The question facing American Jewry is which trend is more important. As JNS editor-in-chief Jonathan Tobin notes, a lot of American Jews have been shocked by both the trauma of the Oct. 7 attacks and the subsequent surge of antisemitism into increased activism on behalf of Israel and giving to Jewish causes. But on the other hand, a large number of Jews, especially progressives, are becoming more assimilated, less interested in Jewish life and alienated from Israel.
He’s joined in this week’s episode of Think Twice by eminent scholar and author Jack Wertheimer, whose new book Jewish Giving: Philanthropy and the Shaping of American Jewish life traces the history of the subject up and to the present day. According to Wertheimer, since Oct. 7, “Jews have come out of the woodwork to give in support of Israel and support of Jewish institutions.”
But on the other hand, there has been a marked decline in giving to Jewish causes over the course of recent decades. In the 2020 Pew Research Center survey on American Jews, showed that for the first time, a majority of them were not giving to Jewish philanthropies. Wertheimer said there was overlap between this group and those whom demographers describe as “Jews of no religion,” and those identity as political progressives.
The problem is greater among younger Jews who are being heavily influenced by what he described as “propagandistic social media” that is hostile to Israel and the “tribal” loyalties to Israel and the Jews that is out of fashion on the political left. It is this portion of the community that sees the problem with Jewish groups and philanthropies as being that they are too focused on Jewish causes rather than not enough interest in them.
Wertheimer’s research leads him to the conclusion that the problems facing umbrella Jewish philanthropies like federations are no different to those being faced by similar secular groups. He also thinks the belief that “big donors” are having a disproportionate impact driving the agenda of the Jewish community is overblown. Jewish groups and donors are not monolithic in their agendas.
He says the key question facing the Jewish community is how it can follow up on the post-Oct. 7 increase in interest in Jewish life from those who have been galvanized by the actions of Hamas and its antisemitic supporters, including among those secular Jews who had been “checking out” of the community.
Wertheimer asserts that even as major Jewish philanthropies have recognized the importance of support for Israel, they're also recognizing the vital importance of educating the next generation and also socializing them into participating in Jewish communal life. Because without that, there won't be a future for Jewish philanthropy in the next generation.
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