2025-08-28 7:56 PM <br/> Tags: #people #AmericanJewry #Donor ![[image-105.png|533x399]] # Arthur Blank (1942-) - Arthur Blank co-founded Home Depot in 1978 with [[Bernard Marcus]]. - Blank and Marcus are both Jewish. - Blank has owned the NFL team, the Atlanta Falcons, since 2002. - Blank is the founder and owner of Atlanta's United FC soccer team. #### Blank and American Jewry - Blank is a large donor within the Jewish federations system. - The Jewish federations were operated under the [[United Jewish Appeal (UJA)]] until 1999 when the UJA was reconstituted as the [[Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)]]. - In 2001 Blank gave $5 million to Emory University's Institute for Jewish Studies. - For this donation Blank got to name the program. - He named the program the *Donald A. Tam Institute for Jewish Studies*, after his Atlanta rabbi Donald Tam. - His stated reason being "In honor of a man who has guided and counseled me for the past 23 years of my life." - The Molly Blank Fund, the namesake derived from Blank's mother, has given $1 million to the PJ library in Massachusetts. - The PJ library is a [[Harold Grinspoon Foundation]] program which sends out free Jewish children's books. - Through the Molly Blank Fund, Blank has given ~$7 million to the National Jewish Health, a hospital/school in Denver. - Blank has been honored by the [[ADL]] on multiple occasions for his efforts to 'combat hate.' - Blank was the 2001 recipient of the ADL's Abe Goldstein Human Relations Award. - Blank was again honored by the ADL in 2019. - Blank and his foundations have funded the ADL. #### Blank and Israel - Blank has given at least $75,000 to the [[Jewish Agency]]. - After [[October 7th]] Blank rushed $750,00 in emergency funds to Israel. #### Political Activity - Unlike Bernard Marcus, Blank's business partner, Blank donated the left wing causes and democrat candidates. - Blank donated to both the Obama and Biden presidential campaigns. - Blank's Family foundation funds groups like the *New Georgia Project*, which works to register non-white voters in Georgia. - The *Pro Georgia* organization, a generally progressive group also working to register non-white voters. - *Black Voters Matter*, a pro black [[Open Society Foundations|Open Society]] funded organization. - In 2017 when Donald Trump delivered the President's annual statement on [[International Holocaust Remembrance Day]], he committed a serious crime by omitting the near religious term "six million." - Blank commented on Trump's statement calling it a "tragic" and urging the use of the term six million. - Blank took the opportunity to admonish Trump's immigration policies extolling diversity and immigration. ![[image-104.png|542x339]] *Arthur Blank and Fay Twersky, the president of the Blank foundation and an Orthodox Jew. * #### References - “Arthur Blank.” _Wikipedia_. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Blank - Carter, Catherine. “Home Depot Head Hammers out $15 Million Gift to Atlanta Jewry.” _Jewish Telegraphic Agency_, June 25, 1997. https://www.jta.org/1997/06/25/lifestyle/home-depot-head-hammers-out-15-million-gift-to-atlanta-jewry - Shreckengost, Kim. “Blank Names Institute for Rabbi Tam.” _Emory Report_, December 10, 2001. [https://www.emory.edu/EMORY_REPORT/erarchive/2001/December/erDec.10/12_10_01jewishstudies.html](https://www.emory.edu/EMORY_REPORT/erarchive/2001/December/erDec.10/12_10_01jewishstudies.html) - Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. “The Legacy of Molly Blank.” June 7, 2023. [https://blankfoundation.org/mollyblank/](https://blankfoundation.org/mollyblank/) - Bluestein, Greg. “Atlanta Falcons Owner Criticizes Trump’s Holocaust Message.” _Atlanta Journal-Constitution_, February 1, 2017. https://www.ajc.com/blog/politics/atlanta-falcons-owner-criticizes-trump-holocaust-message/MQFE7WlyT8htD1UaOmUruJ/ - Samuels, Eddie. “ADL Unites Atlanta Against Hate.” _Atlanta Jewish Times_, November 20, 2019. Accessed August 28, 2025. [https://www.atlantajewishtimes.com/adl-unites-atlanta-against-hate/](https://www.atlantajewishtimes.com/adl-unites-atlanta-against-hate/). - _“Abe Goldstein Human Relations Award,”_ Anti‑Defamation League Southeast Region, c. 2017, accessed August 18, 2025, [https://atlanta.adl.org/cor2017/award](https://atlanta.adl.org/cor2017/award). - “Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.” Official website. https://www.blankfoundation.org/ - Atlanta Jewish Times. “Arthur M. Blank Foundation Donates $750K to Israel.” _Atlanta Jewish Times_, October 11, 2023. https://www.atlantajewishtimes.com/arthur-m-blank-foundation-donates-750k-to-israel/ - National Jewish Health. “Arthur M. Blank Family Donates $7 Million to Establish Molly Blank Pediatric Care Fund for Children in Need.” Press Release, January 25, 2017. - OpenSecrets. “Arthur Blank Political Contributions.” _Center for Responsive Politics_. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=Arthur+Blank - Bahr, Bob. “Blank Gives $10 Million to Help Grow Democracy.” _Atlanta Jewish Times_, December 4, 2021. https://www.atlantajewishtimes.com/blank-gives-10-million-to-help-grow-democracy/ - The Jewish Agency for Israel, _2020 Donors to The Jewish Agency_, [https://www.jewishagency.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2020-Donors-to-The-Jewish-Agency.pdf](https://www.jewishagency.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2020-Donors-to-The-Jewish-Agency.pdf).