Jewish Giving

Philanthropy and the Shaping of American Jewish Life

Jack Wertheimer

$104

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

New York University Press
22 July 2025

History of religion; Judaism; Jewish studies; Charities, voluntary services & philanthropy

Evaluating Jewish donors over time

The American Jewish philanthropic enterprise is unparalleled in scope, dynamism, and the diversity of funders and the causes they support. Yet even as Jewish giving has been largely successful in responding with alacrity to emergencies, it has been subjected to severe criticism. What once was regarded as a point of pride has become the object of scorn and dismissal, with skepticism—if not harsh criticism—about its work rife both within and outside Jewish communal circles.

Based on 320 interviews with professionals at Jewish not-for-profits across the United States, principals of foundations and their top staff personnel, and also tax filings of major foundations, Jewish Giving provides readers with fresh perspectives to evaluate the efforts of Jewish donors, large and small. The book traces the evolution of Jewish giving from the colonial era to the present, charting the changing profile of those who give to Jewish causes and what funders have aimed to achieve through their largesse. It makes the case that philanthropy serves as a prism through which broader themes in communal life are illuminated. As society or politics change, the priorities of charitable giving adjust in response. These changes in targeted funding can help to sharpen our understanding of demographic and social patterns. Devoting much attention to twenty-first century developments in contemporary Jewish giving, the book pays special attention to the changing landscape of donors who are remaking Jewish philanthropy, including women, Orthodox Jews, Sephardi givers, and young funders.

By: Jack Wertheimer
Imprint: New York University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
Weight: 694g
ISBN: 9781479836321
ISBN 10: 147983632X
Pages: 277
Publication Date: 22 July 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , Undergraduate , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Jack Wertheimer is Emeritus Professor of American Jewish history at the Jewish Theological Seminary. He has recently authored The New American Judaism: How Jews Practice Their Religion Today and is co-author of Inside Jewish Day Schools: Leadership, Learning and Community.

Reviews for Jewish Giving: Philanthropy and the Shaping of American Jewish Life

""Jewish community leaders have been desperate for a book like this. Finally, a comprehensive survey of the American Jewish philanthropic sector! If you don't yet recognize Wertheimer's book by its cover, you soon will. It's going to be in the C-suite of every Jewish foundation, charitable agency and non-profit in North America--dog-eared and in hand's reach of the desk.""--Shaul Kelner, author of A Cold War Exodus: How American Activists Mobilized to Free Soviet Jews