Sunday May 11, 2008

Where is the Israeli Center?

Posted by Gidi Grinstein

[This is the fifth of fifteen posts on Jewish philanthropy in Israel]

Jewish philanthropy in Israel requires an overhaul in order to recapture a central role in Israeli society.One of the powerful and persistent trends driving this sidelining is the growing disconnect from the Israeli socioeconomic center. It is a challenge of priorities, as well as communications.

In the past, Diaspora Jewish philanthropy was perceived and framed in the context of economic and social assistance and as a supplement to Israel's national budget. Hence, understandably, it has been focused primarily on immigration absorption and on alleviating poverty and hardship.

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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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