Thousands of organizations in Israel receive assistance from philanthropists in the US • But the plague has led to a huge crisis that may be similar to the one that occurred in 2008 • Judaism in the shadow of Corona

• Illustration picture // Photo: Yehoshua Yosef

It is no secret that the uncle from America is no longer in a hurry to contribute to Israel as he used to be. Therefore, precisely in a time of crisis, such as the current one, the questions about the scope of Jewish-American philanthropy as well as the doubts about the manner of its realization and the nature of the relationship between the two sides, are sharpened. The built-in tension is especially evident in light of the need for immediate assistance on two separate fronts: the Jewish communities in the United States, some of which have suffered a severe to fatal blow, whose scope is still difficult to fully estimate, and the State of Israel and its institutions. 

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The relative relief in relation to the extent of the spread of the virus in the world still leaves signs of uncertainty in the air that are translated, immediately, also to the economic front. In light of the ongoing outbreak, there is a real fear of a wave of infection that will, God forbid, collapse the assets of the Jewish community in the United States and harm its long-term operations.

And that's not all: the feeling of walking into the "unknown", at least until the coming of winter, is accompanied by the fact that the enemy is invisible. Unlike in war or natural disaster, the corona affects the ability of people to plan, let alone philanthropists, who tend to work in a very orderly manner.

"We still do not know what the needs of civil society will be the day after, just as the corona plague could lead to an epidemic of anxiety and obesity on such a global scale, which may produce different dynamics and economics. It changes the rules of the game and changes philanthropy." Dr. Hannah Shaul Bar Nissim, Vice President of the United States - The Ruderman Foundation and a visiting guest at Brandeis University.

 Dr. Shaul Bar-Nissim adds, “The Corona crisis reflects the beautiful hour of communal Jewish philanthropy that thrives in such times and is manifested in rapid fundraising and their distribution. The veteran support organizations, which are regularly criticized for their day-to-day operations, are also creating fast and efficient decision-making centers, "referring to the large funds' overt attempt to stabilize the system, which has been hit hard.

An extensive study by Bar Nissim covering the last two decades (in the years 2000-2015) shows that 62% of the total grants of Jewish funds were transferred to non-Jewish causes; Of the rest, 21% of them were transferred to the Jewish community (about $ 10 billion) and only about 17% were given to Israeli purposes (about $ 8 billion) as these are in constant erosion since the days of the economic crisis in 2008. 

Are we expected to change the scope of philanthropy and how it is distributed? "At the immediate level, I do not anticipate a decline in giving to Israel and it may even be temporary. In the period of a year or two ahead, it is more complex," she says and adds. "If there is a violation of local philanthropy, it will also harm Israel, as it did in 2008."

The heavy prices charged by the epidemic include large staff cuts in Jewish organizations, damage to the economic-educational infrastructure and a sharp shake-up in the associations and welfare conditions of the communities. All of these highlight the needs that philanthropy provides on a daily basis, for its various emphases.

It is customary to divide the primary circle of philanthropy as one that provides basic assistance - food, shelter and medical equipment, the second circle - support for community infrastructure and finally - support for a broader envelope of human and civil rights and issues of fair distribution of resources such as health services for people with disabilities and more. At this point Israel and most European countries in the second tier).

"There are communities that have begun to engage in the broad mantle of philanthropic giving, but others have yet to be found until recently at the end of the first cycle and have not yet succeeded in it, and this should keep sleep out of our sight," explains Dr. Shaul Bar Nissim. The dynamics are such that innovative models will be created in giving, initiatives and development also in academia that will examine the effects of the corona. There will be a different philanthropic world - starting from a new point in the hope that the adjustments will not leave anyone behind. "