Skip to main content
Log in

Women’s changing place in jewish philanthropy

  • Published:
Contemporary Jewry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Drawing upon in-depth interviews with 47 Jewish communal activists in Los Angeles and Detroit, this paper examines women’s involvement in Jewish philanthropy. It considers their approaches to fund-raising and the ways organizations have attempted to respond to women’s altering perspectives and needs. Findings suggest that communal organizations must continue to adapt if they are to attract a significant proportion of younger Jewish women.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bakal, Carl. 1979. Charily U.S.A.:An Investigation into the Hidden World of the Multi-billion Dollar Charity Industry. New York: Times Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baltimore Women’s Division. 1992.Results of Phase Two of Research Conducted for the Women’s Division of the Associated. Baltimore: The Associated.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berger, Gabriel. 1991.Voluntarism among American Jews. Waltham, MA: Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University.

    Google Scholar 

  • —. 1992. Current Philanthropic Patterns of American Jews. Waltham, MA: Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolkosky, Sidney. 1991.Harmony & Dissonance: Voices of Jewish Identity in Detroit, 1914–1967. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elazar, Daniel J. 1976.Community and Polity: The Organizational Dynamics of American Jewry. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society

    Google Scholar 

  • Fishman, Sylvia Barack. 1995. “In Many Voices: Diversity and Commonality among American Jewish Women.” Pp. 43–76 inThe National Commission on American Jewish Women, Voices for Change: Future Directions for American Jewish Women. Waltham: Brandeis University, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glaser, Barney, & Strauss, Anselm. 1967.The Discovery of Grounded Theory. Chicago: Aldine Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gold, Steven J. and Bruce A. Phillips. 1996. “Mobility and Continuity among Eastern European Jews.” Pp. 182–194 inOrigins and Destinies: Immigration, Race and Ethnicity in America, edited by Silvia Pedraza and Rubén G. Rumbaut. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg, Arthur S.. 1991. “Generous Fathers, Ungenerous Children: A Small City Perspective.” Pp. 161–172 inContemporary Jewish Philanthropy in America, edited by Barry A. Kosmin and Paul Ritterband Savage, MD: Roman and Littlefield.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hertz, Rosanna and Jonathan B. Imber (eds.). 1995.Studying Elites Using Qualitative Methods. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howe, Irving. 1976.World of Our Fathers. New York: Bantam Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Millman, Marcia. 1991.Warm Hearts, Cold Cash. New York: The Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Monson, Rela Geffen 1991 “Patterns of Giving of Some Jewish Career Women: A Preliminary Investigation.” Pp. 117–132 inContemporary Jewish Philanthropy in America, edited by Barry A. Kosmin and Paul Ritterband. Savage, MD: Roman and Littlefield.

    Google Scholar 

  • The National Commission on American Jewish Women. 1995.Voices for Change: Future Directions for American Jewish Women. Waltham: Brandeis University, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phillips, Bruce A. and Steven J. Gold. 1996. “The Communal Dimensions of Federation Involvement: A Qualitative Study of Jewish Philanthropy,” Draft report to the Aspen Foundation, grant number 94-1-nsrf-18.

  • Sales, Amy L.. 1995. “Surveying the Landscape: Current Research on American Jewish Women.” Pp. 25–42 inThe National Commission on American Jewish Women, Voices for Change: Future Directions for American Jewish Women. Waltham: Brandeis University, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, Susan Weidman. 1993. “Jewish Women’s Philanthropy.”Lilith (Winter): 6-12, 28, 38–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith Dorothy E. 1990.The Conceptual Practices of Power: A Feminist Sociology of Knowledge. Boston: Northeastern University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swatez, Marc J. 1993. “‘Machers:’ Fundraising and Leadership in the Chicago Jewish Community.” Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation, North-western University. The National Commission on American Jewish Women. 1995.Voices for Change: Future Directions for American Jewish Women. Waltham: Brandeis University, Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies.

  • Tobin, Gary A. 1992Trends in American Jewish Philanthropy: Market Research Analysis. Waltham, MA: Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, Brandeis University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tress, Madeleine and Barry A. Kosmin. 1991. “Tradition and Transition in Jewish Women’s Philanthropy.” Pp. 75–92 inContemporary Jewish Philanthropy in America, edited by Barry A. Kosmin and Paul Ritterband. Savage, MD: Roman and Littlefield.

    Google Scholar 

  • Werthheimer, Jack. 1995. “Jewish Organizational Life in the United States Since 1945.”American Jewish Yearbook 95: 3–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whyte, William F. 1984.Learning From the Field, A Guide from Experience. Newbury Park CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Research for this article was funded by the Aspen Institute, the Nonprofit Research Initiative, Michigan State University’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research. Special thanks are due to A. J. Jacobs, Bruce Phillips, Madeline Tress, and the anonymous reviewers and the editor ofContemporary Jewry for helpful comments which improved this article,

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gold, S.J. Women’s changing place in jewish philanthropy. Cont Jewry 18, 60–75 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02965480

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02965480

Keywords

Navigation