You can\’t talk about Jewish philanthropy without talking about Jewish priorities. For many years now, a huge priority for the American Jewish community has been to fight assimilation — what is elegantly called \”Jewish continuity.\” It\’s a priority that is rarely challenged. How do you argue against Jewish continuity?
\nWhat Monty Hall understands is that doctors need money for research and treatment, and the way to get it is to twist some donors\’ arms, to placate others, to lure still more with images of prancing bunnies, and to provide everyone with fun, good food and a mention in the tribute journal. Leave the noble aims to Maimonides — this is Jewish philanthropy, circa 2007.\n\n
The extreme practice of ostracization was justified by the belief that only by completely cutting off those who married out would we be making a sufficiently strong statement as to the extent of their betrayal, thereby dissuading those who might follow suit.
Picks and clicks.
Isn\’t that a pretty good indication that the Bible favors using the power of the government to coerce the citizenry to be charitable over relying on private generosity? Actually, not at all.
President George W. Bush kicked off the week by reaffirming his vision of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but it was widely seen as an attempt to divert attention from his debacle in Iraq rather than a commitment to sustained diplomacy.
News briefs.
Yes, there is something natural, human and probably inevitable about complaining. As the people who raised murmuring to a high art during the desert trek with Moses, Jews may have more precedent to complain than others. I once invented a game called \”alphabetical kvetch,\” and I have rarely had a problem getting Jews to play along.
As part of her participation in the Community Youth Foundation — a program of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles where teens allocate $10,000 in grants — Teller and her friends visited Shane\’s Inspiration, a West L.A. playground for the disabled.
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