With the American economy still stuck in a rut, it’s a wonder anyone has the courage or the means to give to charity these days. Yet philanthropy remained alive and well in 2010 and, no surprise, Jews were among the most generous givers.
The annual Top 50 list from the Chronicle of Philanthropy placed 19 Jews among the individuals and couples who gave the most last year. Considering that Jews total around 3 percent of the U.S. population, this makes for a remarkable ratio.
Some of the names on the list are well known: financier George Soros, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Los Angeles real estate developer Eli Broad, who combined donated more than $700 million to various charities last year.
The Bay Area is home to several prominent figures who made the list, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg ($100 million), Oracle founder Larry Ellison ($45 million) and Marc and Lynne Benioff ($100 million).
We applaud them all, but want to make special mention of another power couple that made the list.
Stephen and Nancy Grand last year donated $28.1 million to charitable causes, coming in at No. 39 on the Top 50. What makes them different from the other Jewish philanthropists is that the vast majority of their money went to Jewish causes, including the American Technion Society.
Nancy Grand will soon take the helm as president of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation. The Grands’ dedication to the Jewish community here and around the world is second to none. They are true heroes.
And this is where the rest of us come in.
Like those of great wealth, we all have an obligation to give as generously as possible. The point of philanthropy is not that we give only in good times, when it is easy. We must give even when it is hard.
The sages put it best: Kol Yisrael aravim zeh la’zeh, meaning “All Jews are responsible for one another.” This simple phrase arguably sums up the secret of Jewish survival over the centuries.
Since the onset of the economic downturn, this paper has featured story after story about the adverse impact public and private budget cuts have had on society’s most needy. The hardships include too many in the Jewish community as well.
It need not stay that way.
Everyone in the Bay Area Jewish community can follow the lead of Stephen and Nancy Grand, whether you have $28 million or $28. We each must make sure our community has all the resources necessary to grow and thrive.