New York Jews show a high per capita contribution to philanthropy because of comparatively larger gifts than in other cities from the well-to-do, but in total numbers of givers, the local Jewish charities do not compare favorably with the general population of other cities, according to a report made public by Dr. Solomon Lowenstein, executive director of the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies of New York City.
Evidence that residents of other cities respond in larger numbers than in New York to the call of organized philanthropy was presented in the statement by Dr. Lowenstein. Figures show, he said, that the local Jewish charities have a greater number of contributors of over $100 each than any general community chest in the United States, but that in the range from $100 down, the responsibility of supporting the philanthropies is much more equitably distributed in other cities.
“While the standard of giving among contributors of $100 and over is still far from ideal,” declared Dr. Lowenstein, “the situation among these contributors is better than among the great mass of our population, where for the most part there has been no standard of giving at all.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
