Berman Jewish Policy Archive @ NYU Wagner
Berman Jewish Policy Archive @ NYU WagnerNewsletter 
October 2011

Dear Friends,

This month, just before the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America in Denver November 6-8, I am highlighting BJPA's resources on philanthropic giving.

Trends

Lisa Eisen, National Director of the Schusterman Family Foundation identifies six key trends transforming Jewish philanthropy: democratization; a shift to catalytic philanthropy; the rise of the networked mindset; spend-downs; generational wealth transfer; and the ascendancy of women. Steven Windmueller posits an ongoing 'Second American Revolution' of giving, with three core features: a new generation of Jews; new models of organizing focusing on social justice and service; and the rise of the sovereign Jewish self.

In the most recent issue of Sh'ma, Larry Moses contrasts the historic, socially compulsory, centralized ideal of tzedakah with a contemporary model of voluntary gifts based on personal priorities. Addressing this issue in 2009, John Ruskay and Jeffrey Solomon debated the relative merits of the centralized federation vs. independent family foundations.

The field of philanthropy is growing in size, in service, and in scrutiny, writes Steven Gunderson in the Journal of Jewish Communal Service. Philanthropists are broadening their vision and collaborating more, write Mark Charendoff and Jeffrey Solomon.

The 2008 Orthodox Forum at Yeshiva University published its presentations as Toward a Renewed Ethic of Jewish Philanthropy. The Spring 2010 issue of Contact: The Journal of the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life, focused on new trends in fundraising, and the Winter 2006 issue focused on new visions of Jewish philanthropy.

In 2004, I analyzed data from the 2000-1 National Jewish Population Survey on philanthropic giving among American Jews. In 2009, Dasee Berkowitz and I studied the motivations of independent Jewish funders in times of economic distress.

Mega-Donors

Jews are well-represented among American mega-donors, Alex Joffee notes in Jewish Ideas Daily, as Jews take five of the top six spots on the Chronicle of Philanthropy's top 50 list for 2010. Gary Tobin and Aryeh Weinberg reported, however, that most mega-gifts from Jewish donors go to non-sectarian causes , with higher education being the largest recipient. Tobin and Weinberg, along with Alex Karp, also compared mega-giving to disaster relief giving, finding that Americans give more quickly and generously after a crisis than do those in other countries.

Sally Gottesman reminds us that mega does not equal male. While women hold 50% of the nation's wealth, Nancy Schwartz Sternoff and Deborah Skolnick Einhorn contend that women are too seldom asked to contribute to Jewish organizations.

Youth Philanthropy

In 2009, the Jewish Funders Network (JFN) released "Best Practices in Jewish Youth Philanthropy." Writing in the Journal of Jewish Communal Service the same year, Stefanie Zelkind of JFN joined Brandeis undergrad Sarah Gelman to share a teen and a professional perspective on Jewish youth philanthropy. The 21/64 newsletter (10 volumes) discusses intergenerational philanthropy. The organization also provides a list of conferences, programs, websites, and other resources for young people in philanthropy.

Decades Past

In addition to these publications above from the past decade, click here to browse BJPA's nearly 600 publications on the topic of Fundraising and Philanthropy, spanning from 1901 to the present, including: "Motivations for Giving: A Motivational Research Approach" from the Journal of Jewish Communal Service in 1961; "Is Philanthropy Intelligent?" from that journal's predecessor in 1931; and "Man and Philanthropy" from 1915.

May the new year bring much success to Jewish philanthropists, and to Jewish philanthropic organizations.

With best wishes,

Steven

 

 

Prof. Steven M. Cohen

Director, Berman Jewish Policy Archive @ NYU Wagner  
Prof. David Elcott on Interfaith and Interethnic Coalition Building
Office Hours: David Elcott on Interfaith and Interethnic Coalition-Building
Office Hours: David Elcott on Interfaith and Interethnic Coalition-Building

This video is part of our Office Hours series.



13,000 DOCUMENTS...AND GROWING!

 
Some of our latest additions:  

Home and away: Jewish journeys towards independence - Key findings from the 2011 National Jewish Student Survey (England), David Graham and Jonathan Boyd, JPR (October 2011)

 

October 2011 Issue of Sh'ma: Tzedakah, The Sh'ma Institute (October 2011)

 

2011 Annual Survey of American Jewish Opinion, American Jewish Committee (September 2011)

 

JTS Rabbis and Israel, then and now: The 2011 Survey of JTS Ordained Rabbis and Current Students, Steven M. Cohen, JTS (September 2011)

 

Jewish Life in Hungary: Achievements, challenges and priorities since the collapse of communism, András Kovács and Aletta Forras-Biro, JPR (September 2011)

  

Jewish Life in Poland: Achievements, challenges and priorities since the collapse of communism, Konstanty Gebert and Helena Datner, JPR (September 2011)

 

Nesiyah Tovah: American Jewish College Students and the Study Abroad Experience Outside of Israel, Aaron Pratt (HUC-JIR), April 2007

 

Service Learning in the Jewish Community: Connecting the Community and Jewish Studies, Jody Myers and Terry Hatkoff, California State University, Northridge, 2002

 

Community Organization for Prevention of Delinquency and Treatment of Offenders in Younger Age Groups, Philip Heimlich, Jewish Social Service Quarterly (1934)

 

Oligarchy, Fascism and Jewish Unity, Horace M. Kallen, Jewish Social Service Quarterly (1934)

 

Self-Expression of Residents of Homes for Aged, Lee L. Dopkin, Jewish Social Service Quarterly (1934)   

 

 

Click HERE for new publications.    

 

Click HERE for latest additions.
   

From the J-Vault: Who Will Rest and Who Will Wander 

 This week, from the J-Vault: 

  The Jewish Transient (1932)

  

"Throughout our history," said Emma S. Schreiber at the National Conference of Jewish Social Service, "responsibility for the stranger has been one of the finest examples of the manifest actions of our social conscience." But Schreiber did not intend to flatter the Jewish community; instead, she painted a bleak picture of a terrible problem:

   

 

"Jewish communities themselves, believe that [Jewish] transients turn to Jewish resources almost entirely. Seven of the 85 communities [in a nationwide study] reported free use of non-Jewish facilities, while the others felt that Jewish transients use them to a limited extent or not at all...

 

...Discussions with shelter caretakers, representatives of shelter groups, and individuals in the community clearly show that these groups despise the transient, even while they consider it essential to extend him shelter service. The condition of the shelters is the best proof that this spirit exists. In a general way, the Jewish transient is certain of a minimum amount of care in the elementary necessities of food and shelter. In individual cases, the provision is generous. Usually, transients can expect from one to three nights' care and two or three meals a day, although practices vary greatly from place to place. But beyond these elementary provisions, the administration, in terms of sanitation, is below any acceptable community standard..."

 

Download the entire publication.

 

And be sure to check out earlier editions of the J-Vault.

 

Brandeis to Host Socio-Demography Conference Oct 23-24

 

You may recall that in our August newsletter, BJPA Director Prof. Steven M. Cohen lamented: "The lack of a 2010 NJPS leaves a gaping hole in our knowledge of the American Jewish community." Next month, a conference at Brandeis will attempt to overcome this difficulty and make the most of the data available:

 

The relevant links:

BJPA is one of the co-sponsors for this conference. Browse our holdings on Demography here.

 
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BJPA is funded by the Mandell L. and Madeleine H. Berman Foundation and the Charles H. Revson Foundation.