Idana Goldberg
Jewish American Heritage Month invites us to remember that our philanthropic traditions have served both particular and universal purposes, and that American democracy and Jewish distinctiveness have been mutually reinforcing, not opposing, forces. A healthy democracy demands that all people — Jews included — be free to fully and safely participate in its institutions and practices. The alarming rise in campus antisemitism shouldn’t require choosing between supporting Jewish self-defense and upholding democratic principles. Instead, it demands what our ancestors perfected nearly 200 years ago: adapting democratic tools — free speech, institutional governance, civic organizing — to protect Jewish life while strengthening democratic practice.
The question for Jewish philanthropy today isn’t whether to choose between universal and particular commitments, but how to honor both. Like the ancient rabbis who insisted on multiple forms of inquiry to reach truth, we need philanthropic approaches that embrace complexity rather than oversimplify it. In a moment when both Jewish security and democratic norms feel fragile, our giving must recognize that the health of American democracy and the security of Jewish life are inseparable goals.
eJewishPhilanthropy published my latest 501(c)Suite opinion column and I’m pleased to share it with you. I hope you read the full piece, which highlights Jewish funders’ long and proud history of investing in philanthropic, cultural, and educational institutions that functioned as laboratories of identity, where Jews practiced both democracy and distinctiveness and claimed citizenship in both the American and Jewish polities. Today, our current context reinforces that the resilience and well-being of Jews in America cannot be separated from engaging in our democratic norms and practices. I welcome your reactions.