The Martin J. Gross Family Foundation was formed in 2017 with a dual purpose. It carries out various charitable giving initiatives by making cash contributions to various 501(c)(3) organizations and it has an active program of supporting the publication of scholarly works for the benefit of the general public. It conducts this latter activity in partnership with various institutions and individuals. In order to qualify for support a work must meet high scholarly standards, be on a topic which will attract significant readership over time and advance scholarship. This takes many forms including but not limited to:
- improving existing translations
- producing much needed first-time translations
- funding critical editions
- publishing critical commentaries on important works
- publishing works of history and philosophy
- publishing works which highlight collections in various institutions
In addition, the Foundation also promotes and supports institutional collections and exhibits, funds seminars on scholarly topics related to Jewish Medieval manuscripts and donates books and manuscripts to various institutions. Examples of exhibits include: 1) a rare book exhibition at the Princeton University Library in the early 1990s; 2) the “Aristotle and the West” Exhibit at the New-York Historical Society in 2022; and 3) the recent Kafka Exhibit at the Bodleian Library in Oxford and the Morgan Library in New York City.
In 1999, prior to establishment of the Foundation, Martin Gross transferred a collection of Voltaire’s writings to The New York Public Library. This event is more fully described in the publication Voltaire: The Martin J Gross Collection in the New York Public Library.
Support for the publication of scholarly books for the general public includes both general and Jewish studies topics. Some of the former include the translation into modern Hebrew of Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason by Professor Yirmiyahu Yovel as well as his book Kant’s Philosophical Revolution: A Short Guide to the Critique of Pure Reason. Examples of the latter include Jewish Treasures from Oxford Libraries, The Kennicott Bible, Jewish Languages, Jewish Country Houses: The Lure of the Land and 101 Treasures – The Story of The National Library of Israel.