Giving to JPS:
A 135-Year-Old Legacy
Did you know that giving to JPS, the nation’s oldest Jewish not-for-profit publisher of books of enduring worth, is a venerable legacy now spanning more than a century and a third?
While thousands of families have faithfully subscribed and donated to JPS over the decades, major giving has sustained JPS throughout our history:
* In 1888 Jacob H. Schiff, the greatest Jewish philanthropist of his day, gave $5000 to help found JPS. Meyer Guggenheim, another great philanthropist, matched that gift.
* In 1914 Schiff gave another $50,000 to create the JPS Library of Jewish Classics.
* In 1949 Jacob R. Schiff (same name, no relation), a notable New York attorney, bequeathed part of his sizable estate to JPS, resulting in a total gift of $380,000.
* In 1963 Adolf Amram, an insurance executive, bequeathed $100,000.
* In 1978 Abraham M. Wolfman of Los Angeles bequeathed $377,317.
* In 1980 Philip and Muriel Berman of Allentown Pennsylvania donated $500,000 to a special endowment in their name.
Since JPS’s centennial in 1988 JPS has continued to receive generous support from individuals, family foundations, and public foundations:
* The Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Foundation and the Arete Foundation provided key support for The JPS Torah Commentary.
* The National Endowment for the Humanities provided major funding for Outside the Bible: Ancient Jewish Writings Related to Scripture, our National Jewish Book Award winning three-volume anthology.
* Joel and Tammy Rubin of Chicago provided a named series sponsorship of The Rubin JPS Miqra’ot Gedolot, our acclaimed five-volume translation of medieval rabbinic commentary on the Torah.
* Eli Ungar and family of New Jersey recently provided a series sponsorship of The JPS Bible Commentary-Psalms, our forthcoming five-volume commentary.
* Gittel Hilibrand, current president of JPS, and David Lerman and David Smith, the past two presidents of JPS, have led by example, as vital donors to JPS.
