• Local beneficiary agencies
• National beneficiary agencies
• Israel and overseas programs
• The people we help
• Support these programs

Local beneficiary agencies

Albert L. Schultz Jewish Community Center

The Albert L. Schultz Jewish Community Center (JCC) is expanding programs in Palo Alto, where it has resided for over 35 years. The JCC offers preschool; summer camp; Jewish holiday, cultural and educational programming; health and fitness activities; and specialized programs serving the Israeli and Russian communities. The JCC also sponsors the To Life! Street Festival and the Maccabi Games. The JCC is a partner and founder of the Campus for Jewish Life — a collaborative development on an eight-acre site in Palo Alto that will house a state-of-the-art JCC, senior housing developed by the San Francisco Jewish Home, and regional offices for the Jewish Community Federation. For more information visit www.paloaltojcc.org.

Campaign Allocation: $427,000
To Life! A Jewish Cultural Street Festival: $10,000

Bay Area Jewish Healing Center

The Bay Area Jewish Healing Center provides Jewish spiritual care to individuals and families, regardless of affiliation or ability to pay, who are coping with illness, loss, grief and dying. In partnership with other community organizations they fulfill their goal of providing holistic healing services. During fiscal year 2004-2005, the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center completed their integration agreement with the Institute on Aging and continued to expand Kol-Haneshama — their Jewish end-of-life and hospice services program. For more information visit www.jewishhealingcenter.org.

Berkeley Hillel

Berkeley Hillel successfully creates a dynamic and vibrant Jewish community on the UC Berkeley campus through diverse programming that appeals to the interests and concerns of its 3,500 Jewish students. Continued and new grants from private donors and foundations have enabled this Hillel to expand its cultural arts and Jewish education initiatives and also to maintain its important Israel education and advocacy position. The multiple Shabbat services and joint dinner program continues to be a strong and well-respected part of the diverse weekly calendar. The board of Berkeley Hillel is representative of alumni, faculty, students and community members from the entire Bay Area. Executive director Adam Weisberg continues his excellent performance in the multiple roles of manager, fundraiser, teacher and Jewish role model. For more information visit www.jfed.org/hillel/l.

Campaign Allocation: $110,000

B’nai B’rith Youth Organization

The B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO) is the oldest and largest Jewish youth movement in the world, currently serving over 20,000 members. BBYO is open to all Jewish teens, regardless of affiliation or membership in any organization. Founded more than 75 years ago, BBYO’s mission is to build community leaders and a positive Jewish identity. It infuses Jewish learning into all its activities, which include social, recreational, cultural, social action and community service events. All events are planned and executed by participating youth. The Central Region West BBYO has 18 chapters in the Bay Area and serves approximately 600 teens. For more information visit www.bbyo.org.

Campaign Allocation: $16,400

Board of Rabbis of Northern California

Articulating moral and religious concerns and providing a strong rabbinical voice in matters affecting the Jewish and general community, the Board of Rabbis of Northern California serves as an umbrella organization for 100 rabbis from all streams of Judaism. The organization serves as a religious information and referral service for Jews and non- Jews, and coordinates personnel and programs in Northern California state mental institutions and prisons. Funding through the Board of Rabbis also supports the community mikvah located near Menorah Park. This past year, a PAS technical assistance grant of $13,500 was provided to the agency to re-examine its mission, impact and organization. For more information visit www.norcalrabbis.org.

Campaign Allocation: $74,100

Brandeis Hillel Day School

Serving over 555 students on two campuses in San Francisco and Marin County, this pluralistic community day school provides students with an outstanding academic program in general and Judaic studies within a dynamic and diverse Jewish cultural environment. The school recently completed and released its third strategic plan. For more information visit www.bhds.org.

Campaign Allocation: $299,300

Bureau of Jewish Education

For over a century, the Bureau of Jewish Education (BJE) has provided innovative Jewish educational programs and services to the Bay Area Jewish community. Serving over 10,500 clients, the BJE increases the impact of Jewish learning by leading the community in creating compelling educational vision, effective educational programs and vibrant, engaging Jewish learning. This is accomplished through professional development of Jewish educators, convening professional networks, distributing educational resources, operating successful teen programs (such as the High School Havurot and the Diller Teen Fellows) offering award-winning family education programs and operating educational resource centers in San Francisco and Palo Alto. BJE is partnering with the Israel Center of the Jewish Community Federation on the Israel Education Initiative (IEI). The IEI provides opportunities for the educational community to broaden knowledge about, deepen engagement with and instill a strong bond with Israel — all essential to creating an enduring Jewish identity and a strong sense of Jewish peoplehood. The Initiative offers professional development, seminars in Israel, “living bridge” connections, cultural activities, curricular material, speakers, exhibits and much more. For more information visit www.bjesf.org.

Campaign Allocation: $1,179,684
Teen Programming: $131,745
Day School Scholarships for Émigré students : $10,000

Camp Tawonga

Camp Tawonga, founded in 1925, serves thousands of Bay Area children, teens, adults and families every year. From its 160-acre camp on the Tuolumne River near Yosemite National Park, it offers traditional summer camp sessions, teen travel quests, teen wilderness and counselor training programs and diverse weekend programs for families, couples and individuals. Weekend programs include Grief & Growing; Keshet Camp for Lesbian, Gay and Bi-Families; family and adult camps; single-parent family camp; Oseh Shalom Camp for Peacemakers; and Mosaic Family Camp for multiracial and multicultural families. In partnership with the American Jewish World Service, Tawonga also offers learning trips to Alaska and El Salvador for teens seeking to improve the world. For more information visit www.tawonga.org.

Campaign Allocation: $120,200

Chico State Hillel

CSU Chico continues to attract a small community of 400 to 500 Jewish students, many of whom are taking classes in the impressive Jewish Studies Program. The part-time staffed Hillel works in coordination with the area’s two small Jewish congregations to involve Jewish students in holiday observances and mitzvah programs. The program and office space is located just off the campus, providing a safe place for students to meet, plan programs, learn together and celebrate Shabbat. Students are empowered to create innovative programs, often in conjunction with other student organizations. The Hillel tries to maximize the number of students participating in national leadership and training conferences. The relationship with the Israel Center of the Jewish Community Federation has strengthened their Israel education and advocacy on campus. For more information visit www.csuchico.edu/jsu.

Campaign Allocation: $19,800

Congregation Beth Ami Nursery School

Since the first class of a half dozen children in 1978, Congregation Beth Ami Nursery School has grown to five classes with over 70 children from more than 50 families. The nursery school provides a rich and meaningful Jewish experience that enhances each child’s understanding and appreciation of Jewish customs and traditions, not only through Shabbat and joyous holiday festivals, but daily through music, dance, stories, art, play and cooking.

Campaign Allocation: $7,800

The Contemporary Jewish Museum

The Contemporary Jewish Museum, formerly known as the Jewish Museum of San Francisco, is planning the construction of a new 60,000 square foot museum in the historic Jessie Street Power Substation. The site is shared with St. Patrick’s Church and the future Mexican Museum in San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens Arts District. Construction is planned to begin in 2006 with an opening of the new Museum in early 2008. Daniel Libeskind is the architect.

Campaign Allocation: $25,000

Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School

Providing an integrated, egalitarian education, the Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School offers award-winning academic programs to 368 kindergarten through 8th grades students in the South Peninsula. The school’s educational philosophy emphasizes learning to learn, creative and individualized academic achievement, respect for diversity and inspiring children to "repair the world" they will inherit as adults. For the past five years, the school has received Highest Achievement Awards in the Mathematical Olympiad, and recently won an outstanding philanthropic youth group award. In the upcoming year, the school plans to develop a Center for Mathematics, Science and Technology as a catalyst for developing innovative curricula. For more information visit www.hausner.com.

Campaign Allocation: $171,000

Hebrew Academy

The Hebrew Academy strives to give Jewish children from pre-kindergarten through 12th grades an outstanding Torah education so that they have the strength and moral and ethicalvalues they need to face the challenges of adulthood and become productive members of the community. Located in San Francisco, this Orthodox Jewish day school serves over 160 students with the majority being trilingual. Graduates are 100 percent college bound. For more information visit www.hebrewacademy.com.

Campaign Allocation: $207,000*
(*Up to $207,000 limited to direct payment of bank loan and appropriate insurance coverages)

Hillel at Davis and Sacramento

The growth of the UC Davis campus includes significant increases in the Jewish student population. The numbers of students participating in the wide array of cultural, religious, social action and educational programs has maximized the available space in the decades old Hillel House. The initial phase of the capital campaign for a new 10,000-square-foot Jewish Student Life Center has been successful. Finding a lead donor continues to be a major objective of the campaign. During the past two years, under the excellent executive and rabbinical leadership of Mona Alfi, new relationships have been developed with the local congregation and the much larger Jewish community of Sacramento. Co-sponsorship with the Israel Center of the Jewish Community Federation and many campus organizations enabled a concert by the Idan Raichel Project to be the focal point for raising both the importance of and funds for Darfur refugee relief. This Hillel worked on preparing for an accreditation survey by Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life during the fall of 2005. A new Israel Fellow, part of a partnership with the Jewish Agency and Hillel, has increased the visibility of Israel programming and also the numbers of students traveling to Israel as part of the taglit-birthright Israel initiative. For more information visit www.jewishsac.org/hillel/events.htm.

Campaign Allocation: $70,700

Hillel at Stanford

The opening of the Taube Hillel House, phase one of the new Ziff Center for Jewish Life, has transformed the role of Hillel on the Stanford University campus. In addition to staff offices, meeting rooms, a library and a functioning kosher kitchen, the program space is active day and night with student-led activities. The board self-evaluation process, now three years old, was featured at a West coast lay leadership conference in January, 2005. The increased leadership of the board and its excellent executive director, Adina Danzig, is providing new opportunities for Hillel to partner with other student organizations as well as academic departments. The highly regarded Camp Kessem and semester break trips in conjunction with AJWS are the foundation for a strong tzedek initiative as part of campus Jewish life. Formal student leadership programs, grant funded through the Endowment Fund of the Jewish Community Federation, enabled both undergraduate and graduate programs to attract national and local leaders as presenters and teachers. Leading scholars and commentators, including David Horovitz, Thomas Friedman and Larry Diamond, continue to be featured as part of the important Israel advocacy and education developed in partnership with the Stanford Israel Alliance and Israeli Student Organization. For more information visit www.stanford.edu/group/hillel.

Campaign Allocation: $108,000

Hillel of Sonoma County

The opening of program and office space walking distance from the campus of Sonoma State University (SSU) has been an impetus for growth in student participation in program planning and weekly Shabbat services and dinners. An increase in the hours of the parttime Jewish Student Life Director position, accomplished with the support of a matching grant from the David. B. Gold Foundation and Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life is supporting the strong student-led programs being offered to the diverse interests of students at SSU and Santa Rosa Jr. College. Campus-based student engagement, innovative Jewish educational seminars and a new tzedek initiative are planned for the new academic year.
For more information visit www.sonomahillel.org.

Campaign Allocation: $25,000

Holocaust Center of Northern California

With a mission encompassing remembrance and commemoration of the Holocaust, the Holocaust Center of Northern California impacts over 29,000 students, teachers, researchers and the general public through its extensive library collection and an array of programs from the Speakers Bureau to educational workshops. Of special note is the Center’s collection of rare, out-of-print Yizkor volumes, considered to be one of the most extensive in the world. On March 14, 2005, the agency dedicated its new facility in the Federation building. The new venue, combined with expanded publicity and special programming, has resulted in greater visibility, awareness and usage of the Center. A special one-time grant was provided this year to help the agency deal with increased demand for services. For more information visit www.hcnc.org.

Campaign Allocation: $60,100

Jewish Community Center of San Francisco

The Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, first begun in 1877, continues its growth of services to the community in its spectacular 130,000-square-foot building on California Street. With a mission of building and preserving Jewish identity, its offerings include Jewish literacy classes, workshops and public forums; a 450-seat performing arts center; adult living and learning programs; a state-of-the art health, fitness and sports facility; three preschools; camp, after-school and teen programs; holiday celebrations and other family activities; émigré programs; interfaith programs; art, theater and music classes; and more. For more information visit www.jccsf.org.

Campaign Allocation: $874,600

Jewish Community Center, Sonoma County

The Jewish Community Center of Sonoma County is a “Jewish community center without walls," dedicated to building a more inclusive, better-educated and more committed Jewish community in Sonoma County. The JCC’s core programs include Camp Chai, the only Jewish summer day camp in Sonoma County, serving children ages 6 to 14; Friendship Circle, a comprehensive day program for the well-elderly; and outreach and holiday programming for seniors residing in group facilities. Other programs include the Sonoma County Jewish Film Series, Jewish Meditation Retreat, Jewish education and outreach events and Simcha Sunday. For more information visit www.jccsoco.org.

Campaign Allocation: $110,000

Jewish Community High School of the Bay

Campaign Allocation: $25,000

Jewish Community Relations Council

The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) engages in a variety of activities, including tikkun olam projects, legislative advocacy, grassroots efforts within the Jewish community and other ethnic groups and the convening of public gatherings in support of Israel. JCRC maintains a Jewish community security review process staffed by a full-time security professional to develop vital agency-based and community-wide security systems and emergency plans. Three years ago, JCRC expanded its Middle East affairs department through initial funding by the Jewish Community Endowment Fund, and created a series of new programs, including the "Rapid Response Team," "Israel Neighbor to Neighbor" (living room discussion groups on Israel), media monitoring and a nationally-distributed handbook for college students. Increased funding was provided to the agency this year in order to maintain the above mentioned critical functions. For more information visit www.jcrc.org.

Campaign Allocation: $719,798

Campaign Allocation for a Secutiry Grant: $188,125

Jewish Family and Children’s Services

Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) offers a helping hand through high quality social services that people of all ages and backgrounds can rely on in times of need. With 13 offices in five Bay Area counties and over 40 programs, JFCS serves almost 50,000 people a year. With continuing cutbacks in government safety-net services to children, elderly, poor families, the mentally ill and other vulnerable and dependent groups, more people than ever are turning to JFCS for help. The agency is also involved in assisting FSU émigrés to become U.S. citizens. Since 9/11, this process has become more complex, resulting in the need for additional resources. JFCS has been granted a second year of funding to ensurethe resources to process the citizenship applications for these individuals so that they can continue to receive Supplemental Security Income and MediCal for health coverage. For more information visit www.jfcs.org.

Campaign Allocation: $410,040

Jewish Home

The Jewish Home is a state-of-the-art geriatric care center serving the frailest elderly in the community. Its 430 residents have complex medical needs, which are addressed through a comprehensive range of on-site medical services. The Home began construction of their new East Wing which will house their new kitchen, medical clinics and research offices. They also are partnering with the Campus for Jewish Life in Palo Alto to develop a multipurpose, intergenerational Jewish residential campus. The Jewish Home is continuing to evaluate programs and implement changes in their continued effort to control operating expenses and develop new revenue sources. For more information visit www.jhsf.org.

Jewish Public Affairs Committee

Established over three decades ago as the voice of California’s federated Jewish communities, the Jewish Public Affairs Committee (JPAC) communicates the legislative priorities of the Jewish community to the California legislature, state administration and key officials. JPAC seeks to protect and increase, where possible, state funding for social services to our most vulnerable populations. JPAC works very closely with JCRC to frame the critical issues and develop effective strategies with Jewish Family and Children’s Services, Jewish Vocational Services and the Jewish Home, among others. JPAC continues to address other key issues such as hate violence, support for Israel and Holocaust restitution. A restructuring of JPAC occurred this past year to improve efficiency.

Campaign Allocation: $50,600

Jewish Vocational Service

The mission of Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) is to bring people and work together, particularly those with barriers to employment. JVS helps individuals acquire the skills, attitudes and resources they need to find and retain employment. Major contracts with the Employment Development Department to provide employment services and services to dislocated workers were suspended or not renewed, which impacted the number of people JVS could assist in fiscal year 2004-2005. However, the Jewish Employment Network continued to provide services to adults in the Jewish community, including displaced professionals and others who are in career transition. In order to further expand this program to the South Peninsula, JVS has been given a $25,000 grant for fiscal year 2005-2006. For more information visit www.jvs.org.

Campaign Allocation: $322,400

Judah L. Magnes Museum

Founded in 1962, the Judah L. Magnes Museum collects, preserves and exhibits art and artifacts reflecting the diversity and complexity of the Jewish experience throughout history. The Museum accomplishes its mission through the Western Jewish History Center, the Blumenthal Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the Commission for the Preservation of Pioneer Jewish Cemeteries and Landmarks and its community programs and collections. The Magnes is the third largest Jewish museum in the country. The agency received a PAS technical assistance grant of $13,750 to update its strategic plan and hired a new executive director. This year, a one-time grant of $5,000 is awarded to partially restore funding reductions from prior years. For more information visit www.magnes.org.

Campaign Allocation: $35,000

Kehillah High School

Campaign Allocation: $25,000

Lehrhaus Judaica

For nearly 30 years, Lehrhaus has provided high quality, innovative, educational programming to the Bay Area Jewish community. It is the third largest adult education school of its kind in the United States, serving the largest geographical area of any similar school. Over 225 courses, ranging from an introduction to Judaism and Hebrew to an Israel institute, are held at more than 30 co-sponsoring sites and serve more than 3,800 students. For more information visit www.lehrhaus.org.

Campaign Allocation: $83,800

Menorah Park

Menorah Park, a Federally-funded, subsidized housing facility for low-income seniors, provides a caring and nurturing community that fosters the independence, safety and security of its residents. It houses 196 individuals, of whom approximately 76 percent are Russian speakers. A Russian-speaking social worker is available to assist that population. Menorah Park continues to partner with the Jewish Home in the Health Corner, which is available to do on-site monitoring of residents’ health conditions. Through needs documented by the Health Corner, Menorah Park has expanded its health education programming for residents. For the first time in nine years, Menorah Park held a lottery to choose 120 eligible applicants to be placed on their waiting list. They are doing extensive capital improvements in the coming year and will be celebrating their 25th anniversary in a variety of ways, including creating a commemorative garden.

Campaign Allocation: $19,500

Northern California Hillel Field Services

This model partnership with Hillel: the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life in Washington, D.C. provides for consultation through Hillel’s Department of Campus Advancement. A locally based consultant works with the individual Hillel staff and boards to increase capacity and effectiveness. Areas of concentration include staff recruitment and training, resource development, planning and improved management skills.

Campaign Allocation: $102,500

Osher Marin Jewish Community Center

The Osher Marin Jewish Community Center is a full-service JCC serving the community for over 55 years. On its beautiful 11-acre campus, the JCC offers an award-winning fitness and aquatics facility; world-class performing arts series at its CenterStage; a nationally recognized early childhood center; youth and family programs, including camp and teen activities; classes; excursions, clubs and exhibits for adults and seniors; Jewish cultural events and holiday celebrations; an art gallery and library; and more. The JCC is currently planning a major upgrade to its fitness center and other capital improvements. For more information visit www.marinjcc.org.

Campaign Allocation: $499,200

Peninsula Jewish Community Center

The Peninsula Jewish Community Center (JCC), now located in a new state-of-the-art facility on a spacious 12-acre campus in Foster City, serves the entire North Peninsula. The JCC features a 50,000-square-foot health and fitness center with indoor and outdoor pools; an award-winning preschool; a wide variety of life-enhancing programs for adults; cultural and fine arts programs; Jewish family life celebrations; senior programs; a youth and teen center and lounge; after-school programs; day camps; and more. The Campus also houses the Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School, Jewish Family and Children’s Services and the Jewish Community Federation’s North Peninsula regional office. For more information visit www.pjcc.org.

Campaign Allocation: $304,300

Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School

A student-centered, egalitarian, community-based day school with 237 students, the Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School provides a creative and intellectual learning environment for children in kindergarten through 8th grade students on the North Peninsula. Dedicated to providing an outstanding Jewish and secular education to all students, the school aims to foster Jewish values and a lifelong commitment to the Jewish people through its integrated, interdisciplinary program. For more information, visit www.wornickjds.org

Campaign Allocation: $107,800

San Francisco Citywide Hillel

San Francisco Citywide Hillel addresses the needs of San Francisco’s Jewish student undergraduate and graduate population on 11 campuses. As a multi-campus urban program, this Hillel has numerous challenges on where and how to most effectively engage students in Jewish life. Using both the Hillel House on Banbury Drive (near SFSU) and locations in central city neighborhoods such as the Inner Sunset and Mission Districts has increased active participation. Graduate students have taken advantage of the Shabbat in the Box program to sponsor home Shabbat dinners; students from the FSU, a large part of the target population, are increasingly becoming active leaders of Jewish student life; and the formation of a very active AEPi chapter has energized programs focusing on Israel, Jewish education and social programming. San Francisco has welcomed an Israel Fellow, the second of our campuses to participate in this national initiative. This academic year, Hillel hopes to surpass the number of students who visited Israel last year (40) as part of taglit-birthright israel. Campus Israel education and advocacy continues to be important, especially on the SFSU and USF campuses. For more information visit www.sfhillel.org.

Campaign Allocation: $159,400

San Francisco Jewish Film Festival

Celebrating its 29th anniversary, the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival is the oldest, largest and most prestigious Jewish film festival in the world. The agency has supported hundreds of independent filmmakers around the globe who create new, positive images and identities for Jews throughout the Diaspora. The annual Film Festival, held in four Bay Area cities (San Francisco, Berkeley, Mountain View and San Rafael), screens 40 to 50 films and serves over 30,000 ticket holders. During the year from September through May, JFF Wednesdays offer a Jewish educational and cultural experience at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The New Jewish Filmmakers Project engages Jewish teens in a deep exploration of their Jewish identity through filmmaking, culminating in a screening of a student production at the annual Film Festival. A one-time grant of $5,000 is awarded to partially restore funding reductions from prior years. For more information visit www.sfjff.org.

Campaign Allocation: $31,900

Santa Cruz Hillel

A remodeling of the Hillel program and office space in a strip mall location (next to the campus bookstore) has created a more attractive destination for students coming together for Shabbat dinners, seminars, programming meetings and “hang out space.” An active outreach program to Cabrillo College and UC Monterey has resulted in the formation of Jewish student groups planning regular campus-based activities. Hillel supports a wide range of Jewish student interest organizations with a bare minimum of staff. Increased collaboration with the Israel Center of the Jewish Community Federation and JCRC has enabled Hillel to sponsor well-attended lectures and Israel band concerts. Hillel has been quite successful in working with local synagogues and Jewish organizations to create community-wide Jewish and Israel celebrations. UC Santa Cruz students continue to be one of the largest contingents at the annual fall Shabbaton of the Israel Center. For more information visit www.santacruzhillel.org.

Campaign Allocation: $103,600

Shalom Bayit

South Peninsula Hebrew Day School

The South Peninsula Hebrew Day School (SPHDS) is an Orthodox school affiliated with Torah U’mesorah, the National Society of Orthodox Day Schools. Located in Sunnyvale, SPHDS serves 268 preschool through 8th grade students. In existence for over 30 years, the school fulfills its mission of educating the next generation to be knowledgeable, educated Jews, equipped to enter the finest high schools and yeshivot in the country. The school is in the midst of a capital campaign to raise funds to renovate and expand its current facility. For more information visit www.sphds.org.

Campaign Allocation: $193,500

Traveling Jewish Theatre

Established in 1978, Traveling Jewish Theatre (TJT) is the only ensemble theater in the country dedicated to the creation of original work rooted in the Jewish experience. The company presents programming at the Julia Morgan Theater in Berkeley, the JCC of San Francisco and its home site on Florida Street in San Francisco. Subscriptions as well as attendance have dramatically grown over the past three years. An estimated 12,000 people attended one or more of TJT’s five plays this past season or participated in an educational or outreach program. For more information visit www.atjt.com.

Campaign Allocation: $40,100

National beneficiary agencies

Alliance Dues (formerly National Funding Council)

Campaign Allocation: $8,800

American Jewish Committee

The American Jewish Committee is a community relations agency with the mission of protecting the security of Jews, safeguarding the basic principles of American democracy and enriching the quality of American Jewish life. Efforts to achieve these goals include international programs, inter-religious affairs programs, programs working to combat anti-Semitism, research and publication. For more information visit www.ajc.org.

Campaign Allocation: $25,600

Anti-Defamation League

The Anti-Defamation League is a Jewish community relations agency whose purpose is to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all citizens. Programs include campus crisis management, providing parents ways to monitor what children access on the Internet, educating public officials on human relations issues, exposing hate crimes and advocating for hate crime laws. For more information visit www.adl.org.

Campaign Allocation: $25,600

B’nai B’rith Youth Organization

The B’nai B’rith Youth Organization’s mission is to provide Jewish living and learning experiences for Jewish teenagers. The national organization sets standards for regional and local chapters, provides personnel services, offers financial and budgetary assistance and publishes the advisor newsletter, Shofar. Direct programming takes place at the local level. For more information, visit www.bnaibrith.org.

Campaign Allocation: $2,200

Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education

The Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE) is a membership organization that brings together Jews of all ideologies involved in every facet of Jewish education with the goal of transmitting Jewish knowledge, culture and experience. CAJE presents an annual conference on Jewish education for teachers from around the country. This conference provides course work in family education, pedagogic technique, educational theory and specialized instruction using dance, song, artistry, technology and media. For more information visit www.caje.org.

Campaign Allocation: $2,400

International Association of Jewish Vocational Services

The International Association of Jewish Vocational Services (IAJVS) provides its member affiliates with relevant vocational information, employment forecasting and Federal grant and contracting publications. It assists member agencies with board development, long range planning, executive searches, accreditation and program development. It also provides technical assistance, conferences, information services and professional consultation.

Campaign Allocation: $1,800

Jewish Communal Service Agency

The Jewish Communal Service Agency (JCSA) is the professional "address" for more than 2,500 practitioners serving the North American Jewish community. JCSA links together highly educated, skilled and Jewishly committed men and women in pursuit of a shared goal: the development and support of Jewish communal leadership as a valued and essential profession.

Campaign Allocation: $900

Jewish Labor Committee

The Jewish Labor Committee was organized in 1934 to enlist the support of American labor in combating fascism and acquiring aid for the victims of Nazi persecution. Currently, the Committee works as a liaison with local Jewish community relations councils, advising them on the role of local trade unions. It promotes the security of Israel through advocacy, and works with foreign labor organizations to combat anti-Semitism through programs that train trade unionists about anti-Semitism. It also instructs public school teachers on how to provide education about the Holocaust.

Campaign Allocation: $800

Joint Budgeting Council and National Funding Council

The Joint Budgeting Council (JBC), organized by the United Jewish Communities, provides a national forum for discussion, priority setting and support of agencies whose programs and services are critical to federated communities throughout the United States. In order to provide essential programs, these agencies are reliant upon federations for financial support. As a participating community, San Francisco contributes to the JBC funding pool and for the staffing of the National Funding Council (NFC), which administers this function. The following agencies receive funding from the JBC pool:

• Association of Jewish Family and Children’s Services
• Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
• Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
• Jewish Community Centers Association
• Jewish Council for Public Affairs
• Jewish Educational Service of North America
• Jewish Telegraph Agency
• National Conference on Soviet Jewry
• National Foundation for Jewish Culture

Campaign Allocation to JBC: $236,300

Schools of Jewish Communal Service

The United Jewish Communities has endorsed a funding plan to support those schools and programs of the Jewish Communal Service that address the need for professionally trained staff in local federations and beneficiary agencies. The plan proposes voluntary target amounts for federations contributing to a national pool for enhancing the scholarship resources of 10 approved schools/programs: the Baltimore Institute for Jewish Communal Service, Brandeis University, Case Western Reserve University, Hebrew Union College, Jewish Theological Seminary, Project Star at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, Spertus College of Judaica, University of Judaism, University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work and Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work.

Campaign Allocation: $4,300

United Jewish Communities

United Jewish Communities represents and serves 155 Jewish federations and 400 independent Jewish communities across North America. It reflects the values of social justice and human rights that define the Jewish people. For more information visit www.ujc.org.

Campaign Allocation: $625,000

Israel and overseas programs

Global Jewish agenda

One of the primary ways that the Federation community expresses its solidarity with Jews all over the world is through partnerships with organizations dedicated to caring for the needs of klal yisrael, our fellow Jews. It is through these organizations — United Jewish Communities, the Jewish Agency for Israel and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, supported by hundreds of communities across North America — that the Federation expresses collective responsibility and extends the depth and impact of our overseas work. Over $3.4 million dollars are allocated on an annual basis to support the activities of these central organizations.
Click to see all allocations for Israel & Overseas.

United Jewish Communities (UJC)

United Jewish Communities is the primary vehicle for communities in North America to express their collective responsibility. UJC represents and serves 156 Jewish federations and 400 independent Jewish communities across North America. Its work reflects the values of social justice and human rights that define the Jewish people. Through this vehicle, we fund our major delivery partners, the Jewish Agency for Israel and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
Click to see all allocations for Israel & Overseas.

Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI)

JAFI operates in Israel and virtually every corner of the globe where Jews want to make aliyah to Israel. Over the last 60 years, JAFI has helped rescue and absorb more than 2.4 million immigrants. JAFI serves Jewish youth worldwide, assists prospective and new immigrants to Israel and provides global Jewish and Zionist education in Israel and around the world. Although it works closely with the government of Israel, JAFI is self-governing and is funded entirely through the efforts of world Jewry. For more information visit www.jewishagency.org.
Click to see all allocations for Israel and Overseas.

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)

The JDC provides rescue, relief and rehabilitation programs in communities throughout the world. Founded in 1914, its central purpose remains the same as the day it was founded: to aid Jews in distress overseas in a nonpartisan and apolitical way. JDC’s programs touch all segments of the Jewish population-from infants to the elderly, secular to religious, healthy to disabled. Today, close to 50 percent of JDC’s work is based in Israel where the focus is on both emergency needs as well as ongoing support for Israel’s most vulnerable populations. By leveraging partnerships with federations, the non-profit sector and the Israeli government, JDC is able to establish long-term, sustainable interventions to address critically important social issues. Overseas, much of the Federation’s support is dedicated to providing essential relief to Jews in the former Soviet Union and Argentina. Our community continues to provide steadfast support of the JDC’s hunger and welfare relief programs serving 233,000 elderly residents of the Former Soviet Union. In economically challenged Argentina, Social Assistance Centers provide humanitarian aid and assistance for close to 30,000 needy Jews. For more information visit www.jdc.org.

Jewish Agency for Israel: $2,040,000
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee: $1,407,000
Total: $3,447,000

The programs we support in Israel

Our Federation has an enduring commitment to the security and survival of Israel, and a long-standing commitment to its development as a democratic, pluralistic Jewish state. Twenty years ago the Federation established our direct grants program as a vehicle to promote these ideals and to provide direct support of innovative programs that would have a demonstrable impact on Israeli society. In consultation with the Federation’s Israeli advisory board, the Amuta, priorities are set and programs are funded and evaluated on an annual basis. Close to 80 percent of our direct funding is focused on large-scale, flagship programs providing maximum leverage and strategic impact in our priority areas. The remaining grants are targeted towards smaller-scale initiatives and innovative pilot programs supporting a wide variety of Israeli nonprofits.

Israel Based Office: $431,021
Israel Center: $976,766
Project Otzma: $19,200
Israel in the Gardens: $24,955
birthright israel: $288,504
MASA - Long Term Israel Programs: $45,000
Gift of Israel: $15,288
Living Bridge Initiatives: $125,000
Israel Travel: $66,500
Israel Center - Israel @ 60 - Community Celebration: 80,000
Israel Travel Initiative: $202,800
San Francisco Amuta Partnership: $20,000
American Israel Friendship League: $6,000
Hadassah: $3,000

A pillar of our work in Israel focuses on building stronger communities by promoting equality of opportunity for all citizens of a richly diverse country. Israel is challenged by severe economic and social pressures that are impacting the very vision and foundation on which the country was built. Our work therefore aims to provide opportunities for long-range solutions, including programs promoting educational opportunities for children living on the periphery, employment training and empowerment programs for Ethiopian immigrant adults, early childhood education and welfare programs in the Israeli Arab community and programs serving the gay and lesbian community. Federation funding also supports myriad community-building programs and services all over the country, with a special emphasis on the Federation’s partner region in Northern Israel, the Upper Galil. Federation flagship initiatives include:

B’YACHAD: Education Initiative in the Upper Galil

B’YACHAD is a partnership between the Federation, the Israel Venture Network, Sacta Rashi Foundation and UIA Canada. The initiative aims at promoting high quality education grounded in values of democracy, tolerance and equal opportunity for children and youth in the Upper Galil. By cultivating a system that will assume responsibility for all children throughout all stages of their education, the program aims at raising the level of student achievements in the Upper Galil region and building a strong support network of educational organizations in the periphery. Working with the children, teachers and administrators, B’YACHAD strives to create a holistic approach to the educational system. The program currently runs over 40 projects in the field and touches thousands of children and young adults. After a year in the field, progress is being tracked both at the level of individual student achievement and on a region-wide basis.

ECHAD: Early Childhood Achievement and Development in the Israeli Arab Community

In January 2003, the Federation launched the San Francisco-Ashalim partnership geared to promoting early childhood education and welfare among young children and their families in the Israeli Arab community. Children growing up in these communities do not attend preschools or other early childhood facilities that could provide cognitive stimulation, constructive play and other means of addressing their developmental needs. This project, therefore, is designed to bring together the resources and expertise of Ashalim, the JDC, the Israeli government and the Jewish Community Federation in a new model of Israel/ Diaspora involvement in philanthropy. The goal of the partnership is to stimulate the service system in Israel to work creatively and effectively together to help children and their families find real solutions and promote system-wide change. Pilot programs are developed in the field and funded by the partners, with the ultimate goal of full government intervention once the pilot phase is successfully completed. Within the partnership, early childhood education professionals from Israel and the Bay Area work together on program development, share expertise and develop professional linkages around mutual interests. To date, five ECHAD programs are being implemented in the field, touching the lives of children, parents and professionals in over 40 sites throughout the country. The programs focus on upgrading and enriching the skills and training of early childhood professionals and para-professionals; enhancing parenting skills and parents’ involvement in their children’s early education; and promoting literacy and language skills from an early age.

Tel Hai College

Tel Hai College provides student scholarships and faculty enrichment programs at the college in the Upper Galil.

B'YACHAD: $200,000
ECHAD: $450,000
Community Involvement in Democracy and Peace Education: $13,500
Isracorps: $102,000

Connecting Israelis to their Jewish heritage

The Jewish state is struggling with its Jewish identity. The rift between secular and religious grows wider, while at the same time, there is a increasing acknowledgement among secular Israelis that they cannot take their Jewish identity for granted or the next generation of Israeli Jews will be lost. As a result, Israelis are seeking options for finding meaning in their Jewish heritage for themselves and their children. Federation-funded programs provide resources for innovation in Jewish education and identity-building programs, as well as for bringing together religious and secular Israelis in schools, community centers and leadership development programs. Funding supports programs that promote a multiplicity of Jewish expressions in Israeli society including support for local initiatives and programming within the traditional religious streams. Federation flagship initiatives include:

Gvanim: Leadership Development for the Promotion of Jewish Pluralism

Six years ago, while looking for a way to create a positive imprint on the landscape of Jewish identity initiatives in Israel, the Federation’s Amuta and the Israel & Overseas Committee collaborated on the development of Gvanim, a leadership development course for the promotion of Jewish pluralism. The program nurtures a select group of individuals from a wide range of professional and religious backgrounds (ultra secular to Orthodox) through a year-long course of study, exploration and collaboration. In addition to a stellar curriculum, the group travels to San Francisco and New York for an encounter related to Diaspora models of pluralistic Jewish communities. A unique component of Gvanim is the development of an “action” project by each participant. These projects are created as an outcome of the learning experience in an effort to translate what the participants have learned into action within Israeli reality. The ultimate goal is to spread the message of Jewish pluralism to an ever-widening circle of Israelis. Today, Gvanim is being funded in partnership with the UJA Federation of New York and the United Jewish Communities of Metrowest New Jersey. The third “class” has just graduated (over 350 candidates have interviewed for 20 slots). As the circle of Gvanim continues to grow — now with over 50 alumni working in the field-these individuals and their projects are having an impact on Israeli society — touching the lives of hundreds of children and families across the country and creating waves in the sea of Jewish identity and pluralism.

MIRKAM: Weaving Jewish Community in Rosh Ha’Ayin

In 2004, the Jewish Community Federation joined in partnership with two of Israel’s leading organizations in the field of Jewish identity and pluralism — Meitar: College of Judaism as Culture and HaMidrasha — to launch a new initiative focused on developing a model pluralistic Jewish community in Israel and working hand-in-hand with local community leadership towards that goal. The initiative is a partnership with the city of Rosh Ha’Ayin and its local leadership. As the program gained momentum in 2005, the hope is to touch the lives of all members of this unique community, which combines the old and the new, all spiced with authentic Jewish tradition.

Economic Development in Israel

Due to the ongoing fiscal downturn in Israel, a special emphasis has been placed on economic development in Israel, which incorporates a grass-roots loan fund initiative. In 2005 and 2006, a special allocation supported the Koret Israel Economic Development Fund in an effort to provide much-needed financial support to small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Koret Israel Economic Development Fund: $50,000

Connecting with Israel: Living Bridge Programs

The enduring connection between Israel and the Bay Area is intensified every day through myriad cultural programs, community events, professional exchanges and travel programs. The Jewish Community Federation’s Israel Center is our central address for Israel-related programming, resources and information. On college campuses, in preschool classrooms, at summer camps and wherever the community gathers, the Israel Center works with partner agencies to bring Israel alive and create meaningful Israeli connections for students, teachers, parents and professionals.

In 2005 Israel travel was on the rise and a number of Living Bridge programs were in development: college campus activists, teen leaders and Jewish educators were just a few of the groups being engaged with Israel in this way. The newest initiative focused on area Jewish community centers and developing greater Israel connections within these institutions and the communities they serve. Currently, seven community center professionals are participating in a year-long course engaging and exploring Israel in new ways with the purpose of enriching Israeli programming in their communities. Other programs supported by the Federation continue to encourage Israel travel for area youth. birthright israel continues to send first-time college students on a “cool” Israel experience, while over 1,000 families continue to contribute to their children’s Gift of Israel savings account as a way to plan and save for future teen Israel experiences.

OTZMA

A national post-college program for young adults (ages 20-25) which includes a year in Israel. For more information visit www.otzma.org.

Israel Center

Launched nine years ago, the Israel Center strengthens and builds Jewish identity by fostering an enduring connection between Jews in our community and Israel. The Center is organized into five departments — culture, education, tzavta (young adult, sponsored by The Helen Diller Family Foundation of the JCEF), living bridge and campus. The incredible success of the annual community-wide celebration — Israel in the Gardens — held at Yerba Buena Gardens, provides a fun-filled and educationally rich day, and allows the Bay Area community to show solidarity with Israel. The Israel Center receives annual Campaign support from both domestic and overseas allocations due to its work and impact both locally and in Israel. For more information visit www.israelcentersf.org.

Jewish Community Information and Referral (JCI&R)

Since its inception over 16 years ago, JCI&R serves as both a first contact and easy access point for Jews and the general public to reach Jewish communities, services and programs in the Bay Area, the Unites States, Israel and the Diaspora. By providing expert information and referrals through its website and by telephone, JCI&R brings people closer to the Jewish community. JCI&R collaborates with j. by compiling and editing the listings for the annual directory Resource: A Guide to Jewish Life in the Bay Area. JCI&R’s Chai Baby program welcomes newborns and their families into our Jewish community by providing gifts and educational materials to assist families in creating a Jewish home and identifying opportunities for involvement in the local Jewish community. For more information, visit www.jewishnfo.org.