Monday Apr 28, 2008

Why should Israelis care

Posted by Gidi Grinstein

As I mentioned in the first post of this series, my perspective in writing this series is that of a Jew and an Israeli, in that order. I am also a grantee that has realized a dream and a vision due to the generosity of time, spirit, trust and money by lay leaders, Jewish professional, rabbis, communities and organizations from across the Jewish world.

Why should we - Israelis - care? My answer is that we should care as both as Israelis and as Jews for a number of reasons (with no particular order of importance).

First, as Israelis we should have the most practical urge to see a billion dollars per annum of philanthropic giving being put to the best possible use in the service of prosperity and security of our country. A billion dollars of do-good money is a lot even in our present economic state.

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Tuesday Apr 22, 2008

Israel-Diaspora relations

Posted by Gidi Grinstein

[This is the first of fifteen posts on Jewish philanthropy in Israel titled "Overhaul or Be Marginalized".]

This series of blog posts deals with non-Israeli Jewish philanthropy in Israel with the objective of making a contribution to its effectiveness and relevance.

When I started working on this project, my wife, friends and colleagues asked me why I care enough to spend so many hours on a topic that is out of the focus of my professional work. My answer was that I feel a debt to the community that has made my dream possible and that, en route, this may turn out to be a contribution, however small, to Israel's prosperity, to Israel-Diaspora relations and to world Jewry.

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About this blog

A Link in the Chain Founder of the prestigious Reut Institute, Gidi Grinstein, blogs about his vision for Israel and 21st century Zionism.

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Recent Comments

Joseph, New York City, USA: In the past, Jews brought their tithes on the pilgrimage holidays. Perhaps it is time to revise this idea. Israel has become a developed nation and is past the point of just getting checks in the mail. If going to Israel every pilgrimage holiday is too much, Diaspora Jews could fly there every few years to visit the institutions they support. The travel costs could come from a family's vacation budget instead of the charity budget so worthy causes still get the full tithe.

Alan, Anchorage: Thank you. Looking forward to more.

Galit: While you are waiting for american jews to give and give maybe you have seen to utter lack of commitment and connection many of these mega wealth american to Israel and jewishness and judaism, if fact the american jewish prime idea has been to assimilate and noone has benefited from that idea more than the mega wealthy jews, when these jews give they give all or most of their money to non jewish related charities like hospitals and medcial research and the younger mega wealthy jews give great sums to leftist and pro arab organizawealthy jews die their non jewish spouses get their money.

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