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Editorial
Younger Jews Follow A Different Giving Drummer
T
he more engaged you are
with the Jewish community,
the more likely you are to
be charitable, and not just toward
Jewish charities. A new national sur-
vey reveals more Jews give to non-
Jewish causes than Jewish causes,
and Jews are more giving than non-
Jews. Predictably, wealthier Jews are
more likely to make charitable gifts.
But younger Jews aren't following the
giving path laid by their parents or
grandparents.
It's a study that merits scrutiny.
While the National Study of
American Jewish Giving delivered
generally positive news, it will trouble
Federation leaders, who learned their
organizations have less appeal to
younger givers. The research indicates
that 45 percent of Jews 65 and older
and 35 percent of Jews ages 40-64
give to Jewish federations, but only
28 percent of Jews younger than 40
do the same – a range of 17 percent-
age points. That fissure between the
two end age groups is wider than for
other Jewish charities.
Take Israel giving: 29 percent of
Jews younger than 40 reported giv-
ing to Israel-related charities, yet 32
percent of Jews 65 and older and 30
percent of Jews ages 40-64 reported
doing so. When it comes to giving to
troubling; they reflect just how much
Jewish congregations, 39 percent of
American Jews have assimilated with-
out ignoring their Jewish heritage.
Jews 65 and older and those ages
40-64 do so; 32 percent of Jews
Findings represent a nationwide
younger than 40 follow suit. The gap
survey of 3,000 Jewish households
in giving to Jewish organizations
and 2,000 non-Jewish households.
between Jews younger than 40 and
Jumpstart, a Jewish charity research
those 65 and older
group, led the study,
was 7 percentage
funded by more than a
CONNECT ED TO GIVE:
points.
dozen foundations and
Findings, presented
organizations, including
in the publication
the locally based Max
Connected To Give,
M. & Marjorie Fisher
related that 76 per-
Foundation. Mandell
cent of U.S. Jews
Berman of Franklin also
reported a charitable
was a supporter. The
gift in 2012 versus 63
survey's index of Jewish
percent among non-
social engagement
Jewish Americans. The
tracked four traditional
median annual giving
measures: attending
rate among Jews was
religious services, mar-
$1,200, double that of
rying within the Jewish
non-Jews.
community, proportion of Jewish
Among Jews who give charitably,
friends and voluntarism with a religious
92 percent of survey respondents said
or charitable cause.
they gave to a non-Jewish organiza-
Jumpstart's Shawn Landres said
tion and 79 percent said they gave to
Connected To Give findings challenge
a Jewish organization. What's more,
the assumption that Jewish and secu-
21 percent said they gave only to non-
lar causes are fighting over smaller
Jewish organizations and 4 percent
pieces of a shrinking pie. He said the
said they gave only to Jewish organi-
survey "shows us that the stronger
zations. The overall percentages are
a person's Jewish community con-
not too far apart so are not deeply
nections, the more she or he gives
to all causes, and the larger the pie
becomes."
Clearly, age doesn't determine if
Jews will give. But how younger Jews
have chosen to give certainly will
influence the giving landscape for
years. They not only are less inter-
ested in combined purpose causes
like Jewish federations or United Way,
but also are more apt to give via text
messages, crowdfunding websites or
giving circles. They're motivated more
by helping those with less, improving
the world and giving back to society
than by undirected giving.
The Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit's NEXTGen
Division recognizes this giving chal-
lenge. It has succeeded in engaging
young adults communally and attract-
ing their support for Federation's
Annual Campaign. Jewish Detroit not
only has shed the blinders when it
comes to spotting young adult trends,
but also has been a national leader in
young adult engagement, which drives
young adult giving.
Connected To Give punctuates that
young adults aren't afraid to stake
a claim and be different. NEXTGen
Detroit knows there'll be no letup
in courting the next generation of
Jewish activists and leaders.
❑
Essay
Culture Clash
A
Divide over life and death haunts renewed peace talks.
negotiated peace won't settle the
news media. A popular TV song teaches
vast cultural differences between kids to fight; it doesn't take a scholar to
Israelis and Palestinians. The
figure out who the intended targets are.
foremost gulf: While deeds of lovingkind-
The lyrics include, "Oh, mother, marry me
ness drive the Jewish embrace of life,
off to a Palestinian girl ... who will raise
Palestinians are ingrained by dictatorial
my children on carrying the rifle
leaders to believe at a very
The notion of shahada came
young age in the pursuit of
to mind as I read the liturgy
shahada — death to achieve
during Yizkor on Yom Kippur
c`martyrdom" by killing hated
— a service where we as Jews
infidels (nonbelievers).
remember loved ones and their
Don't discount the grue-
life-enriching, not life-draining,
some fact that Palestinian
qualities.
youth not only are taught
to believe terrorists are role
Peace Efforts Lag
models, but also to envi-
No matter how hard U.S.
Secretary of State John Kerry
sion "martyrdom death
Robert Sklar
tries to prolong talks that effec-
for Palestine" as an honor.
Contrib uting
tively have gone nowhere since
Shahada, essentially "death
Edit Or
Israeli statehood in 1948, can
for Allah:' is presented as a
religious Islamic obligation to
Israel really be expected to make
inspire Palestinian adults and children to
peace with a people so indoctrinated to
violently confront Israel and acquire great
hate Zionism and all that it represents?
rewards in return.
Consider:
Palestinians preach this shocking brand
Fatah, the political party of Palestinian
of martyrdom in their schools, mosques
Authority (PA) President Mahmoud
and music videos as well as through their
Abbas, who governs much of the West
Bank, continues to
memorialize terrorist
Dalal Mughrabi as a role
model. She led the worst
terror attack in Israel's
history. In 1978, she and
10 other Palestinian ter-
rorists hijacked an Israeli
Dalai
bus along a main coastal
Mughrabi
highway between Haifa
and Tel Aviv. She even-
tually blew up the bus amid a gun battle
at a police roadblock. The Coastal Road
Massacre, as it is known, took the lives of
37 civilians, including 12 children.
Over the years, Palestinian high schools,
summer camps and other youth-oriented
sites have been named
after her. Stunningly,
one of the schools was
renovated with money
allocated to the P.A.
by the U.S. Agency
for International
Development.
More recently, Abbas President
awarded $6,000 to a
Abbas
dance group named after Mughrabi, no
renegade, but rather a Fatah member who
led a cell of terrorists that infiltrated Israel
from Lebanon and hijacked the bus of
tourists and sightseers. Victims included
American Gail Rubin, 39, a nature pho-
tographer and niece of former U.S. Sen.
Abraham Ribicoff of Connecticut.
What's more, Fatah, whose military
wing is the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades,
which boasts terrorist ties, still frames
Mughrabi as a youth role model. Fatahs
organization for young boys and girls, the
Lion Cubs and Flowers, named a class for
her.
Not only was the class named for
Mughrabi, so was the Fatah regional sub-
branch that helped organize the gradu-
ation for the class. In remarks, the sub-
branch secretary highlighted her "devotion
and efforts" on behalf of "Fatah activities:'
reports Palestinian Media Watch (PMW),
an Israeli watchdog organization.
On its official Facebook page, Fatah
glorified Mughrabi and three other female
terrorists as "stars who sparkled in the
sky."
Clash on page 31
30
October 3 • 2013