Gilbert and Dean Debate the Virtues of Charity and 'Genetic' Jews
Right now Gilbert and I are exchanging thoughts on the topic of charity, and specifically my belief that Eli & Edythe Broad should redirect their funding of charitable causes away from the art world and toward worthy Jewish non-profits. You can read our back and forth at the Jewish Journal web site, or view part of the conversation below.
GILBERT: I apologize for Mr & Mrs Broad for not donating to your favorite charity.
DEAN: Apology accepted. If you really want to make amends, write a check, even for $18.00, and mail it to one of Los Angeles’ fine Jewish Day Schools. Send me a copy of the check and I’ll post it on The Memo to show you are after all a truly good guy. Come on, it’s only 18 bucks and it will put you in good with the man upstairs. Deal?
GILBERT: I think that I’m a charitable man, more generous than some, not as generous perhaps as others. Your suggestion to post my check on your blog would lessen the level of my gift. You cited the Rambam in your response to J. Did the Rambam not say that the second highest level of Tzedakah is to give anonymously? The recipient of the donation should not know from where it came and the charity should remain unknown. However, rest assured there is a Jewish Day School that is receiving some support from me.
DEAN: I believe you really do support an area Jewish Day School and I publicly thank you for it! You are a good man after all
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I believe there are some concepts in the world that are absolute and charity is one of them. There is a huge, huge difference between what is legal, what is constitutional and what is right.
Eli and Edythe Broad have not yet met a building they don’t want to see their names on. Do they have the right? Of course. Is it right? Obviously, I think not.
I believe great art museums enrich us all, Jew, non-Jew, atheist, communist, you name it. I am a member of LACMA and my family and I regularly visit area art museums.
But if my enjoyment of art is at the expense of securing the long-term viability of the Jewish people, then I can live without it. I simply can’t equate the two as being morally equivalent.
The Broads have done plenty for the art world. Enough! Time for them to step up and bolster the many worthy Jewish causes.
Some may question whether or not God notes the difference in charitable giving. All I can say is that the God described in the Torah most certainly does—if that matters to the Broads or any other ‘genetic’ Jews.
What, you may ask is a ‘genetic’ Jew? A human whose DNA says s/he is Jewish, but whose behaviors would argue otherwise.
Dear Dean,
I am familiar with the concept of genetic Jews. Did you know that scientists can trace 78% of Ashkanazi male's ancestory back to the Middle East, based on a regular rate of mutation of their "x" gene. Only 50% of Ashkanazi women however can trace their ancestory back to the Middle East based on a similar process with their Mitichondria? Explanation: some of the men were fooling around after they left the Middle East. Some may say that was questionable Jewish behavior! Actually questionable Jewish behavior is more often in the eyes of the beholder.
I wrote to you about the irony of the Memo's position with respect to Eli Broad and Bernie Madoff. You asked me a question as to whether I believed that you or I can tell Eli Broad how he should be charitable. I concluded that since it's his money; he earned it, he didn't steal it, he has the right to spend it or give it away as he sees fit. Furthermore, I suggested that you might speak nicely to him and explain the need of your personal charity and why it would be a mitzvah for him to donate.
We also acknowledged Maimonides' 8 levels of providing charity, but I must confess I'm not aware of God's charitable scale. His values and our values may be different.
Gilbert
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In my recent reply to you, Dean, I erred in writing "X" Gene. I should have written, "X" Chromosome.
The point I labored to make to your rhetorical question and answer..." What, you may ask is a ‘genetic’ Jew? A human whose DNA says s/he is Jewish, but whose behaviors would argue otherwise", is that I agree that there are markers in our DNA that tend to associate present Jews with a population in the Middle East during a certain period in the past that proclaimed themselves to be Jewish.
However, "behaviors" is a relative term (perhaps there is a "Behavior Scale" that you endorse). There is no gene (or Chromosome) that is associated with Jewish behavior. Therefore, Genetic Jew is really a derogatory term with no scientific basis.
I can not see Eli Broad, with his many philanthropies being labeled as a "genetic Jew" because he does not donate to your favorite charities. You do him a disservice.
Gilbert
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