How to be properly charitable

So refreshing to read Ben Crowne’s response to the seriously ill-informed opinions of both the new and previous Chairs of the Jewish Leadership Council, Jonathan Goldstein and Sir Mick Davies, that the UK Jewish community has “far too many charities”. Their quintessentially “successful businessman” understanding is both inadequate and wrong-headed, and reveals a serious misunderstanding of the essential nature, role and overall societal function of charities. Democracies value their civil societies and invite every citizen to take action if they see wrongs they wish to put right, or if they wish to demonstrate how doing things differently and “flying higher” can make a real difference. Just try to find evidence of civil society in non-democratic regimes if proof is needed.

At their hearts, all charities are the expression of passion and a belief that things should and could be better.

Of course it is absolutely true that the challenge of generating adequate funds to enable all of our charities to survive and thrive is massive; and it is certainly the case that Jewish voluntary organisations, just like their counterparts in the wider community, have to be bitingly honest about themselves in relation to their “sister” charities; and of course they need to be hugely creative if they are to survive, let alone thrive. However, no effective response will emerge from the Jewish voluntary sector if it continues to be admonished to “get smaller” in order to enable the community to fund it into the future. That, surely, is putting the cart before horse. The passionate spirit at the hearts of our many charities doesn’t pause to ask if the community can afford to support it, before it gets established; nor should it.

Andrea Kelmanson,

Herts EN6

David Aaronovitch might be interested to add another piece of information to his research into the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Hitler was well aware