Generational Shift Seen in Giving to Jewish Causes

A generation of young Jewish donors is increasingly opting not to give to the causes supported by their parents and grandparents but are instead creating charities and foundations that are directly relevant to their lives, reports The Boston Globe.

Jewish donors traditionally have given to anti-defamation leagues, Jewish community centers, Jewish federations, and synagogues — charities that younger donors say are out of touch with what it means to be Jewish today.

A recent report by United Jewish Communities, a network of 155 Jewish federations throughout North America that distributes money to charities, found that federation giving among Jewish people under 50 years of age had sharply decreased. The report also found that nearly half of Jewish people between the ages of 55 and 64 gave to Jewish causes, while fewer than one-third of those between 18 and 34 did. The UJC also noted that fewer people are contributing to its annual fund-raising campaign.

Reflecting differing lifestyles between generations, groups such as InterfaithFamily.com, an online charity that promotes relationships between Jewish people and non-Jewish people, and JDub Records, which uses hip-hop music and reggae to espouse Jewish values, have been created by young people.

Both groups have received grants from the Slingshot Fund, created last year by young Jewish people in their 20s and 30s. The fund supports groups that do creative work that is usually ignored by traditional Jewish organizations.

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