Jewish Philanthropy in Israel

eJewish Philanthropy is pleased to welcome Gidi Grinstein, the Founder and President, of the Reut Institute, who has graciously provided us with the English translation of his series of blog posts on Philanthropy in Israel. Gidi is considered one of the leading policy analysts in Israel and commands a variety of expertise on national security, negotiations, governance and socio-economics. He has an extensive background in policy-planning and is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Tel-Aviv University Schools of Law and Economics. Please join Gidi for the discussion. Continue Reading [Translate] Bookmark:  Read More →

Synopsis: Diaspora and Jewish Philanthropy in Israel: Overhaul or Be Marginalized

Jewish philanthropy in Israel is at a crossroads. Powerful trends are marginalizing its impact on Israeli society. More than a billion dollars of philanthropic giving from Jews worldwide, spurred by endless goodwill, passion and care, are not impacting Israel or contributing to global Jewish peoplehood to the extent they should. The current system is in dire need of an overhaul. I write this piece as an Israeli whose national identity is founded upon and deeply informed by his Jewishness. I am also a person who has realized a dream and established the Reut Institute, a policy group that provides strategic decision-support to the government of Israel because of the generosity of time, spirit and money by rabbis, lay leaders and philanthropists from the United States, France and England. Why do I care?... Continue Reading

Post 1: Flight on the Wings of Jewish Philanthropy

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. This series too, like other parts of my blog, is written from the perspective of a Jew, a Zionist and an Israeli, in that order (for elaboration, see the first post, A Link in the Chain). My national identity as an Israeli is founded upon... Continue Reading

Post 2: Why Should we Care?

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 (for a more elaborate discussion, please see the first post of my blog A Link in the Chain). 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... Continue Reading

Post 3: The Decline of Jerusalem and the Rise of Other

A powerful and consistent trend that is affecting the role of Jewish philanthropy in Israel is the decline in the will and ability of the Government of Israel to address the needs of its constituency. I call this trend: the decline of Jerusalem. For world Jewry and philanthropy in Israel, this trend represents both a threat and an opportunity: while it expands the menu of options for philanthropic interventions it is also overstretching its resources. In every country people are frustrated with the way their government spends their tax dollars. I am yet to meet the person that does not criticize his or her government for inefficient spending or ineffective execution. Yet, the right of Israelis to be upset with their government can be established based on international benchmarks. The public sector in... Continue Reading

Post 4: The Challenge of Diminishing Marginal Impact

The diminishing marginal impact of Jewish philanthropy in Israel stems from the constant growth of the Israeli economy compared with the stagnation of Jewish philanthropic giving in Israel. The Zionist movement survived and thrived on the philanthropic generosity of world Jewry. However, as Israel grows in economic and political power, the relative importance of philanthropic giving by Diaspora Jewry is diminishing. In depth comprehension of these trends is critical to create the sense of urgency that is essential of the necessary overhaul. Initially, Zionism was fully dependent on Diaspora philanthropy. Adding cents to a dime, millions of Jews contributed to the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemet Le’Yisrael), to the United Jewish Appeal, to Keren Ha’Yesod and to other charitable organizations.... Continue Reading

Post 5: Where is the Israeli Center?

The gist of this series is that Jewish philanthropy in Israel requires an overhaul in order to recapture a central role in Israeli society. One of the powerful and persistent trends that are 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. At the same time, Diaspora Jewish philanthropists have always engaged a very small economic, business and political elite, as well as leaders of nonprofits and charitable organizations... Continue Reading

Post 6: The Rise of Israeli Philanthropy

In recent years Israel has seen the rise of a new class of newly wealthy and homemade philanthropists. This trend is both a threat and an opportunity for world Jewish philanthropy here and amplifies the need for the overhaul. There is wide agreement that Israel’s wealthy have not given enough to their own society. Why? The reasons have been exhaustingly discussed and I have little to add to that discussion beyond naming them as a backdrop for this post. They are: First, a legacy of Socialism where citizens are cared for by the government ‘from the cradle to the grave’ has left many insensitive to needs of a growing number of individuals and constituencies. Second, unlike among the leading Jewish elite in the Diaspora, in Israel there has been little social cost, if any, for not giving... Continue Reading

Post 7: The Response has to be Qualitative

The theme of this blog series is that Jewish philanthropy in Israel is being marginalized and needs an overhaul in order to preserve a central role in Israeli society. In this post I suggest that the response has to be qualitative and focus on leveraging greater impact from the existing dollars. Continue Reading [Translate] Bookmark:  Read More →

Post 8: On Vision: ISRAEL 15 Vision as a Possible Framework for Philanthropy

The ISRAEL 15 Vision aims to place Israel among the fifteen most developed nations in terms of quality of life within fifteen years. This vision is an example of a possible useful framework and context for refocusing Diaspora Jewish philanthropy in Israel as it strives to increase its impact in Israel. The ISRAEL 15 Vision requires leapfrogging Israel’s socioeconomic performance. Such a leap happens when a nation sustains out-of-the-ordinary growth for a prolonged period (See my post “Leapfrogging or Growth? The Differences”.) This is what China has experienced in recent years and other countries such as Ireland, Finland, Singapore and even Israel went through in the course of the past few decades. The traditional approach to development views the process of economic growth as largely... Continue Reading

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