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Evaluating Jewish donors over time
The American Jewish philanthropic enterprise is unparalleled in scope, dynamism, and the diversity of funders and the causes they support. Yet even as Jewish giving has been largely successful in responding with alacrity to emergencies, it has been subjected to severe criticism. What once was regarded as a point of pride has become the object of scorn and dismissal, with skepticism—if not harsh criticism—about its work rife both within and outside Jewish communal circles.
Based on 320 interviews with professionals at Jewish not-for-profits across the United States, principals of foundations and their top staff personnel, and also tax filings of major foundations, Jewish Giving provides readers with fresh perspectives to evaluate the efforts of Jewish donors, large and small. The book traces the evolution of Jewish giving from the colonial era to the present, charting the changing profile of those who give to Jewish causes and what funders have aimed to achieve through their largesse. It makes the case that philanthropy serves as a prism through which broader themes in communal life are illuminated. As society or politics change, the priorities of charitable giving adjust in response. These changes in targeted funding can help to sharpen our understanding of demographic and social patterns. Devoting much attention to twenty-first century developments in contemporary Jewish giving, the book pays special attention to the changing landscape of donors who are remaking Jewish philanthropy, including women, Orthodox Jews, Sephardi givers, and young funders.
— Shaul Kelner, author of A Cold War Exodus: How American Activists Mobilized to Free Soviet Jews
In an age of rapid changes and serial crises, philanthropy is called to play a key role in the Jewish world. This exhaustive analysis by Dr. Wertheimer is a critical resource to better understand the evolving nature of Jewish philanthropy with all its challenges and opportunities as Israel and Jewish communities sail the uncharted waters of the 21st century.
— Andrés Spokoiny, President and CEO, Jewish Funders Network
Mr. Wertheimer possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of Jewish philanthropy, including Jewish teachings that emphasize the religious imperative known as tikkun olam—that is, to repair the world. His book examines the history and sociology of Jewish charitable activity and offers insights into current trends from numerous interviews with donors and organizational leaders ... a good place to start to understand how to respond to the urgent challenges facing Jews today.
— Wall Street Journal
The book speaks not only to philanthropists but to anyone concerned with the future of American Jewish communal life and how philanthropy shapes it . . . Wertheimer reminds us that Jewish giving is not just generosity; it’s a communal decision about who we are and what we wish to become.
— Hadara Ishak, The Times of Israel
Wertheimer traces the origins of Jewish giving and examines in extensive detail how a system of philanthropy developed among American Jews and how it is functioning today. This is a substantial piece of scholarship that combines history and sociology and provides a welter of data and case studies. It is a logical and worthy successor to Wertheimer’s previously, award-winning studies of American Jewish life.
— Jewish Book Council
Wertheimer has produced a superb work of scholarship. This book may yet become the new benchmark for the study of contemporary American Jewish philanthropy.
— Contemporary Jewry