Minority status within a Christian society fixed the framework within
which Schiff operated. Whether dealing with Jews or non-Jews on matters
of defense, philanthropy, Zionism, religion, or even Jewish behavior, two
constant components underlay his approach: a sensitivity to discrimination
and a drive for Jewish integration. Despite a pronounced emphasis on con-
formity, the banker differed from German Jews in Victorian England.
Whereas the latter were avidly bent on total assimilation, Schiff and his
closest friends chose less extreme conduct. In Ezra Mendelsohn’s words,
they were integrationists rather than assimilationists, and they refused to
repudiate Jewish identity for the sake of Gentile approval. Rather, they be-
lieved that it was possible to have both.^39 Nevertheless, their behavior and
what they demanded of the community were often marked by ambiguities
and inconsistencies. In the long run they failed; over time, the majority of
American Jews succumbed to the forces of total assimilation.
Principles of GivingAn account of Schiff’s philanthropic activities and the vast array of causes
that he supported can easily become a panegyric. His compassion and sen-
sitivity to individual and social needs were genuine and impressive. Nor did
he limit his contributions to the garden variety of charities, like hospitals
and poor relief. In his case, philanthropies included cultural enterprises,
both Jewish and non-Jewish. Schiff, however, was not a saint. His drive for
power and public approval, his overwhelming self-confidence, and the way
in which he dominated his subordinates and the beneficiaries of his gifts
were equally apparent. His very choice of beneficiaries showed an aware-
ness of philanthropy as social control, or the means of shaping the behavior
of both organizations and individuals. The institutions he supported re-
flected his civic and social values, and the institutions in turn disseminated
those values among those they serviced. A blend of both the humanitarian
and the quasi-dictator, Schiff’s behavior was essentially that of a benevolent
despot.
Like other Jews, Schiff entered the ranks of leaders by way of philan-
thropy, an area in which he worked both independently and through estab-
lished organizations. Forging ahead of his predecessors and contemporar-
ies with regard to service as well as donations, he chalked up a record of
accomplishments that won him national and international acclaim. Philan-
thropy drew him closer to the American non-Jewish establishment. As a
Jew he was never fully accepted, but on the subject of help to the needy or
to communal institutions none could fault him. An article in Forbes Maga-
zineput it this way: “Mr. Schiff spends almost as much time giving away
Leadership and Philanthropy 55