Charitable giving and philanthropic behavior are frequently the subject of media reports and newspaper headlines. Examining the incentives and barriers to charitable behavior, Dashefsky and Lazerwitz account for such giving by members of the Jewish community. A discussion of motivations for charitable giving, Charitable Choices relies on quantitative and qualitative data in one religio-ethnic community.

Charity is central to the Jewish tradition. In this formative study, Gregg E. Gardner takes on this concept to examine the beginnings of Jewish thought on care for the poor. Focusing on writings of the earliest rabbis from the third century c.e., Gardner shows how the ancient rabbis saw the problem of poverty primarily as questions related to wealth—how it is gained and lost, how it distinguishes rich from poor, and how to convince people to part with their wealth. Contributing to our understanding of the history of religions, Wealth, Poverty, and Charity in Jewish Antiquity demonstrates that a focus on wealth can provide us with a fuller understanding of charity in Jewish thought and the larger world from which Judaism and Christianity emerged.

Contemporary Jewish Philanthropy in America provides a comprehensive overview of how Tzedakah-the obligation to give, to share, to help-can be understood, taught and realized in contemporary society. The chapters in this book examine the social sources for philanthropy, the various types of givers, recent trends in philanthropy, large scale giving and clients' perspectives. The contributors to this volume-social scientists, communal leaders and practitioners who are associated with the Council of Jewish Federations and the North American Jewish Data Bank-analyze the motivations and functions of Jewish giving in order to throw light on this enormous and vital enterprise.