October 18, 2011; Source: The Jewish Week | Alexander Soros, son of the politically visible and controversial philanthropist George Soros, has begun his own philanthropic career as of August with his a donation of a quarter million dollars to the Jewish Funds for Justice where he also sits on the board. JFJ is a foundation that supports grassroots organizations in low income communities.

This article provides a peek into his philanthropic stance that is both revealing and moving, describing for example his visit to the Queens office of Make the Road, an immigrant rights group that is a JFJ grantee:  “There, Soros listened far more than he talked, walking quietly through the building and asking the circle of clients and staffers who had been convened for his benefit only one question: how the recession had affected them.”

“My Jewish identity is intrinsically linked to philanthropy, whether to Jewish organizations or not,” said Soros. “We have an affinity with other minorities. That means a sense of responsibility, especially in light of the Holocaust.”

Soros feels that as a Jew he has a responsibility to respond to those who suffer exclusion and persecution. “Anyone who is a son or daughter of someone who was in hiding, or in a camp, it gives you a certain way of viewing things…I have a feeling of responsibility towards my father’s foundation, and his legacy…Therefore, I am there to help in any way I can. At the same time, it is important to me to be independent, and to engage in activities unrelated to my father.”—Ruth McCambridge