 

Likewise, she attributes her achievements to the people around her. She thanked her co-convener, Irene Schraibman, who has worked alongside her for 37 years, as well as the gift shop’s volunteers, staff, customers, and wider community for their dedication and support. Block also paid tribute to her family and friends, the organisation’s leadership, and her late husband, Dave, whom she described as the backbone of the gift shop. 

She expressed her hope that the Selwyn Segal Gift Centre would continue to grow and to make a difference in the lives of Selwyn Segal residents. 

“Our mantra is “Give a gift and do a mitzvah”, because the gift is truly in the giving. I am who I am because of who we are, ubuntu,” she said.