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NEWS
Observations: Hebrew University Schnorrs $600
Million
by P. Moses
During the Haskalah, propaganda against the Torah world
centered around what was known then as "leaving
golus." Leading maskilim waged a tough
campaign to persuade youth to abandon the Torah halls which
they defined as "golus culture" and to join
"progressive, modern" culture. The most provocative term
appended to Torah scholars was "schnorrers." The
maskilim presented higher learning at the
universities as an alternative to "the schnorring
culture" and the Chaluka (in Eretz Yisroel), and an
opportunity to achieve financial independence rather than
relying on outside contributions.
Based on this brief historical recap, a report released by
the Hebrew University in Jerusalem last week--according to
which the university has managed to raise record donations
totaling $600 million over the past three years--was a great
source of encouragement. That's right: six hundred million
U.S. dollars. Although it is still far behind the
fundraising efforts of the larger American universities who
raise billions of dollars, it is quite respectable as
raising money goes.
According to the chairman of the University Board of
Trustees, Attorney Yigal Arnon, University President
Professor Menachem Megidor and Fundraising Campaign
Chairperson Barbara Mandel of the U.S., this achievement is
even greater since, according to the original plan, $600
million was the five-year goal, and the fundraisers managed
to reach that amount within only three years.
The extraordinary speed with which the funds were raised
could have allowed the university to take a two-year break
from the schnorring, i.e. the fundraising, but no
break is in the works. In light of the success of the
fundraising efforts, a new drive to raise a billion dollars
has been planned!
Once upon a time, in the era of the golus culture,
all of the Torah halls throughout the Diaspora were
maintained through schnorring. Today, after the
establishment of progressive, modern culture, no vestige
remains of the schnorrer, having been replaced by the
Fundraising Campaign Chairperson.
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