April 17, 2012

This June marks my 83rd birthday. I will celebrate two occasions that day: my gratitude for the life I have been granted so far, and the 18 years I have worked as a philanthropist at The Samuel Bronfman Foundation.

The Samuel Bronfman Foundation is named after my father as a gesture of respect to the business he created at The Seagram Company, and I now share the responsibilities of running the Foundation with my son, Adam. I am aware of the debt of gratitude I owe my father for now being in the position where I can help others, and I am grateful to my son for the vision he offers as to how we will continue to do so. It is joyful work, and part of a family legacy that I feel is both my obligation and privilege. I have never doubted that I must give, but rather the salient question was to what purpose. That purpose for me is the Jewish people.

The causes of Jewish renaissance and pluralism inform much of my work. My goal is to build a Jewish future by working to form a knowledgeable, proud and welcoming Jewish community throughout the world, and my philanthropic giving reflects that ambition.

Charitable giving ideally leads to opportunity. That opportunity is exactly what my grandfather sought when he came to Canada as a Russian Jewish immigrant. I often think of the dream he had, to create a better life for his family and live in a world where being Jewish did not mean living under constant threat and oppression. I am cognizant that my philanthropic work is the result of his bravery many years ago in traveling from an old world to a new one. It is a similar journey of expanded possibilities I hope to encourage for the Jewish people today.

I am not traditionally religiously observant, and do not advocate that Jews need be so — in fact I subscribe to a philosophy of Jewish humanism in which Jewish knowledge and values can function as guideposts for the betterment of all humanity — but I feel strongly that in a modern world where it is so easy to lose sight of where we come from, it is vitally important for young Jews to learn about their history, texts and traditions. An educated Jew is an empowered one, and confident enough to move the Jewish people forward and expand the boundaries of how Judaism interacts with the world.

At the Foundation, we are dedicated to inspiring a vibrant and joyful Jewish future. There are three major programs with whom we partner to manifest these ideas. We work with Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, the global university Jewish centers that give young people a chance to explore their Jewish identities at the most formative time of their lives; the website MyJewishLearning.com which allows unprecedented access to Jewish knowledge and a desire to learn; and the Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel (BYFI) a program I founded 25 years ago that focuses on engaging a pluralistic, elite, diverse and promising group of future Jewish leaders in America and Israel. BYFI challenges them to deepen their understanding of the complexity of Judaism so that they can go forth into the world and have an educated, informed and impassioned impact on the Jewish future and the world.

Throughout my career in business as CEO of The Seagram Company and my years as President of the World Jewish Congress, I learned that results were not achieved overnight. To manufacture a product or to build a consensus, patience and planning are required if the end goal is to be reached. At the Foundation we put this knowledge to practice and pride ourselves on cultivating long-term relationships with the institutions and people in whom we invest. Money is essential to philanthropic work, of course, but so are shared vision and a distribution of resources.

At the Foundation, our work is not only to make grants, but to connect the programs and people we encounter, and enable their autonomy. The result is a shared long-term vision that enriches everyone’s work and contributes to a stronger and more expansive Jewish community.

This requires being adaptive, responsive and selective in the organizations in which you invest. An honest and open relationship requires focus and time, two things that should not be given lightly, but when they are granted, fully supported. I share that expansive vision with my Foundation’s staff, an energetic and bright group of like-minded people led by my talented Executive Director, Dana Raucher (who is a BYFI alumna, I must proudly note). Working with such a team makes the enterprise of giving a pleasure in which to engage. I am now a full-time philanthropist, sharing of my time, wealth and experience. How to share those assets is an endeavor of careful consideration, built around purposeful partnerships that the Foundation cultivates.

I have found philanthropy deeply satisfying work, and am proud to join the Giving Pledge. I encourage all people to engage in giving to others, be it through time or money. The point is to be involved. Helping is a joyful experience and enriches the giver as much as those who receive. By enabling people to do good work, I participate in a brighter future for the Jewish people and, I hope, all of humanity.