If there is an area that unites Indians and Jews, it’s their values. In both cultures, the family occupies a central place in the social structure, education and aspiration are cherished and there is an obligation to look after those less fortunate.
Whilst you have Sewa, performing an act of kindness without the expectation of reward, we have Mitzvahs, which are positive commandments to do good. In the fifth article of my series, I’d like to talk about charity and philanthropy, dwelling on the Jewish approach.
If you ever visit the National Theatre and walk around the ground floor, you will see the Clore Learning Centre, the Max Rayne Centre and the Dorfman Theatre. The casual visitor will realise that these are all named after philanthropists. But what they may not appreciate is that Sir Charles Clore (1904-79), Max Rayne (1918-2003) and Lloyd Dorfman (1952-) are all very successful Jewish businessmen, passionate about putting something back not only to their own community but also British society generally.
The fact that these Jewish philanthropists were major donors to the National Theatre is a microcosm of a wider story about the Jewish contribution to philanthropy. This is no accident. Charity is woven into the fabric of the Jewish religion. Our holiest scriptures, including the Bible, emphasise the importance of charity.
The Hebrew word for charity "Tzedakah" literally means justice. This implies an obligation on the part of those who are in a position to give. In contrast, the English word charity comes from the Latin word “caritas” – meaning “from the heart” and implies a voluntary donation.
The medieval Jewish scholar Maimonedes (1135-1204) codified eight levels of giving. The highest level is finding a job for someone in order to give them financial independence.
Jewish communities throughout the ages always tried to look after the poor and vulnerable. Collections were made in the synagogue to provide support for those in need. When the Jews resettled in the UK from 1656 onwards, several wealthy members of the community saw it as their duty to help the poor.
The Jewish Association for Visiting the Sick was formed in 1665 in response to the Great Plague. In 1806, the Jews' Hospital in Mile End was opened, soon followed by the Jews' Orphan Asylum in 1831. In 1859, the Board of Guardian was founded to help the "strange poor", defined as poor immigrant Jews (which much later became Jewish Care).
Sir Moses Montefiore (1784-1885), one of the great philanthropists of Victorian Britain, embodied the values of social responsibility. Someone once said to him "Sir Moses, what are you worth"? He pondered and suggested a figure. His questioner challenged him, "but surely your wealth is worth more than that?" Sir Moses responded "you didn't ask me what I owned. You asked what I am worth, so I worked out how much I have to charity this year. Because we are worth what we are willing to share with others."
Today, the Jewish community in Britain is much admired for its charitable work. A report last year, “Charitable Giving among Britain’s Jews”, showed that there are over 2,300 Jewish charities in the UK, with an annual income of £1.1 billion, spanning education, welfare, healthcare, culture and a whole range of sectors. Furthermore it showed that charity is not just done by a few wealthy people at the top, but has mainstream reach. 93% of UK Jews give something to charity every year, compared to 57% of the British population as a whole. Jews also tend to support both general and Jewish community specific charities (60% of British Jews give to both general and Jewish charities).
Giving is not just about money, but about time and skills as well. Volunteering for a charity is a popular activity in the Jewish community. Some of the larger Jewish charities have thousands of volunteers.
The largest welfare organisation in the community, Jewish Care, for instance, has 3,000 volunteers. In my own case, I volunteer for my local synagogue's security rota and also to lead prayer services at an old-age-home.
On Sunday 19 November Mitzvah Day will encourage the Jewish community to engage in a day's volunteering. But in truth, every day, people in the Jewish community volunteer in a myriad ways.
The Jewish and Hindu communities are part of the abundant source of social capital provided by faith groups through charitable giving and volunteering. Without it, UK society would be a lesser place.
More than 25% of the 187,495 registered charities in the UK are faith-based. These 50,000 or so charities provide 1.9 million volunteers and support millions of people with problems, from sickness and unemployment to homelessness and family breakdown.
Jewish and Hindu communities are good at looking after our own but we appreciate that, as proud Britons, we have obligations to wider society. As one of our greatest compatriots, Sir Winston Churchill, once said: "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."
