Wouldn’t you know it? No sooner did we all feel we did all that we could to preserve the character of Israel as we know it—or would like it to be—by voting for representation at the World Zionist Congress, then all of a sudden we are confronted with another challenge going to the core of the Jewish character of the country of Israel.
The challenge comes not from the Arabs and not from the extremists from either end of the religious or political spectrum, but rather from the committee rooms of the people trying to influence the president of the United States at a scope and rate that has put Republicans as well as Democrats on edge!
According to news stories that do not seem to be getting adequate attention in the general and Jewish worlds as of the time this article is being submitted, there have been reports that President Trump is weighing the idea of issuing an executive order that would forbid nonprofit organizations from making grants outside of the United States. If implemented, God forbid, this would devastate the economic support for Torah academies as well as charitable entities in Israel and other countries that rely most substantially on such support. Were this support to be eliminated, many of these institutions would lose their abilities to function as they do now, or even close to the way they do now, without even considering potential funding cuts by local and national governments.
Inactivity on our part is not an option. Head-shaking and hand-wringing are not the kinds of options or actions that will help. Communications to President Trump, one way or another—or, better still, in all possible ways—can help. Ideally, we should try to get the message across with someone we know who has the president’s ear—in a good way. But if not—or even in addition, I recommend that we all try to contact the president by mail, email and/or phone, and ask everyone we know who shares our concerns to do the same.
This should be a nonpartisan issue. Whether we are Republicans or Democrats, anyone with a fair view of American politics over the past few decades knows that the leaders of both parties have consistently pledged to trim or eliminate waste and corruption in government at every level.
It would seem that we would all agree that people who built their fortunes based on honest hard work, brilliance and creativity should pay their fair share of taxes for having this opportunity—however their fair share can be defined (a subject beyond the purview of this letter). And then, people who were successful in building up a nest egg beyond what they and their families could possibly be able to consume, should be encouraged to set up foundations and charitable institutions to share their fortunes with people in any categories favored by these successful entrepreneurs and the board members and administrators of these organizations.
The executive order now being contemplated, however, would deprive these donors from the private sector of the opportunity to benefit the beneficiaries of their choice who may live beyond the borders of our country, even if their entire foundations were founded and premised on helping people in their places of birth or places they value for any other reason.
It may also be noted that institutions of learning, of medical care, and of charity can benefit Americans abroad employed remotely by American countries, serving as soldiers and diplomats of America, living out their retirement years in foreign countries after building American companies, and touring foreign countries..
It is hoped that the executive order being discussed and debated will never see the light of day. We have the power to encourage the Trump’s advisers—and the president himself—to either advocate against the issuance of such an order or at the very least to try to prevail upon the decision-makers to limit their restrictions to funds sent to countries not allied with our country or by limiting the application of such an order in other ways that would protect the current beneficiaries of the grants referred to above. Or, if the order will have been enacted by the time this article is published or shortly thereafter, we can at least advocate for the order to be revoked or limited as suggested or in some other way.
We hope the matter will be resolved in such a way as to enable all of us to continue to thank God for the bounties of this country and for the continued ability to share the wealth among people in need who share our fundamental values, wherever they may be.
