Episode Overview
Podcast: New Books Network — On the Cusp
Host: Alfred Marcus
Guest: Jack Wertheimer
Book Discussed: Jewish Giving: Philanthropy and the Shaping of American Jewish Life (NYU Press, 2025)
Date: December 10, 2025
This episode explores the history, infrastructure, and ethical dilemmas of Jewish philanthropy in the United States as traced in Jack Wertheimer’s new book. The conversation covers the evolution of Jewish giving, its strategic challenges, changes in donor behavior, contemporary criticisms, and prospects for sustaining Jewish communal institutions.
Main Themes and Purpose
- Central Question: How has Jewish philanthropy shaped American Jewish communal life, and what challenges does it face today?
- Purpose of the Book: To trace the rise of a dense philanthropic infrastructure within the American Jewish community, its past and present successes, and the current critiques over power, priorities, and accountability.
- Timeliness: The sector is experiencing both vibrant fundraising (especially around recent crises) and heightened scrutiny about its concentration of influence and internal priorities.
“The moment is such today where these questions are in the air. And that's what impelled me to learn more about both the history of American Jewish giving as well as the nature of Jewish giving today.”
— Jack Wertheimer [05:23]
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. The Historical Arc of Jewish American Philanthropy
- Early Periods (Colonial – early 20th century)
- The challenge was sustaining Jewish institutions in a voluntaristic, non-state-supported environment. This necessity parallels the American religious landscape where support comes from within the community rather than government.
- Early philanthropy responded to waves of immigration, setting up structures to aid newly arrived, often impoverished Jews.
“The dominant issue confronting Jewish communal life was how to sustain institutions, Jewish institutions in a voluntaristic environment.”
— Jack Wertheimer [07:10]
- World Wars and Creation of Israel
- Shift of focus to help Jews abroad, especially Eastern Europe (after WWI, WWII) and the new State of Israel.
- During these periods, over half of raised funds sometimes went to international causes.
- Late 20th Century – Present
- Gradual shift back toward domestic needs: Jewish education, combating assimilation, and supporting local institutions.
- Recent crises (COVID, antisemitism surge, Israel-Gaza conflict) have reignited giving both domestically and to Israel.
2. The Uniqueness of American Voluntary Tradition
- Contrasts with Europe, where states (like Germany today) still collect taxes to support religious institutions, including Jewish communities.
- The U.S. system relies on self-organized fundraising and governance.
3. The Changing Infrastructure: Federation and Fragmentation
- Federations historically acted as central allocators and conveners in Jewish communal life (akin to umbrella organizations like United Way).
- Rise of donor-advised funds, boutique/targeted giving, and multiple parallel organizations has diminished Federation authority.
“Philanthropists are less eager than they were in the middle decades of the 20th century to give to an umbrella organization... Instead philanthropists want to give where they want to give.”
— Jack Wertheimer [21:14]
- Some federations now rebrand as "Jewish [City/Region]" and focus on convening rather than central control.
4. Patterns and Impact of Giving to Israel
- Dependency has decreased: Israel’s economy now less reliant on U.S. philanthropy, though certain hospitals, welfare, and religious institutions remain dependent.
“I can't give you a precise answer about the percentage of American Jewish philanthropic giving that goes to Israel ... obviously changes depending on circumstances.”
— Jack Wertheimer [14:44]
- Giving is fragmented among federations, "American Friends of" organizations, and private foundations. No central database tracks the total.
5. Elite Donors, Priorities, and Power
- Influence of mega-donors has increased as the donor base shrinks but average gift size rises.
- Wealthy donors more often direct funds to non-sectarian causes; among foundations giving at least $250,000 to Jewish causes, only about 27% of total grants support Jewish-specific institutions.
- Large donors have been both drivers of innovation (launching programs like Birthright Israel, Moishe House) and sources of tension when their preferences override communal consensus.
6. Current Critiques and Ethical Tensions
- Three major criticisms:
- Erosion: Fear that Jewish-directed giving is declining.
- Parochialism: Accusations of insularity or not supporting general societal needs.
- Donor Dominance & Accountability: Complaints of outsized donor influence over communal priorities, and lack of transparency.
- Ethical Dilemmas:
- Abusive donor behavior: attempts to override staff, demand inappropriate access, engage in harassment or personnel pressure.
- Unfair/inconsistent grant processes and lack of follow-through.
- Burdensome application and reporting requirements.
“I am giving you money, and therefore you owe me X, Y, and Z.”
— Jack Wertheimer [30:57]
- Some donors, however, foster capacity-building, humility, and authentic partnership with recipient organizations.
7. Trends and Future Challenges
- Overall donations to Jewish causes are robust and growing, even adjusting for inflation, but the number of givers is shrinking; more funds come from fewer, wealthier individuals.
- Major funding still pours into crisis response (antisemitism, Israel defense) but there’s concern about neglecting long-term needs (education, Jewish identity).
- Balance needed between defense (fighting hate), building future (education, engagement), and meeting human needs.
- Philanthropy as hard work: True partnership, humility, and evidence-based giving are rare but crucial.
Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments
-
On the miracle and infrastructure of Jewish giving:
“The miracle was twofold. On the one hand, the success in raising significant sums of money for Jewish needs, and second of all, the infrastructure that was created by Jews in this country to raise those sums and then also to disperse them.”
— Jack Wertheimer [03:16] -
On contemporary donor behavior:
“I want to do with my money what I want to do, which is the approach of philanthropists ... that’s why United Way has been struggling as well.”
— Jack Wertheimer [21:14] -
On ethical donor conduct:
“Just because you’re giving funds doesn’t mean that you can control the organization and dictate ... how it should be handling matters.”
— Jack Wertheimer [35:32] -
On funding priorities and generational change:
“Many funders are shifting towards more immersive programs, educational and cultural and religious programs, as opposed to what had been very popular ... entry-level Jewish programs.”
— Jack Wertheimer [53:51] -
On the power and limits of philanthropy:
“There are limitations to what funding can accomplish ... many of the greatest challenges that we face are not so easily remediable just with money.”
— Jack Wertheimer [43:15] -
On his own priorities:
“I would prioritize what I refer to as immersive programs because they have much more staying power ... Jewish summer camps, Jewish day schools ... Israel trips.”
— Jack Wertheimer [55:18–58:09]
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|--------------| | 01:36 | Episode introduction by Alfred Marcus | | 02:39 | Wertheimer introduces the book’s thesis & urgency | | 06:01 | Historical development of Jewish philanthropy in America | | 13:07 | Comparison to European (state-supported) Jewish communities | | 14:41 | Trends and structure of giving to Israel; current proportions | | 20:03 | Discussion of the evolution of federations and communal governance | | 25:21 | Big donors, priorities, and patterns of giving (Schiff, Rosenwald, today’s funders) | | 29:12 | Three main criticisms of Jewish philanthropy outlined | | 34:16 | Ethical guidance and best practices for donors | | 43:37 | Trends in the number and type of donors; concern about shrinking base | | 47:53 | Funding priorities; balancing crisis response with long-term needs | | 55:18 | Wertheimer’s personal top priorities for Jewish philanthropy | | 58:30 | Wertheimer’s next project (biography of Louis Finkelstein) | | 60:17 | Closing thoughts and gratitude |
Guidance and Recommendations
-
For Donors:
- Use standardized, common grant application forms
- Practice humility: “Just because you’re giving funds doesn’t mean that you can control the organization ...”
- Consider capacity-building grants, and evaluate the true needs of recipient organizations
- Support immersive, transformative programs (camps, day schools, extended Israel trips)
- Balance crisis giving with strategic, generational investments
-
For Recipient Organizations:
- Maintain mission focus; don’t simply chase the interests of large donors
- Forge authentic, collaborative relationships with donors
-
Overall Sector:
- Foster a healthy balance between urgent needs (security/crisis response), generational development (education/identity), and broad social welfare/justice
- Recognize that philanthropic infrastructure needs both wide engagement and major givers
Conclusion
Jack Wertheimer’s study offers a sweeping and nuanced exploration of how Jewish philanthropy both reflects and shapes contemporary Jewish communal life in America. While it has built an impressively robust system responding to historical and ongoing needs, it now faces major questions about legitimacy, equity, and sustainability in an era of fewer, more powerful donors and complex, sometimes competing priorities.
“I think it’s a crying shame if there are families that want to send their kids to such [Jewish camps] and they can’t afford to ... many, most of our Jewish leaders are coming from day school backgrounds ...”
— Jack Wertheimer [56:52]
For funders and communal institutions alike, navigating these tensions thoughtfully and ethically is critical for the vibrancy and resilience of Jewish life in the generations to come.