around the Jewish media world this first morning of Chol Ha-Moed…

Donor wants more aid to Jewish cause

In a sign of the times for Jewish philanthropy, it is also serving to link up American Jewish donors and foundations with a new breed of Israeli philanthropists.

“There’s a change in the Israeli mentality. The hard years after the founding of the state taught Israeli society to schnor, to take money from America or from Europeans with guilty consciences. That mentality is changing. Israelis aren’t suffering so much anymore. There’s a small layer in society that can contribute greatly.” Now, he believes, Israeli philanthropists should take the lead in Jewish philanthropy in order to inspire overseas Jews to do the same.

“If Jews don’t give to their own, no one else will.”

(Haviv Retting speaking with Oudi Recanati in today’s Jerusalem Post)

For more on the philanthropic activity of Israelis, here from Haaretz is an excellent article published last summer: Where’s The Money?