Harris was testifying on the second day of the TRC's special three-day hearing in East London into the role of the church under apartheid.
He said he would throw his weight behind proposals for a wealth tax to bridge the "chasm" between South Africa's have and have nots.
"I really feel that the religious community has to endorse practical programmes for redistribution."
He had discussed the idea with a number of Jewish businessmen, who had expressed support for such a tax.
However, they were also concerned it could be a disincentive to investment.
Harris also tendered a collective apology on behalf of South Africa's Jews for their failure to protest more loudly against apartheid.
"The Jewish community benefited from apartheid and an apology must be given... We ask for forgiveness."
Fear had been a major reason for the silence of the broader Jewish community in the face of apartheid, which Harris described as a "monstrous and abhorrent" system.
"Apartheid was a very repressive system. The Jewish community is very small in numbers, only 130,000 at its height," he said.
As part of the worldwide post-Holocaust generation, Jews in South Africa had a "hyper-sensitivity" towards survival.
"They want to survive at all costs... There was a fear of anti-semitism. Before World War Two the government banned Jews from South Africa."
Harris said many Jews played a key role in the struggle against apartheid and had been outspoken in their condemnation of the system.
Quoting Water Affairs Minister Kader Asmal, he said the Jewish community had produced proportionately "more heroes" in the struggle than any other white group.
Most Jews had voted for the United Party and subsequently for the Progressive Federal Party and the Democratic Party.
"Whatever might have been the reason for the voting patterns that emerged clearly in election after election, the truth is that Jews overwhelmingly and continuously voted against the governing National Party, more so than any other white group in South Africa."
Members of the Jewish community had also been members of such organisations as the Five Freedom Forums, Jews for Social Justice and the Black Sash.
"Both in business and commerce and on the domestic scene, most Jewish people tried to be good employers, and indeed the widespread view of black workers indicates it was preferable to work for Jewish people."
The Jewish community was actively involved in reconstruction and development with the establishment two years go of Tikkun, a community project to uplift the disadvantaged.
The project covered the education, agriculture, business, health, housing and welfare sectors.