What I’ve Learned About Raising Money from Jews

by Robert P. Aronson

In 1975, a failed art student, I began working at the Milwaukee Jewish Federation as a clerk typist. One day my boss, Mel Zaret, asked me to attend a fundraising meeting. There were about twenty men in the room listening to an Israeli army officer wearing sunglasses. He spoke about the battle for the Suez Canal.

After that, to my astonishment, the men went around the room and announced pledges to the 1975 Federation Campaign: “I give 50!” (He meant thousand) “I give 100!” “I’m taking out a second mortgage on my home so I can give 25!”