Standing behind Israel: $6,895,748 to Israel and overseas in 2005

Each year, the JCF shows its unwavering commitment to Israel through the millions of dollars it allocates to support our Jewish homeland. 40% of JCF’s funds go to Israel and abroad.

In addition to joining with national partners to make a difference in Israel, we also allocate funds directly from our local Federation. Our Federation is the only community in the United States that has a formal advisory board in Israel. This board works with the Israel and Overseas Committee to set priorities and evaluate grant recommendations for community funding in Israel. These allocations have a direct effect on Israeli populations, including newly arrived immigrants, new business owners and children with special needs.

Partnership in Israel

Israel’s Upper Galil is the Federation’s partner region in Northern Israel. This area, home to a large number of FSU immigrants, is significantly underdeveloped. Our work in the Upper Galil region aims to provide long-range solutions by promoting educational opportunities from grade school to college – as well as employment training.

A few of our programs in the Galil:

• B'YACHAD: Educational Initiative in the Upper Galil
  Provides high quality education for children from preschool through high school in a total of 40 programs. The programs provide school materials, help find good teachers and offer extra-curricular activities for students who would not have access to them otherwise.
• Tel Hai College: Student Scholarships
  Provides scholarships for students, enabling them to attend Tel Hai College — the only college in the Upper Galil region.
• YEDID — The Association for Community Empowerment
  Supports young adults doing a year of national service after high school for the benefit of their home community.

Learn more about programs we fund in Israel

Bringing Israel to the Bay Area

Our Federation works to strengthen the connection between Bay Area Jews and Israel through organizations and programs as the Israel Center, birthright Israel, the Gift of Israel, OTZMA, and Israel in the Gardens. A recent Mission to Israel for young adults was one of these programs. Read about one participant's personal experience.

Providing for the needs of Israel

Here are some examples of what the nation’s Federations, together with our national partners, accomplished during the last two years:

• 6,500 people have received over $11 million from the Jewish Agency’s Fund for Victims of Terror for medical equipment, housing, economic assistance and scholarships.
• The program "Keeping Our Children Safe" has enabled 297,000 children in grades 1-6 — including 37,000 who are at risk, immigrants or live with disabilities — to attend day camps.
• The federation-supported Fund for Immigrant Students Alone in Israel has awarded 4,000 scholarships to new immigrants who might otherwise drop out of school because they could not afford tuition.
• In 2004, over 19,000 people made aliyah with the help of Federations and the Jewish Agency. More than 10,000 immigrants are now living in 35 Federation-supported absorption centers in Israel.
• Atidim, an initiative of the Jewish Agency, together with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), was funded in order to enable young Israeli soldiers to pursue a science or engineering degree.