Jewish Philanthropy Podcast · Dovid M Cohen

Topic: Looking Outward Guest: Rabbi Erica Gerson

·40 min·2 clips

African Mission Healthcare supports Christian medical missionaries because "at least a third" of Africa's quality healthcare comes through them.

1. Jewish Philanthropy Podcast centers this conversation on "Looking Outward" with Rabbi Erica Gerson. 2. David M. Cohen interviews Rabbi Erica Gerson, a reform rabbi by training, mother of four, and wife of Mark Gerson. 3. The episode asks how Jewish money, tzedakah, and philanthropy should respond to suffering beyond the Jewish world. 4. Gerson traces African Mission Healthcare to Mark Gerson’s school connection with John Fielder, who chose to serve in Africa during the AIDS crisis. 5. She says African Mission Healthcare supports Christian medical missionary hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa. 6. She says at least a third, and probably more, of quality healthcare in Africa comes through Christian medical missionary organizations. 7. Gerson says the organization funds care now while also strengthening training for surgeons and other local clinicians. 8. She says hospitals need surgeries in order to train surgeons, and she emphasizes building local talent rather than importing doctors forever. 9. She says the work also looks at whole systems needed to sustain hospitals and healthcare networks across the African continent. 10. Gerson says the family eventually visited Kenya, and her son spent time in the operating room with surgeons in the mountains. 11. She says the family focuses on "how can we ameliorate the most suffering with the least amount of money." 12. She distinguishes philanthropy from tzedakah and says tax deductibility does not automatically make something tzedakah. 13. She says the household draws clear lines between obligations, business relationships, and social functions like galas or Lincoln Center events. 14. Gerson says Jews should give primarily and mostly to the Jewish world because "no one else is giving to us." 15. She says the Torah’s repeated command to love the stranger helps explain why African Mission Healthcare matters to them. 16. She says fundraising is harder for Africa because donors more easily identify with a child they imagine as their own. 17. She says one can sometimes do more good with a much smaller amount in Africa than in a large American fundraising context. 18. Gerson says she values the blessing of asking for support when she believes the cause is real and useful. 19. The interview is conversational and reflective, with David M. Cohen asking follow-ups on family, Israel, and giving. 20. People interested in Jewish giving, Israel, and faith-based aid will get the most from it. 21. People wanting a fast, entertainment-first interview probably will not.

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