Gordon Gamm’s philosophy of philanthropy

would agree that Judaism and philanthropy go together like peanut butter and jelly. Most Jews who give their money to others less fortunate will, to varying degrees, cite Divine will as a major motivator for their charity — the belief that tzedakah is what G-d wants us to do and, through the Torah, commands it. Then there’s Gordon Gamm, not quite so nearly categorized. He is Jewish, and most definitely a philanthropist, but tzedakah — the idea that his giving is inspired by G-d — is not a factor in his personal equation. Which is not to say, the soft-spoken and thoughtful Gamm clarified in an interview earlier this month with the Intermountain Jewish News, that his being Jewish is not an important part of […]