We firmly believe in the Jewish value of “Kol Yisrael arevim zeh la-zeh” or “All Jews are responsible for one another.”
In enacting this vision of being connected with the Jewish homeland and to Jews around the world, we form deep-rooted, global partnerships, fund organizations that enhance Jewish life and pride, provide basic everyday needs, and deploy rescue and relief services in times of crisis.
Fiscal Year 2025 Allocation Summary
Out of the Jewish Federation’s $71 million total investment, the organization awarded nearly $2.4 million through the Jewish Community Fund to programs and initiatives that fall under the purview of Supporting Israel and Global Jewry. These funds support programs to create deep connections with Israel, ensuring the country’s safety, security, prosperity and existence as a homeland for all Jews.
Impact in the priority area of Supporting Israel and Global Jewry is also made through other Jewish Federation grant processes (including the Bernard and Etta Weinberg Family Fund, Chair’s Venture Fund, Jewish Federation Real Estate Fund, Justin P. Allman President’s Fund, Women of Vision Endowment Fund) and special funds.
Priority areas
Supporting Israel and Global Jewry is one of the Jewish Federation’s three pillars that are guided by Jewish values and which are the basis of our funded projects. You can discover the priority areas for Supporting Israel and Global Jewry below.
Programs that create opportunities for education on and expression of a variety of Jewish identities in Israel.
Programs that provide free or low cost meals or food packages to adults and families unable to access enough food on their own.
Programs run through legacy institutions (i.e., JDC, JAFI and JFNA) or those that support individuals in geographic areas which need additional resources for community stability.
Programs that connect local individuals with Jewish communities around the world, specifically in the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s Partnership2Gether regions of Netivot and Sdot Negev. Programs that support Jewish communities globally.
Programs focused on providing assistance and support to those over the age of 60 related to health and wellbeing.
Fiscal Year 2025 jcf grantee recipients
You can find the JCF grant recipients under the Supporting Israel and Global Jewry pillar, their awarded amounts and descriptions below.
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Inc.
JCF FY25 Grant: $700,000
The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) was founded to help those in distress overseas. All efforts are guided by a mission which may be summed up through the mnemonic, “3 R’s”: rescue, relief, and renewal. Rescue is the maintenance of global networks that are ready to respond to humanitarian crises as they happen. Relief is the material support of vulnerable individuals while ensuring that relief programs reflect needs, as well as the growth of local resources. Renewal is the Jewish life services in resource-poor communities that keep the community alive through generations. As communities approach self-sustainability in each area, JDC’s role transitions to technical assistance, and ultimately phases out of operations. To learn more about JDC, click here.
Atid Bamidbar
JCF FY25 Grant: $35,000
Atid Bamidbar works to create a more pluralistic Israel that values diversity and maintains solidarity among individuals and groups. Based in the city of Yeroham in the Negev region, Atid Bamidbar looks to strengthen the Negev’s underrepresented individuals and communities by showcasing their narratives and cultural heritage, fostering a positive self-image and promoting local sustainable economic growth. To learn more about Atid Bamidbar and their work in the Negev, click here.
Atidim
JCF FY25 Grant: $50,000
Atidim identifies young people from Israel’s underserved periphery and marginalized communities and invests in their education, enrichment, empowerment and pursuit of excellence, from high school through college. The organization offers comprehensive financial, academic and social support to help students pursue higher education in engineering and science. It also prepares them for careers in high-tech, industry, defense and public services. To learn more about Atidim, click here.
BINA
JCF FY25 Grant: $15,000
BINA, meaning wisdom in Hebrew, is an Israeli-born movement at the intersection of Jewish education and social activism. The aim of the initiative is to advance democracy, pluralism and justice in Israel and the Jewish world through limud (study), ma’ase (action) and kehillah (community), emphasizing Jewish culture and values of tikkun olam (repairing the world). Over two decades, BINA has established many programs to help secular Israelis, as well as Jews from all over the world, take ownership of their own Jewish identities and enrich their lives with meaningful Jewish content. To learn more about BINA, click here.
Dror Israel
JCF FY25 Grant: $45,000
Dror Israel’s mission is one of educating and empowering young people and those on the social and geographic periphery to actively contribute to their communities and to create a shared society in Israel. Through schools for youth at risk, Jewish-Arab programs, the youth movement, educational workshops, intentional community projects, and national social justice initiatives, Dror Israel betters the lives of 150,000 people every year. In all, 1,300 trained educators in 16 communities on the social and economic periphery are living in the neighborhoods that the organization serves. To learn more about Dror Israel, click here.
Hilma – Tech for Impact
JCF FY25 Grant: $30,000
Hilma – Tech for Impact is dedicated to harnessing the power of technology to enhance societal wellbeing and improve quality of life for all. Their mission focuses on nurturing a new generation of technological leaders who are poised to reshape the Israeli hi-tech landscape. By developing innovative technological solutions tailored for traditionally underserved populations, Hilma aims to empower social service organizations, enabling them to effectively meet the needs of their communities. Through these efforts, Hilma seeks to transform Israel into a global leader in social technology, making significant contributions to the fields of welfare, health and education. For more information about Hilma’s initiatives and impact, click here.
Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism
JCF FY25 Grant: $20,000
Guided by values of Reform Judaism in general, the Israel Reform Movement (IMPJ) works every day to make progressive and pluralistic Judaism accessible to all Israelis. IMPJ focuses on education in Israel and the diaspora by establishing pluralistic Jewish communities, leading social action and advocacy for religious pluralism in Israel, connecting immigrants from the Former Soviet Union with their Judaism, and deepening ties between Israeli and Diaspora Jews. To learn more about IMPJ, click here
Israel Hofsheet
JCF FY25 Grant: $40,000
Israel Hofsheet is a non-partisan civic movement that works to change policy and legislation in religious-state relations in Israel. Since its founding, Israel Hofsheet has led a long line of public initiatives to promote religious freedom and strengthen democracy: from the right to marry outside the rabbinate to the empowering of women in public roles to the redesign of Shabbat in Israel. To learn more about Israel Hofsheet, click here.
Jewish Agency for Israel
JCF FY25 Grant: $970,000
Since its establishment in 1929, the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) has played a pivotal role in both founding and building the State of Israel and fostering connections among Jewish communities around the world. JAFI envisions a secure, diverse and thriving Jewish people, united by a shared heritage and a commitment to Israel as the homeland of all its citizens. Its mission encompasses providing a global framework for Aliyah, ensuring the safety of Jewish communities worldwide, strengthening Jewish identity and facilitating connections between Jews and Israel. Additionally, JAFI conveys the collective voice of the Jewish people to the State of Israel, influencing its societal development. For more information about JAFI and its initiatives, click here.
Latet Israeli Humanitarian Aid
JCF FY25 Grant: $150,000
Latet, which means “to give” in Hebrew, was founded with the mission of reducing poverty to create a more equitable society. As the largest NGO addressing poverty and food insecurity in Israel, Latet mobilizes Israeli civil society to foster a sense of mutual responsibility and drive meaningful change in national priorities. Acting as an umbrella organization for 210 local associations, Latet operates as the leading national food bank and implements impactful aid programs that provides monthly assistance to 95,000 families and 1,450 Holocaust survivors. Through its comprehensive approach, Latet is committed to making a significant difference in the lives of those in need. For more information about Latet and its initiatives, click here.
Leket Israel
JCF FY25 Grant: $100,000
Serving as the country’s National Food rescue network, Leket Israel’s primary mission is to leverage volunteer resources to lead the safe, effective, and efficient collection and distribution of surplus nutritious food that would have otherwise been destroyed. They not only provide produce gleaned from the fields but cooked meals from hotels, army bases and large factories. The food is redistributed to a network of nonprofit partner organizations serving food insecure families, impoverished senior housing programs and centers, hostels for youth at risk and more. To learn more about Leket Israel, click here.
Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin
JCF FY25 Grant: $15,000
The Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin strives to provide both warm meals and a real community for lone soldiers (soldiers in the IDF with no family in Israel) to eat, celebrate and resources to help integrate into Israeli society. The center works to assure that no lone soldier is lonely or hungry on weekends off duty. To learn more about the Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin, click here.
Machon Shitim
JCF FY25 Grant: $35,000
The mission of the Shitim Institute is to preserve – and rejuvenate – the celebration of the Jewish holidays and culture in ways that are meaningful and relevant to Jews from all walks of life. Its programs provide training, workshops, and outreach programs for tens of thousands of school principals, teachers, curriculum specialists, army educational officers, and community cultural leaders. To learn more about the Shitim Institute, click here.
MAOZ
JCF FY25 Grant: $50,000
MAOZ is a trust-based network of influential and diverse leaders in Israel who collaborate and promote social change initiatives in order to strengthen socio-economic resilience. The Social Mobility Initiative guides network members in planning, developing, and building a comprehensive plan when a structural gap in the social sector is identified. MAOZ staff or additional consultants and advisors assist in the development of an initiative. MAOZ also helps in data collection and dashboard building to demonstrate that the initiative is positively impacting as many people as possible who are in need of social mobility.
Masorti Foundation for Conservative Judaism
JCF FY25 Grant: $20,000
The purpose and mission of the Masorti Foundation for Conservative Judaism is to support the work of Israelis in building a Judaism that preserves observance and tradition while recognizing how modern life in Israel is lived. Through education, exchange of ideas, advocacy and financial support of the Masorti Foundation, Conservative Jews in the United States can participate in this historic and vital enterprise. To learn more about Masorti, click here.
Negev Now Network
JCF FY25 Grant: $25,000
The Negev Now Network was founded in 2011 as a by-product of the Negev Work Group that evaluated the most effective ways in which the Jewish Federations of North America could contribute to the development and advancement of the Negev region, located in the south of Israel. Currently, 10 Jewish Federations are working with Israeli government ministries and other community institutions to address the region’s significant challenges through joint funding of strategic high-impact projects. Each member of the coalition has an equal representation and takes an active role in the decision-making process.
Ofanim
JCF FY25 Grant: $50,000
Ofanim provides elementary school students in Netivot with weekly STEM programs. Students are introduced to game development, software programming language, medical biology and the basics of advanced technological tools. Youth also receive soft skills, such as logical thinking, teamwork, planning and problem resolution, and strengthening their sense of capability.
Olim Beyahad
JCF FY25 Grant: $25,000
Olim Beyahad supports high-achieving Ethiopian-Israeli students and graduates in finding suitable employment. The organization also works to properly integrate them into leading jobs in their fields of study through five tracks that provide mentorship, group workshops, leadership conferences, and practical and professional skill building. To learn more about Olim Beyahad, click here.
Partnership2gether fy22-fy24 grants
For over a quarter of a century, the Jewish Federation has nurtured a strong bond with our Partnership2Gether (P2G) communities of Netivot and Sdot Negev, located in southern Israel near the Gaza border. In FY22-FY24, the Jewish Federation allocated $1,080,000 to P2G. To learn more about our P2G region, click here.
The initiative helps 85 at-risk young women and girls per year, aged 17-25 who come from all over the country. The majority have experienced severe trauma due to violence and sexual assault and have oftentimes dropped out of the education system completely. Gumat Chen provides vocational and life skills training to prepare these women to enter the workforce, empowering them to take control over their own futures.
This Center promotes community growth, works to preserve traditions and strengthens the cultural identity of the Ethiopian community in Israel. By encouraging integration between communities, the Center helps to develop community resilience.
Every year, thousands of young men and women spend a year volunteering after graduating from high school in Israel. Less than 10% of these volunteers live on the socio-economic periphery (at-risk youth, new immigrants, young people from disadvantaged communities, etc). The Maase Center recruits young men and women from these backgrounds to participate in an empowering year of volunteering in the peripheral settlements, allowing them the opportunity to transform into leaders.
The Morasha program emphasizes Jewish values in educational content, and connects these values with social activism. Morasha also offers professional training for teachers on how to approach Jewish texts. By validating the Masorti identity and giving legitimacy to a wide array of identities in the school community, Morasha allows students to feel a sense of belonging and pride in who they are.
The People to People (P2P) community relations budget funds office and administrative staff costs, including the P2P office manager and the P2P coordinator, in addition to covering the costs associated with hosting visitors and visiting groups.
This program provides a framework for youth volunteering, including an innovative mentoring model that combines educational, therapeutic and social elements. Sahi is intended to address the development and health of the youth in the Sdot Negev Council during a period of uncertainty and lack of routine that has created many social gaps and challenges.
The Holistic Therapeutic Treatment Center, in collaboration with the Resilience Center, supports and care for children and families with the aim of assisting them in dealing with stress and crisis situations. By considering the needs of families and children at the regional level and working to build a network of community services, the Saligman Center hopes to strengthen the resilience of families.
The establishment of the Schwartz Reisman Center in Netivot for physics studies is a springboard for science education in the city of Netivot and in the entire Western Negev region. By creating a valuable scientific educational sequence from kindergarten age onward, it will increase the number of graduates who will turn to high-tech professions and engineering during college and while serving in the IDF.
Thou Shalt Connect is a platform for Jewish students in universities from the Sdot Negev region and the Greater Philadelphia region to come together (virtually, if not physically) for joint learning and joint action. This allows for students to build relationships, learn together and deepen the connections between their communities.
Today, about 8,000 young people (between the ages of 18-40) live in Netivot and there is not a single pub in the city. There is no space in the city that allows a sense of life, culture, art and creativity for young people to flourish. The goal of Tozeret Haaretz is to reverse the negative migration of young people out of Netivot and to encourage local young people to establish their lives in periphery cities rather than moving to central Israel.
Unistream offers education for entrepreneurship and innovation, enabling youth to realize their potential and achieve success. Unistream provides an opportunity for youth from the socioeconomic and geographic periphery to establish startups in the framework of a comprehensive educational process through which they acquire valuable 21st-century employability skills crucial for successful integration into the labor market.
Resilience Domes
The aim of the resilience project is to develop emotional and social resilience in young people while developing digital skills and skills of the 21st-century. Local middle school students build a geodesic dome and then create original interactive digital visual and sound programs that give the students an empowering experience.
Healthy Placemaking
Promoting a healthy lifestyle has become a primary focus of the region and led to the formation of a Health Roundtable, bringing together representatives from several municipal departments along with community volunteers. Activities range from integrating math and science classroom-based FitBit activities to sponsoring a half-marathon and a fun run, Ron’s Race, that draws hundreds of runners from across Israel.
Praxis
Praxis, an educational management organization, receives funding for the research, development and operations of these Innovative Regional Development projects.
