Founded in 1971, New York City’s Touro College—now Touro University—has satellite campuses in Europe, Israel, and across the U.S., and its student body extends beyond its original Orthodox base. It was named for Isaac Touro, a colonial-era rabbi, and his son Judah (1775–1854), who served in the war of 1812 and was wounded in the Battle of New Orleans. Hillel Kuttler writes of the latter:

Touro’s was a “rags-to-riches” story [of] a self-made man who gave approximately $500,000 to charity, the equivalent of $12 million today, and whose will was “the most generous” in America up to then, the historian Jonathan Sarna said.

A prosperous merchant, Touro made donations and bequests to purchase buildings for churches and synagogues, to acquire property for cemeteries, and to construct hospitals. Most of the funding went to places in New Orleans, the city where Touro lived most of his life, but also to New York and New England.

The acts had in common their occurring anonymously, often as a condition of the funding. Much of Touro’s charitable contributions became known publicly only after his death. He disposed of most records during his lifetime.

Considering the current state of Israel-Arab relations, Ghaith al-Omari writes

First and foremost, no ceasefire will be possible without the release of Israeli hostages and commitments to disarm Hamas and remove it from power. The final say on these matters rests with Hamas commanders on the ground in Gaza, who have been largely impervious to foreign pressure so far. At minimum, however, the United States should insist that Qatari and Egyptian mediators push Hamas’s external leadership to accept these conditions publicly, which could increase pressure on the group’s Gaza leadership.

Washington should also demand a clear, public position from key Arab states regarding disarmament. The Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas endorsed this position in a June letter to Saudi Arabia and France, giving Arab states Palestinian cover for endorsing it themselves.

Some Arab states have already indicated a willingness to play a significant role, but they will have little incentive to commit resources and personnel to Gaza unless Israel (1) provides guarantees that it will not occupy the Strip indefinitely, and (2) removes its veto on a PA role in Gaza’s future, even if only symbolic at first. Arab officials are also seeking assurances that any role they play in Gaza will be in the context of a wider effort to reach a two-state solution.

On the other hand, Washington must remain mindful that current conditions between Israel and the Palestinians are not remotely conducive to . . . implementing a two-state solution.