Arthur Blank Family Foundation

Thank you Marty (Kogan – President, Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta)
Thank you all for joining us tonight, to be part of this celebration.
Not only am I excited to be here – I'm truly honored.
Honored because we’re here to do more than open an exhibit
- We’re here to celebrate an ideal – Tzedakah –
- the spirit of giving
- the notion of charity, justice and our obligation to take care of others.
It’s an ideal that has been elevated to an art form, and expressed so beautifully in the works you will see tonight.
Tzedakah is, of course, rooted in Judaism.
In the Jewish tradition, every person is obligated to give to their fullest capacity.
It’s not simply a matter of generosity, kindness or goodness; it’s a matter of simple justice.
Those who have are required to help those who do not.
And like so many other aspects of Jewish faith and culture, it’s not negotiable!
However, I would argue that this is more than a Jewish exhibit, or even a “religious” exhibit.
Rather, it is about the power of giving and sharing.
It does not tell us what to believe, but gently encourages us to consider the needs of others as we live our lives.
It doesn’t give us answers to haunting, complex questions; but it does remind us of the simple joy of giving back as part of our own spiritual path.
You don’t have to be Jewish to draw meaning from these works of art; you don’t have to be Jewish to have a piece on display; and you certainly don’t have to be Jewish to embrace the ideal.
Tzedakah is universal. It is philanthropy.
I stand here tonight as someone one who loves art; someone lucky enough in my profession to help Arthur Blank and his family orchestrate their philanthropy.
But I also speak as a relative newcomer to Atlanta.
As a newcomer, I have seen and experienced firsthand the giving spirit of so many who are righteous and fair.
People who may not ever have heard the term “Tzedakah”, yet live by it’s meaning every day.
These are people who understand the sacred nature of giving to others.
They spend their lives working for organizations and institutions, giving of their own time, energy, intelligence and leadership to raise funds and to decide how and when monies will be disbursed.
They support education, and hospitals, children and the aged, and work for the protection of the rights of others.
By definition, the work of these people and these organizations is a labor of Tzedakah.
I can tell you – this spirit is alive and well in our city.
The caring and compassion here are real.
Tzedakah is with us all. Our city is blessed by that fact.
Before closing, would like to thank one of our citizens in particular, Bill Schwartz, who helped foster the idea for this exhibit and has done so much for our community. Thank you, Bill.
Also like to thank the staff here at the Breman Museum who continue to work so hard so that we can continue to have this wonderful community resource for celebrating Jewish culture.
I hope you all enjoy the evening and please, as you consider "righteous giving" in your own lives – don’t forget the lesson some of us learned as children:
- no matter how many pennies you put into the Pushke, somehow there is always room for more!
Now I’d like to turn it over to Jane Leavey who will tell you more about what you’re about to see tonight.