The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has been tracking and auditing antisemitic incidents yearly since 1979, and their statistics show a steady increase in antisemitism over the last few years. In 2019, the ADL recorded its third-highest rate of antisemitic incidents. These incidents increased by 34% from 2020 to 2021, with the highest number on record that year. An increase of 36% was recorded in 2022, again its highest number on record. Antisemitic incidents increased a whopping 140% from 2022 to 2023, with most of these incidents occurring after the October 7th attack on Israel by the terror group Hamas.
However, the ADL reports that “even prior to October 7, there were monthly increases in February (402), March (471), April (432), May (437) and September (513). Each of these months broke the prior record for most incidents recorded in a single month, set in November 2022.”
How is it possible that with so many Jewish legacy institutions, federations, and non-profits across the country dedicated to combatting antisemitism, the Jewish community’s efforts have fallen so short?
Adam Milstein, a seasoned American philanthropist of Israeli descent has a clear answer. In a 2022 Jerusalem Post article, Milstein argues that these legacy organizations have a hard time both adapting to the current political moment and adopting new antisemitism strategies. “Many of them disagree as to what is considered antisemitism and what isn’t. As such, they have difficulties in agreeing on policies and action plans to combat this evil. The legacy groups have created unbelievable redundancy, with dozens of virtually identical organizations operating in silos, mired by conflicting interests and competition for donors.”
After fighting for the IDF in the 1973 Yom Kippur War and moving to the U.S. for a career in real estate, Milstein made waves in the Jewish non-profit space. He and his wife Gila co-founded the Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation in 2000 with a mission of building and supporting a network of non-profit organizations that strengthen American values, support the U.S.-Israel alliance, and combat hatred and bigotry in all forms, including antisemitism. In 2006, he was also a founding member of the Israeli American Council, which builds bridges between Israeli-Americans and the diverse Jewish communities in the U.S.
Thanks to this vast experience, Milstein has a holistic strategic vision for how to harness the power of Jewish giving and engagement more effectively to combat antisemitism. He reports that “over the past two decades of battling in the trenches, I became acquainted with the unique vision of strategic venture philanthropy, a multi-network collaboration model that generates synergies among philanthropists and the most effective small and medium, startup-like organizations to effectuate real change.” This kind of vision will “convince Jewish donors to support impact-oriented projects, out of the box ideas, and innovative initiatives that can move the needle.”
It’s no secret that legacy Jewish institutions have been losing popularity and influence, especially with younger generations of Jews, over the past several years. Boards of federations and other organizations are often populated with older members or major donors who don’t see a need for change. Milstein reports that most donors, large and small, give funds “in order to feel good, to belong to a social network, to interact with relevant business associates, to receive naming opportunities, and to obtain honors, respect, and influence.” Any donation is admirable, but more often than not, “[m]aking an impact with their donation dollars is a secondary priority” for donors.
In certain cases, this limited attitude has actually worked against efforts to combat antisemitism. Milstein presents a prime example of legacy institutions’ neglect of the threat of the rising Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. He reports that when BDS first emerged as a “human rights organization” on campuses in the mid-aughts, “many Jewish organizations ignored the fact this movement’s goal was to eradicate the State of Israel and kill its Jewish population.” Instead, these organizations “provided BDS leaders a community platform to spread their hate and [even] invited them to participate in questionable discourse.” He argues that this in fact “enhanced antisemitism” rather than helping to defeat it.
There are better ways to harness the power of Jewish philanthropy. Milstein discusses two research projects commissioned by venture philanthropists on the BDS movement which have made a notable impact. One found that BDS was established “by the major Palestinian terror organizations as a ‘non-military-front’ to eradicate the State of Israel based on the methods that brought the collapse of the apartheid regime in South Africa.” Another demonstrated how BDS “promotes hate against Jews wherever they are because the Jewish people are inherently connected to the homeland of the Jewish people, the State of Israel.” The “actionable parts” of these projects were then “provided to governmental institutions, and drew on the network of nonprofit organizations, in the media, legal, think tanks, and on the ground, willing to work on the same mission, creating synergy and force multiplication.”
October 7th was not just traumatic for Jews because of the atrocities committed on the ground in Israel. It unleashed a wave of antisemitism that shocked and continues to traumatize many in the Jewish community. That’s why it’s so important, now more than ever, to come up with creative solutions like Milstein’s strategic venture philanthropy. This approach works well because it “empowers philanthropists, often leaders of their industries, to bring their own unique vision, connections, and experience to contribute much more than just a check.”
The Los Angeles-based Impact Forum is a model of successful venture philanthropy that Milstein says “should be adopted nationwide for those seeking to truly drive change,” as quoted in JNS. The Impact Forum is a network of philanthropists who convene every three months to “empower an ecosystem of small and mid-size nonprofit organizations—each punching substantially above their weight as they create their own synergies to amplify their impact.”
This kind of nimble, impact-driven network is what the Jewish community needs in order to combat the proliferation of 21st-century antisemitic and anti-Zionist narratives. But adapting to the moment doesn’t mean further bifurcating these efforts. Rather than trying to replace legacy institutions, strategic venture philanthropy should “complement the traditional, institutions-based philanthropy who ‘know what’s best’ with new out of the box proactive ideas, empowered by strategic venture philanthropists, willing to invest their experience, know-how, time, connections, and philanthropy dollars to move the needle.” This strategy will ensure donations and goodwill make more of an impact than they ever have before.
