Bronfman offers Israel fund-raising tips

Some North American companies give employees time off to volunteer for charitable causes and match employee donations, he said, giving examples of what companies here could do.

Bronfman praised Israel's assistance to the Kosovo Albanian refugees -- from the Israel Defense Force field hospital there to the refugees welcomed here -- adding that he believes local businesspeople would display the same generous spirit if encouraged.

Tzedakah is a central aspect of Judaism, Bronfman said, adding that he does not see tzedakah as charity, but as a social obligation.

In Israel, philanthropy is becoming less of a personal act and more of a corporate act, said Israel Zang, dean of the university's Recanati Graduate School of Business Administration, which invited Bronfman to speak as part of its Noah Royal Distinguished Lecture Series.