No one respects tradition more than Jews. We even wrote a Broadway show tune about it.
Nevertheless, as circumstances change, we sometimes alter or do away with entrenched ways of doing things.
Two articles in j. this week highlight dramatic shifts in Jewish community philanthropy, particularly as it relates to Israel.
The longstanding tradition of North American Jewish federations giving unrestricted annual donations totaling millions of dollars to the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) is coming to an end.
For decades, going back to the era before the creation of the State of Israel, the Jewish Agency has fostered aliyah and world Zionist education. Likewise, the JDC did more than any other entity to rescue vulnerable Jewish populations and settle them in Israel.
Both agencies have seen their missions evolve in recent years. As a result, North American Jewish federations, many of which gave the bulk of their Israel philanthropy to JAFI and JDC, have reappraised.
At its recent General Assembly in Denver, the Jewish Federations of North America announced a new Israel philanthropy mechanism — the Global Planning Table — at which both JAFI and the JDC will have to compete for dollars like any other worthy grantee.
Takdim, the first American-style Jewish federation in Israel, has opened its doors and will soon begin disbursing funds to address critical local needs. Our story about Takdim officials’ recent tour of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation bodes well for the fledgling organization and its ties to our region.
What do these two shifts portend?
In uncertain economic times, federations must take a more proactive, donor-directed role in their decisions regarding Israel philanthropy. And in Israel, too, entrenched dependency on government must give way to a new vision of shared responsibility.
Not surprisingly, local Jewish community federations figured this out a long time ago. Through its Amutah and Israel & Overseas Committee, the S.F.-based federation has a decades-old commitment to independent Israel philanthropy. The East Bay-based federation, too, has a policy of smart, strategic giving to Israel.
JAFI and the JDC remain crucial to a strong Israel and engaged diaspora. The agencies will adjust to the changes. And the partnership between Israel and world Jewry will only grow stronger.