“this Thing of Giving”

Jews give generously but not always wisely. “When asked, they give to the Tabernacle and also to the Golden Calf,” declared one of the rabbis.

The gifts and bequests of American Jews have heretofore been largely, nay, overwhelmingly to charitable institutions — hospitals, orphanages, welfare federations, and, of course, war relief. Central in this giving has been the thought of the care of the needy, the dependent and the delinquent. During the prosperous years vast sums of money were poured into the erection of costly institutional building,–in some instances wasteful and unnecessary. In our characteristic excess of zeal the whole charity business was fatuously overdone. It looked for a time as if our entire communal life revolved around the sick and the weak Jews…

Other worthy causes had to fight desperately for a share of the traditional Jewish generosity. Jewish education, for instance, and Palestine. These causes were concerned with normal and healthy Jews and therefore the primitive compassionate appeal which softens the heart of the giver was lacking. The softened heart gives more readily than the informed mind or the enkindled imagination. A Jew must first be moved to tears before he is moved to give…

One of the things which the Jews of America have grievously overlooked in their giving is the importance of supporting the colleges, universities and professional schools of this country to which they send so many thousands of their sons and daughters for higher education and professional training. It is a rare thing to read of a Jew making a contribution or leaving a bequest to an American institution of higher learning. It is nearly always hospitals, dispensaries, dental clinics, sanatoria, orphanages, homes for the aged, welfare federations, occasionally a rabbinic college or a synagogue….

Since the war, especially since the attempt to introduce an unofficial “numerus clausus” in Harvard aroused the Jews of America, the realization has dawned upon some of our wealthier people of the imperative need and the clear challenge to contribute to the academic institutions of this country of whose facilities the Jews are so generously availing themselves. As a result some of the larger colleges and universities, particularly in the East, such as Harvard, Yale, Columbia, New York University Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Chicago and, to a lesser degree, Amherst, Wellesley, Western Reserve, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Rochester and the University of California have been the recipients of some substantial gifts and endowments from a few Jewish donors–not nearly as substantial or numerous as they should be, bearing in mind the number of young Jews who are attending or who are seeking to attend these schools.

The hundreds of other colleges and universities in this country hardly ever receive a farthing from Jews for their maintenance. Many of these institutions are denominational in origin and are being maintained by the private funds of religious organizations, their members and friends. They are not tax-supported institutions. Tuition fee in no instance covers the cost to the institution of a student’s education. The American colleges and universities, except where they are State institutions, depend largely upon the income which they derive from their productive or endowment funds which amount to over $1,345,000,000 and upon private benefactions which average annually close to $150,000,000. American Jews are contributing far below their just quota to these funds. The young Jews who attend these schools are thus “sponging” on other people. They are not paying their way. The Jewish students hardly ever suspect this but the college authorities never need to be reminded of it….

We have no Jewish college or university of our own in this country such as practically every other religious group has. Those Jews who are loudest in their insistence that we are only a religious community are most squeamish when it comes to the subject of a Jewish university endowed and maintained by Jews for the benefit of all, regardless of race or creed. Perhaps there are valid reasons why a Jewish university would not be desirable in this country. But then we must do our full duty by those universities which other groups have established and are maintaining. We must not send our children to them as petitioners and as recipients of educational alms….

We believe that there would be much less complaint of our crowding the colleges of this country if we would assume a larger share of the burden of the budgets of these institutions. Perhaps also there would be more room for Jewish teachers on the staffs of these institutions.

Clearly we have not been full partners in the American university system. We have taken more than we have given!