We have been searching for a place to focus our charitable efforts. For more than 30 years, most of our giving went to our synagogue. Sadly, we were compelled to leave after two left-wing Rabbis were more interested in being community organizers than teaching the Torah.
We have been giving to Prager U, StandWithUs, The Red Cross, and Veterans’ groups, but the Beautiful Wife wanted a new focus.
She identified a locally based charity with whom she felt comfortable focusing her efforts. They would be lucky to have her. She was previously given the Young Leadership Award for the Jewish Federation’s Women’s Division; is a past president of both NAWBO-LA (National Assn. of Women Business Owners, Los Angeles) and the Organization of Women Executives (OWE). She can sell ice to an Eskimo. She would be a real addition to any charity.
Additionally, charities need three things: donors, doers, and door openers. She fits all three.
She was doing the ceremonial dance with the charity when we were invited to their annual gala with a hefty price tag. Because of the orientation of many groups today, I wanted to do a deep dive into their activities before we wrote a check.
I found many of the activities described on their website to be worthy of support. Then I noticed they invoked the words “social justice” in their mission statement. That terminology sets off alarm bells with Republicans and Conservatives. It signals to them that the organization has a political bent that is pretty much against the moral standards to which we aspire. To me it invokes Black Lives Matter, a disgusting, anti-Semitic and fraudulent organization.
I addressed an email to the head of development:
Dear Janice:
Teri is very interested in being involved in your charity. As for me, I am happy just writing checks for any charity. Not big on going to Galas anymore. Been there, done that.
One thing I insist on is doing a deep dive into any charity to make sure it is in line with our values. I have read up on what is being done and like it very much.
I am wondering why in your overall description the terminology “social justice” is used?
Thank you.
She replied:
Hi Bruce,
Thanks for the great email! I appreciate your feedback and honest approach to researching a charity before committing to anything.
Also, thank you for the question on social justice. I believe it to be a powerful word that carries a lot of weight for the communities we serve. Specifically, the term is important to our charity because we are guided by the belief that everyone, regardless of background, has the right to social, economic, and political opportunities. We amplify our social justice initiative through an innovative approach to operate and fund programs that advance inclusiveness for youth. Under the lens of social justice, we are invited and often allowed to guide community investments and provide targeted, smart, and on-the-ground solutions for the racially diverse communities we serve. The youth in these communities are often the recipient of the most basic and minimal social and economic resources, so we provide those resources through a series of programs we support. We believe that everyone, regardless of community, deserves equal social, political, and economic rights and opportunities, thus making social justice one of our pillars.
Please let me know if that helps answer your question on social justice. I am more than happy to jump on the phone with you and chat about it further if you would like any additional information.
Thanks!
Well, that did not exactly alleviate my concerns and we agreed to have a phone call at a further time.
In preparation for that phone call, I sent an individually addressed email to ten involved Republicans.
The email went as below:
Dear Steve:
Teri was looking at getting us involved in a well-known charity in Los Angeles. They are doing some very good things as part of their mission. Their website refers to tackling social justice for all Angelenos.
Your thoughts please.
A few wrote back immediately saying and (I paraphrase here) “no way, Jose.” Do not get involved. Half thought that someone had invaded my email address and that the email sent was not legitimate. One person contacted our son to verify the authenticity of the email. Their responses once they found out it was me were (again, I paraphrase here) “you must be joking. You would not possibly get involved with them.”
I had a phone call with the representative of the group, and we made no progress on our differences in perception. I made clear to her she was antagonizing Republicans; and, according to every study, Republicans give more to charity than Democrats. Likewise, religious people give more than non-observant people.
She asked me to write a letter she could pass on to higher ups in the organization to express my concerns. That was a monumental task. As an experienced writer I knew I had to structure this in a particularly detailed way. I could not express anything in a manner that would allow them to say, “See, he is just a kook.” I could not write a sentence that would allow them to clip what I said to take a portion and distort my meaning. Most of all it had to be overwhelmingly positive. I was up to the task and motivated.
After sending it off, I received no response. I received no response to my email checking whether she had received the requested letter.
During this entire process I have kept the identity of the organization from others. I wanted unvarnished thoughts about the actions.
The definition of what this organization is and how they frame what they do is divisive. It is also unnecessary. It comes from the assumption of the principals thinking everyone agrees with them. Of course, they think that way because they only interact with like-minded people in their cozy cocoon.
They say they are open to helping all people, but any group like this would exclude helping white people and likely Jews. They would immediately cite they have Jews involved in their leadership. My answer is that they are deeply confused Jews or uninvolved Jews. A hallmark of groups like this is that Jews are one of the excluded groups. Look at what is going on across the country on college campuses. Jews are not considered the cool kids.
This is the Los Angeles Dodger Foundation. Why they have caste themselves in a divisive light baffles me, but I know it comes from their cozy cocoon where everyone thinks like they do. How could anyone possibly think otherwise?
