About Sheldon Adelson, it certainly was said, “he put his money where his mouth is.” Through both his philanthropy and business interests, the fabulously successful casino mogul was one of the people to most influence the modern Jewish community in recent years, particularly in Israel.
Adelson saw himself as a link in the chain. He recognized that one of Judaism’s most compelling mitzvot — in addition to tzedakah, which he mastered — is continuity. Ensuring that the links continue long after the individual is gone. To that end, he donated generously to Jewish organizations that he believed helped that mission: Foremost among them, Birthright. Then: AIPAC. BBYO. Israel American Council. Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. Yad Vashem.
Identity building. Jewish peoplehood. Jewish family. That’s what Sheldon Adelson supported above all.
With wealth on his scale, “above all” means that his favored causes next in line were also giant recipients of his largesse, such as medical research, inspired in large part by his wife, Dr. Miriam Adelson.
Not to mention, he retained all of his employees during COVID even as his businesses were forced to close.
Adelson was also a political influencer. Through his acquisition of an Israeli daily newspaper and a Las Vegas daily, he sought to shape public opinion. For many American Jews, Adelson was a complicated figure. His strong support of the Republican Party and more recently of Donald Trump did not sit well with those concerned that he was supporting a party moving too far to the right. Other American Jews, and many Israeli Jews, celebrated his influence, which is thought to have contributed to the move of the US embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and to convincing Trump to leave the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
On the political front, Adelson was a divisive figure, but this does not justify the grotesque reaction from the Jewish anti-Israel left upon learning of Adelson’s death. IfNotNow, compared Adelson to Hitler by using a phrase — “may his name be erased” — typically reserved for the genocidal Nazi leader. The group seems to hate the modern Jewish state so much that someone who supports it is a Nazi. This is why the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of anti-Semitism includes comparing Israel to Nazis — and it’s no coincidence that groups like IfNotNow oppose IHRA’s definition.
We trust that most American Jews can deeply admire the great impact that Sheldon Adelson had on Jewish identity, specifically on connecting Jews and Israelis, while assessing his political stands from their own perspective.
Copyright © 2021 by the Intermountain Jewish News
He did leave a charitable legacy for Judaism, but it it must be tempered by the legacy he left by his support of the worst President in American history who left an indelible imprint on American Freedom, the environment, our Republic, Covid deaths, to mention only a few.