the philanthropic menace

The philanthropic menace

By David Verveer

One of the most peculiar phenomena of our modern Israeli society is, that we consider the philanthropic behavior of one of our Israeli, ex Russian Oligarchs, Mr. Gaydamac, when he financed and organized a convalesces holiday camp in a Tel Aviv’ park for the emotional hard-hit population of Sderoth, a small town on the Gaza border, that suffers from an “on and off” bombardment of rockets, over the last seven years. The organization and financing of this project is entire philanthropic, and Mr. Gaydamac appears to do all this, simply out of compassion for the real plight of those innocent citizens.

But now, something funny happens, caused by our twisted way of thinking, we argue:

1 - why is he doing this,

2 - it is not his duty to do such things,

3 - the Government should do this,

4 - what does he want to gain out of this,

5 - the origin of his riches are un-clear, isn’t the French police looking for him? And the funniest of all:

6 - he will be running for public office (President, Mayor of Jerusalem, Prime Minister, Chief Rabi (it can be that I got carried away, and the last position is a result of my imagination).

But let us look at it, without letting our emotions replace common sense. First of all, do his actions help those needy people? Of course, they do!

Did his spontaneous help actuate finally some of the rusty Governmental organizations who should have been on the spot, helping the Sderoth people, and not wait until Mr. Gaydamac shows them, how to provide some relaxation, after spending such a long time of terror, while we in the center of the country enjoyed our usual tranquility.

I couldn’t care less if his money has a slight smell of corruption to it, so long it is used for philanthropic means, instead of going to a group of sleaze lawyers, who are keeping those money laundering cases for many years in court, in order to ensure their fat fees. I prefer 1000 Sderoth people for one week in a holyday camp, than allowing this corporation lawyers earning their first (or second) yacht on the Riviera.

And if we elect our political leaders based on (not too cheap) popularity, I wished that they follow Gaydamac’s lead, and invest indirect in humanitarian causes, instead of getting inflated salaries, with additional funds, in order to serve their voters.

Mr. Gaydamac shows us, how utterly stupid, public opinion can be, only because he provides the money (without strains attached) in his own name, and does not hide behind an organization, with costly administration and management, buildings, etc. who gobbles up most of the funds required. I go even further, a normal NGO (Non Governmental (non Profit) Organization will not be able to perform at such short notice, nor has it the funds to do what our hero; Mr. Gaydamac did for the poor people of Sderoth..

Our parents would have called us “kleiner menchen” which means: people with limited brain-power, which describes precisely our behavior.