Manhattan, NY – The rotten economy, government cuts and Bernie Madoff seem to be killing the dream that was started by Simon Wiesenthal after World War II.
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A year ago, New York’s famed Simon Wiesenthal Center’s gala dinner honoring Whoopi Goldberg was a hot ticket on the spring social circuit — with donors lining up to spend $50,000 on each star-studded table, replete with rubber chicken.
Bono was a past honoree. So was Al Gore. And Rupert Murdoch — who got his award from Nicole Kidman in front of hundreds of paparazzi — all have been feted by the institute founded by Wiesenthal, the late, famed Nazi hunter.
But this spring, the Wiesenthal Center’s gala was abruptly, and mysteriously, canceled.
Instead of invitations, potential donors received letters, announcing that the dinner was axed. There was no explanation, but donors were begged to send contributions, anyway.
After years of growth, the Wiesenthal Center, which teaches tolerance and fights genocide all over the world, is hanging on by a thread.
“I didn’t think it was responsible to spend a couple of hundred thousand for an event,” said spokeswoman Rhonda Barad, who canceled the dinner.
Earlier this year, about half her staff — five positions — was eliminated.
Now, the institution, which already has reduced hours at its vaunted tolerance center to four days a week, is considering doing away with the facility altogether.
“If we can’t support it, the center will have to close,” said Barad.
The Wiesenthal tolerance center gives classes to law-enforcement officials and students in things like anti-Semitism. It also fights genocide in places such as Darfur.
But the bloom is off the charitable rose. Donations to the Wiesenthal Center, which reached $1.2 million just two years ago, have dwindled. This year, the center has lowered expectations, and hopes to raise just $800,000 — but has raked in just over a quarter of that amount so far.
The center has lost much of its state funding due to budget cuts.
And the Bernie Madoff scam didn’t help. While the center invested no money directly with the Ponzi crook, it received annual grants from the Florida-based Picower Foundation, which went belly up after losing everything to Madoff.
“The loss of that foundation was huge,” said Barad.
Now, the only hope is the kindness of donors, who seem to have fled.
“We’re fighting,” she said. “I’m very tenacious. Begging and pleading is my middle name.”
I think it is sad that if you can’t donate big money you are useless. I think the gala should have been held even if they served hot dogs and coffee and received anything any one could have donated to the fund. They talk about American greed, how about if you can’t give big you are useless. Their are times in our lives that things go up and then their are times they are down, but Tadekah is always a mitzva and it has no number. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU.
Dont cry for them. According to their latest returns (2006) the 6 top exec compensation was more than 1/4 million dollars EACH including Rabbi Hier & his wife. Also they got 21 million dollars that year from people who must think they need the money & another 5 million in govt grants. All this while yeshivas and other really needy organizations go begging. There is something wrong with the mindset of those that support them. Up until a few years ago his kids too were on payroll
more than $100, 000. And who is everyone answerable to ?
Charity Navigator gives The Simon Wiesenthal Center a good(but not great) rating
of 3 stars(out of 4). In fiscal 2007 74.4% of their budget went for programs, with 15.3% for fundraising expenses, and 10.1% for administrative expenses. In general, a figure of around 75% or more of a charity’s budget going for programs is good.
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=4469
Perhaps with this economic downturn we might see some consolidation of smaller Jewish charities in order to cut overhead and to make fundraising more efficient.
Charilty navigator can say what it wants, but the astitute person who contributes their hard earned dollars has to be smarter. It fine to say that 74% of their budget went to programs, but even then there’s a limit, and what kind of programs. Spending $8.5 million dollars this one program is way overboard. Do you think by teaching about the Holocaust to the general public or defending democracy they will eradicate Anti-Semitism, even for one redneck ? The me how many families, including Holocaust survivors are now, on a daily basis, fending for food, healthcare and drugs – yes and tuition. Don’t you think that the $8.5 million can be better used ? And.. I haven’t even gotten started with the $66 million sitting in their bank account to ‘assure their parnosah. Don’t believe me ? Check it out http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2007/953/964/2007-953964928-04693259-9.pdf
Oh yes, make sure you send them your annual $18 contribution today – they really need your money.