The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) , formerly the United Jewish Communities ( UJC ), is an American Jewish umbrella organization for the Jewish Federations system, representing over 350 independent Jewish communities across North America that raise and distribute over $ 2 billion annually, including through planned giving and endowment programs, to support social welfare, social services and educational needs. Jewish Federations also provides fundraising, organization assistance, training, and overall leadership to the Jewish Federations and communities throughout the United States and Canada . The Federation movement protects and enhances the well-being of Jews worldwide through the values of tikkun olam , tzedakah and Torah .
23-613: JFNA was formed from the merger of the United Jewish Appeal (UJA), Council of Jewish Federations, and the United Israel Appeal . The organization hosts an annual General Assembly event for the broad North American Jewish community. The original umbrella organization for the federations was the National Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds formed in 1932. "National" was dropped from
46-909: A result of the reconstitution of the Jewish Agency for Israel . After the Reconstitution Agreement, for the first time, American Jewish leaders from federations, as well as all the American Zionist organizations, served as members of the United Israel Appeal's board of directors. The American Zionist organizations had seats on the Jewish Agency Board through their membership in the World Zionist Organization. The Reconstitution Agreement led United Israel Appeal to name
69-482: A subsidiary of The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), is a link between the American Jewish community and the people of Israel . An independent legal entity with 501(c)(3) charity status, and a Board of Directors , United Israel Appeal is responsible for the allocation and oversight of funds raised by United States Jewish federation campaigns on behalf of Israel for use by its operating agent,
92-614: The Jewish Agency for Israel as its exclusive operating agent in Israel. In 1999, United Jewish Communities was created as a merger of United Israel Appeal, United Jewish Appeal, and the Council of Jewish Federations, into a single, national organization. After this merger, United Israel Appeal became a subsidiary of United Jewish Communities, which itself was later renamed the Jewish Federations of North America . According to
115-690: The Jewish Agency for Israel . It also secures and monitors U.S. grant funds for the immigration and absorption of Jewish refugees and humanitarian migrants to Israel from countries of distress. Partnered with the Jewish Agency for Israel , United Israel Appeal assists American Jews to fulfill their ongoing collective commitment to contribute to and participate in the upbuilding of the State of Israel . United Israel Appeal has offices in New York City and Jerusalem . United Israel Appeal's principal objectives are to assist immigration to Israel through
138-655: The National Jewish Population Survey (NJPS), a decennial census of the Jewish community in the United States. The NJPS has elicited controversy. The 1990 survey indicated that the intermarriage rate was 52 percent, but this claim was questioned by demographers. The 2000-2001 edition of the NJPS 2000-01 used a different survey method, cost $ 6 million, and the data was lost. JFNA would not fund
161-639: The United Israel Appeal , led by Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver ; and the National Coordinating Committee Fund led by William Rosenwald . The three founders emphasized that the funds needed to support Jews in Europe and Israel would be triple to quadruple the amount raised in the previous year. While the organizations would raise funds together, the Joint Distribution Committee would assist Jews in Europe,
184-635: The 2010 survey due to re-prioritizing given decreased revenue given its limited direct benefits with some Jewish federations like the New York federation. JFNA was then open to partnering with other agencies on the national survey. In 2022, the JFNA pressured the Jewish Council for Public Affairs to fold their organization into a larger organization and mute its progressive politics or to break away and lose funding from dozens of Jewish federations across
207-731: The Israel Education Fund (IEF) as well as appointing members of the boards of the managing companies. United Israel Appeal was first established in 1925 as the United Palestine Appeal (UPA) to unify fundraising in America for a Jewish national homeland . Its constituents included Keren Hayesod , the fundraising organization for the Jewish Agency ; Hadassah ; Hebrew University ; the Jewish National Fund and Mizrachi. United Palestine Appeal
230-516: The Jewish Agency Annual Assembly. United Israel Appeal provides grants, fiduciary oversight, allocates funds provided to it from donors, foundations, American Jewish Federations and Jewish Federations of North America. United Israel Appeal monitors and evaluates the programs operated on its behalf by the Jewish Agency for Israel . United Israel Appeal monitors the management of the educational assets and activities of
253-711: The United Israel Appeal would aid the Jewish community in Israel, including refugees from Europe arriving there and the National Coordinating Committee Fund would assist refugees arriving in the United States. In 1999, the UJA merged with the Council of Jewish Federations and United Israel Appeal, Inc. to form a combined entity that would be called the United Jewish Communities . While the organizations had been raising more than $ 1 billion annually, they had faced concerns that
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#1732780576218276-863: The United Jewish Communities. In October 2009, the UJC was renamed the Jewish Federations of North America. After the 2009 launch of the new logo for The Jewish Federations of North America, increasing numbers of local Federations are switching to some variant of that logo. An example is the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. After a couple of years of lower staff layoffs in February 2010, new CEO Jerry Silverman laid off three senior vice presidents that made an estimated $ 750,000 to $ 1 million combined. JFNA declined to run
299-639: The United States, according to the New York Times . In addition to bringing in $ 100 million in federal grants through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NGSP), JFNA raised $ 62 million to secure every Jewish community in North America, overseen by the JFNA's Secure Community Network . By 2023, 93 Jewish federations had full-time security directors, a more than four-fold increase over the previous 5 years. Near
322-454: The United States. The organization refused to mute or repudiate their progressive politics, choosing independence and losing their ability to speak for 16 Jewish national organizations and 125 Jewish "community relations councils", almost all of which are part of local federations. United Jewish Appeal The United Jewish Appeal ( UJA ) was a Jewish philanthropic umbrella organization that existed from its creation in 1939 until it
345-474: The decennial National Jewish Population Survey in 2010 due to re-prioritizing. In 2021, it announced the $ 54 million LiveSecure campaign, which it described as the largest campaign to secure North America's Jewish communities in history. The aftermath of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in 2018 included arguably the most ambitious and comprehensive effort, led by JFNA, ever taken to protect Jewish life in
368-579: The end of JFNA General Assembly in November 2024, the federation's VP for government relations Karen Paikin Barall expressed that “We should all look forward to the day we can hope to buy townhouses in the West Bank and Gaza .". This new position of the JFNA concerned many and may "indicate that JFNA may not be a partner in fighting for the liberal values most American Jews still prize." JFNA administered
391-519: The individual organizations were not as relevant as during the Holocaust and the creation of the State of Israel , with many major donors seeking to direct their philanthropy through their own foundations rather than through the umbrella organizations. The balance of power would shift to the federations, which would select about two-thirds of the 120 members on the board of trustees of the new organization. Businessman and philanthropist Charles Bronfman
414-618: The name in 1935 and "Welfare Funds" was removed in 1979. In 1986, CJF established the North American Jewish Data Bank in conjunction with City University of New York 's Center for Jewish Studies. Renamed the Berman Jewish DataBank, the purpose of the organization was to conduct sociological studies of North American Jewish communities. In 1999, the CJF merged with the United Jewish Appeal to become
437-404: The organization's Internal Revenue Service Form 990 form, United Israel Appeal distributed $ 231,487,000 of grants and other assistance to entities outside the United States between July 1, 2013, and June 30, 2014. United Israel Appeal's chairman is Andy Groveman of Memphis , whose term began in November 2015. David M. Mallach is the executive vice-chairman. The most recent past chairman
460-440: The relief, rehabilitation, and resettlement of the immigrants therein, and to aid charitable, educational, and scientific institutions and Jewish-identity programs in Israel. In consultation with the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and individual Jewish federations , United Israel Appeal nominates members and observers of the Jewish Agency Board of Governors (BOG), members of its committees and designates delegates to
483-613: Was dissolved in 1930 and reconstituted in 1936 by Keren Hayesod and the Jewish National Fund. In 1938, United Palestine Appeal entered into a partnership with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) to found the United Jewish Appeal (UJA). United Israel Appeal has undergone many changes since its early days. In addition to the partnership begun in 1938, the most significant changes prior to 2000 came in 1971 as
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#1732780576218506-616: Was chosen as the volunteer chairman of the combined entity, responsible for planning the group's strategic direction. In the Woody Allen film Bananas , the dictatorial president of the fictional country of San Marcos accidentally calls upon the UJA, instead of the CIA , to help prevent a coup. The result is that as fighting swirls in the streets around him, at least one rabbi can be seen soliciting donations from combat troops. United Israel Appeal, Inc. United Israel Appeal (UIA),
529-557: Was folded into the United Jewish Communities , which was formed from the 1999 merger of United Jewish Appeal ( UJA ), Council of Jewish Federations and United Israel Appeal, Inc. In 2009, United Jewish Communities changed its name to The Jewish Federations of North America . In January 1939, the United Jewish Appeal for Refugees and Overseas Needs was established, combining the efforts of American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee , led by Rabbi Jonah Wise ;
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