The American Jewish Philanthropic Complex: The History of a Multibillion-Dollar Institution

by Lila Corwin Berman

The first comprehensive history of American Jewish philanthropy and its influence on democracy and capitalismFor years, American Jewish philanthropy has been celebrated as the proudest product of Jewish endeavors in the United States, its virtues extending from the local to the global, the Jewish to the non-Jewish, and modest donations to vast endowments. Yet, as Lila Corwin Berman illuminates in The American Jewish Philanthropic Complex, the history of American Jewish philanthropy reveals the far more complicated reality of changing and uneasy relationships among philanthropy, democracy, and capitalism.With a fresh eye and lucid prose, and relying on previously untapped sources, Berman shows that from its nineteenth-century roots to its apex in the late twentieth century, the American Jewish philanthropic complex tied Jewish institutions to the American state. The government’s regulatory efforts—most importantly, tax policies—situated philanthropy at the core of its experiments to maintain the public good without trammeling on the private freedoms of individuals. Jewish philanthropic institutions and leaders gained financial strength, political influence, and state protections within this framework. However, over time, the vast inequalities in resource distribution that marked American state policy became inseparable from philanthropic practice. By the turn of the millennium, Jewish philanthropic institutions reflected the state’s growing investment in capitalism against democratic interests. But well before that, Jewish philanthropy had already entered into a tight relationship with the governing forces of American life, reinforcing and even transforming the nation’s laws and policies.The American Jewish Philanthropic Complex uncovers how capitalism and private interests came to command authority over the public good, in Jewish life and beyond.

Genres: Judaism, Nonfiction

267 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 13, 2020

Reviews

[John Stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad that someone finally wrote this book, and commend Ms. Berman for rising to the challenge. It is a thoughtful history and critique of 20th and early 21st century Jewish institutional philanthropy, focused primarily on the rise of the federation movement and the growth of endowed capital. With a particular focus on the evolution of federal tax policy, she deftly highlights the interplay between rapid growth of endowed assets and late 20th century “market driven” political reforms. I found it a thought provoking commentary and useful history, but I feel that a lot was missed in the monolithic way she approached the Jewish philanthropic establishment. I don’t find the changes nearly as troubling as she does, but her facts are sound - if spun a bit to fit her narrative.

There are so many interesting issues in the history that I wish she would have explored: including the shift of philanthropy away from synagogues to federations, the increasing professionalization of philanthropy (and allocation of funds to administrative compensation expenses), the stark differences between the philanthropic structures and priorities in the Orthodox vs. Liberal communities, the rise and fall of “middle class” philanthropy. I am glad to see someone highlight the structural gender biases in the fields, and the generational changes that are taking place. I hope the book inspires more to be written on the topic.

[Courtney Cooperman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprisingly page-turning history of American Jewish philanthropy in the context of evolving ideas about private power, politics, and the public good. Berman simultaneously tells the story of American philanthropy through the lens of Jewish institutions, and of the evolution of Jewish life through the lens of broader American political economy. I am so glad that this book exists and would call it a must-read for anyone interested in tax policy, the depoliticization of political power, Jewish communal life, or the intersection between philanthropy and identity.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a topic that I'd been very much wanting to read more about (and was frequently having discussions about in my community organizing spaces), so this book was exactly what I needed. A well-researched, thoroughly-sourced overview of the history of American Jewish philanthropic organizations and the ways their values, political power, and community impact have changed over time. I've long thought that American Jewish philanthropy has really lost its way, and Berman's account helped me understand why.

[Andie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very dense and not a lot of arguments made - only summaries. I'd like to know more!