August 5, 2010
The Jewish Federations support HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, which has brought more than 400,000 Jews from the former Soviet Union to the United States in the 40 years since the Soviet Jewry movement began. HIAS develops lifelong relationships with the people it assists and recently launched myStory, the first Russian-English social media website, where former HIAS clients can tell their immigration stories and connect with others about their shared experiences.

July 29, 2010
Jewish Federations support the Ethiopian National Project's Scholastic Assistance Program, which aims to build self-confidence and self-esteem among Ethiopian-Israeli youth by working in small groups to address the issues this at-risk population faces. The program has seen an increase in self-esteem and interpersonal relations in 70-80% of participants (Branco Weiss Institute, September 2009). Click here to learn more.

July 22, 2010
The Jewish Federations support the JDC-BBYO Global Service Fellowship. This new initiative will place four BBYO alumni in JDC’s Jewish Service Corps for one year.  Fellows will work on Jewish renewal and humanitarian needs in overseas communities and will connect North American Jewish teens with their peers abroad. Click here for more information.  

July 15, 2010
The Jewish Federations support the Jewish Agency's efforts to rescue Jews from Kyrgyzstan, where ethnic violence recently erupted. During the conflict, JAFI helped 12 Jews from Kyrgyzstan make aliyah, along with nearly 700 other olim from across the former Soviet Union, Belgium and France. Please click here for details.

July 8, 2010
The Jewish Federations support Hillel's campus internship programs, which in the past year enabled some 35,000 Jewish students to use their social networks and entrepreneurial skills to influence their campus culture and connect unaffiliated students to Jewish life. Click here for details.

July 1, 2010
Some 5,000 Israeli teenagers recently participated in a Jewish Federation-supported program to better understand the needs of the disabled. Part of a World ORT Kadima Mada competition, the students met people with a range of disabilities, then built practical aids for them, in a program linking science and technology with sensitivity. For details click here.
 

June 24, 2010
The Jewish Federations support JDC's Ariel Job Centers in Riga, Latvia and Tallinn, Estonia, which battle rising unemployment and poverty among Jews in the Baltics. The centers, based on a pioneering model that continues to help Argentina’s Jews recover in the wake of that country’s economic crisis, provide classes and training on job hunting, interviewing, resume-building and computer skills. Click here for details. 

June 17, 2010
The Jewish Federations supports "Wings," a multi-faceted Jewish Agency program in partnership with the Merage Foundation and other donors that provides lone immigrant soldiers support as they get discharged from the Israel Defense Forces. Thirty lone soldiers in the "Wings" program recently received $500 each to help with living expenses. Click here for details.

June 10, 2010
The Jewish Federations support HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, which since its founding in 1881 has helped more than 4.5 million refugees and immigrants. Even after their immediate needs have been served, HIAS maintains enduring relationships with those it has helped. This year, HIAS will award more than 200 scholarships to former clients pursuing a higher education in the United States and Israel. Started in 1974, the HIAS scholarship program has grown into a robust expression of HIAS' life-long concern for its previous clients. Click here for more information.

June 3, 2010
Thanks to funds from Jewish Federations, the Ethiopian National Project's Youth Outreach Centers continued to operate in 2009-10, keeping teens out of trouble and involved in positive pursuits. The centers have extended hours during the summer and offer hikes, field trips, and late-night movie screenings, to provide a supportive framework for Ethiopian-Israeli teens during the day and into the late summer nights. Click here for details.

May 21, 2010
May is Older Americans Month. To promote the ability of older adults to maintain their independence with dignity in their homes and communities, The Jewish Federations of North America's Washington Office has been working with Congress for the past five years to increase the annual allocation for the U.S. Administration on Aging's Community Innovations for Aging in Place program. Click here for details. 

May 13, 2010
The Jewish Federations support JDC's work in Kyrgyzstan, home to an estimated 1,300 Jews. JDC's local Hesed welfare center provides food and medicine to the community. JDC also provides a Jewish library, family education programs, aid for the elderly and at-risk children. During recent political upheaval in the country, JDC monitored the Jewish community's safety and ensured they continued to receive critical support. For more information, click here.    

May 6, 2010
May 2010 is the fifth nationally recognized Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM). The Jewish Federations of North America advocated for legislation creating JAHM and helped lead yearly events in Washington. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama have issued presidential proclamations recognizing the 350-year history of Jewish contributions to American culture. Ideas for programs, community celebrations, profiles of noted Jewish Americans, and educational resources can be found on the JAHM website.   

April 29, 2010 
Jewish Federations support MASA, which enables young Jews (18-30) from around the world to participate in more than 150 long-term programs in Israel. Recently, 13 MASA students attended the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, and showed a special exhibition of work about their Israel experience. More than 20,000 young people have joined MASA, sponsored by The Jewish Agency and the Israeli government. For details on the art program and on MASA, click here. 

April 15, 2010
The Jewish Federations support ORT's educational initiatives in Argentina, which are helping transform the country’s education system through technology. A pilot project to train teachers in using technology including the Internet has proven so successful that it will expand from seven to 200 schools this year. Teachers can design teaching strategies and develop virtual resources for their students. Click here for details. 

April 8, 2010
The Jewish Federations support JDC’s newly launched Hotam (Teach First Israel) program, which selects and trains 100 of Israel’s brightest university students to become teachers in underserved parts of the country. Part of JDC’s TEVET partnership with the Israeli government, the pilot program aims to give equal educational opportunities to Israeli schoolchildren of all socioeconomic levels and ethnic backgrounds. Click here for more information.

April 1, 2010
The Jewish Federations support The Jewish Agency's Keshet program, which brings parents of lone soldiers to Israel to see their children serving in the Israel Defense Forces. The trip is often the parents' first time in Israel and sometimes inspires family members to decide to make aliyah. Recently, 30 parents reunited with their children on a trip made possible through the generosity of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the Jewish Federation of MetroWest, N.J. Click here for details.

March 25, 2010
The Jewish Federations support the Ethiopian National Project's Scholastic Assistance program in Israel. The program provides 3,523 Ethiopian-Israeli students in Grades 7-12 with supplemental education to help improve grades and offers extra-curricular activities to build self-esteem. Click here for more details. 

March 18, 2010
The Jewish Federation movement supports HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, which since its founding in 1881 has helped more than 4.5 million refugees and immigrants. In 2009 HIAS partnered with Jewish Federations, applying both its extensive immigration and resettlement experience, to successfully rescue 57 Yemenite Jews and bring them to the United States. For details on HIAS, please visit www.hias.org.

March 11, 2010
Nearly 100 Jewish young adults from across the United States gathered outside San Francisco recently for the fourth biannual "Mitbachon" retreat for Russian-speaking 25-35 year olds. Organized by the Jewish Agency for Israel, in partnership with local Federations, the retreat focused on Jewish peoplehood and gave participants the chance to learn, network and build community.  Click here for more information.

March 4, 2010
The Jewish Federations of North America support JDC's efforts to help the victims of the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile. Following disasters such as these, JDC and its partners are on the ground providing critical food, medical aid, equipment, and services to victims in the emergency phase. In the longer-term, JDC works to restore infrastructure and rebuild community life in disaster-stricken regions, as it has done in the countries impacted by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Click here for more information.

February 25, 2010
The Jewish Federations of North America supports ORT's effort to install more than 400 Smart Classrooms across northern Israel. Smart Classrooms include interactive whiteboards (IWBs), wireless Internet connectivity and other technological aids. ORT is investing more than $4 million to bring new technology to 72 under-resourced schools and benefit 40,000 students annually. Please click here for details.

February 18, 2010
February is Jewish Disability Awareness month. Over the past decade, Federations have seen an increased need for services for people with autism spectrum disorders and their families. In response, The Jewish Federations of North America is developing a comprehensive Web site on autism spectrum for adults ages 18-26. The site, which will be available over the summer, will include educational materials, information on housing and social programs, and more. Please contact Barbara Bedney for details.

February 11, 2010
The Jewish Federations of North America support Torahs for Our Troops, a project of the JWB Jewish Chaplains Council, which is a service of the Jewish Community Centers Association of North America.  Jewish military chaplains are assigned to visit the more than 10,000 Jewish Americans on active duty, to provide a wide range of services including helping them observe Shabbat and the Jewish holidays. JWB has commissioned the writing of six small, lightweight and fully kosher Torah scrolls to accompany the chaplains into the combat theater. For details on how your Federation can bring one of the Torahs to your community and support this project, please contact Ziva Davidovich at 212.786.5099 or visit www.torahsforourtroops.org.

February 4, 2010
February 2010 is Jewish Disability Awareness Month, as the Jewish Federations of North America joins the Consortium of Jewish Special Educators in recognizing and increasing awareness of people with disabilities in Jewish communities. For details on how to participate in activities and events, please click here.

January 28, 2010
The Jewish Federations of North America support The Jewish Agency's Aliyah and Absorption Department, which is working to help members of Ethiopia’s Falas Mura community immigrate to Israel. JAFI recently greeted the first flight of Falas Mura since August, 2008 and in the next year will help 2,600 immigrate. The immigrants will live in Jewish Agency absorption centers, where they will receive services to help them integrate into Israeli society. For details click here.

January 21, 2010
The Jewish Federations of North America support Hillel, the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, which recently opened Hillel Norte (North Hillel), the third Hillel center in Buenos Aires and the fourth in Argentina. Hillel Norte serves the Jewish student and young adult community in the northern Buenos Aires suburb of Olivos. The new center reflects the growing impact of Hillel across Argentina. Click here for details. 

January 14, 2010
The Jewish Federations Support JDC's relief efforts for the victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti this week. JDC is conducting a full and rapid assessment of the situation on the ground, and reaching out to its network of partners to determine critical next steps based on immediate needs of the hardest-hit areas. The efforts are part of JDC's International Development Program (IDP), which provides immediate relief and long-term assistance to victims of natural and manmade disasters. Click here to learn more or to donate.

January 7, 2010

The Jewish Federations support the Ethiopian National Project’s scholastic assistance program, which provides extra hours of education and social and emotional support for Ethiopian-Israeli teenagers. The program helps them prepare for their Bagrut (matriculation exams). In 2008/2009 the program provided assistance to about a third of all Ethiopian-Israeli students in junior and senior high schools. Eighty-one percent of students reported that the program helped increase their motivation to study. Click here to learn more.   

December 31, 2009
The Jewish Federations support the ORT de Gunzburg High School in St. Petersburg -- the only school in Russia to be chosen by Microsoft as a ‘Pathfinder School’. Thirty Pathfinder Schools were selected this year to spearhead the expansion of Microsoft's Partners in Learning network, which helps schools use technology more effectively. As a Pathfinder School, ORT de Gunzburg received thousands of dollars-worth of Microsoft software. Click here to learn more.  

December 24, 2009
The Jewish Federations support the Jewish Agency's Ben Yakir Youth Aliyah Village, which recently celebrated a unique Ethiopian-Jewish holiday with food and dancing. Taking place 50 days after Yom Kippur, the holiday of Sigd symbolizes the agreement between G-d and the Ethiopian Jewish community. For details click here. 

December 10, 2009
The Jewish Federations support HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, which has helped more than 4.5 million refugees and immigrants since 1881. HIAS is the only Jewish organization working on the ground in Eastern Chad helping refugees fleeing from Sudan. In the past two months, HIAS staff and community workers in Chad provided psycho-social services to approximately 85,000 Darfuri refugees traumatized by years of displacement, especially those victims of sexual- and gender-based violence. Click here to read more.

December 3, 2009
The Jewish Federations of North America support World ORT's efforts to address Israel’s shortage of civil engineers with a groundbreaking new course for high school students. In partnership with the Israel National Roads Company and the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology – World ORT has created a year-long enrichment course that already attracted 35 students to its first two sessions. Click here to learn more.

November 26, 2009
The Jewish Federations support the Jewish Agency's Machon Institute for Youth Leaders from Abroad. Each year, more than 500 young adults from around the world are trained to lead Israel-centered education programs. The Institute has more than 12,000 graduates, prominent in Jewish life in Israel and overseas. Click here for details. 

November 19, 2009
The Jewish Federations of North America support JDC's relief programs for nearly 170,000 destitute elderly Jews in more than 2,800 communities across the former Soviet Union.  A network of more than 170 JDC-supported Hesed welfare centers offer vital services for the elderly including homecare, blankets, boots, jackets, and heating oil. Click here for details.

November 12, 2009
The Jewish Federations of America support World ORT's hospital education program in Israel, which provides help for patients ages 6-21 in 100 pediatric departments in 27 hospitals. The initiative, established by the charity Kav Or, helps 120,000 children maintain their studies with laptop computers and other tools while they are hospitalized. Click here for details.   

November 5, 2009
The Jewish Federations of North America support MASA Israel Journey's ‘Go Green in Israel’ initiative, which highlights opportunities for young adults in North America to study, intern or volunteer in the “green” or environmental sector in Israel. MASA offers programs ranging from environmental studies at Ben Gurion University of the Negev and the Arava Institute, to internships at renewable energy startups, to volunteering on an eco-farm. Click here for more information.

October 22, 2009
This fall, Jewish Agency Chair Natan Sharansky opened the school year in the FSU with a class on “the Zionist struggle in the Soviet Union,” and described his own campaign for freedom. The class was broadcast live to the Hefzibah network of 44 Jewish schools, supported by The Jewish Federations of North America, the Jewish Agency, the Israeli government and The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. Click here for details.

October 15, 2009
Jewish children and their families, suffering from poverty, health problems, and the ongoing impact of the global financial crisis, had a sweeter New Year thanks to the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ)-JDC Partnership for Children in the Former Soviet Union. The IFCJ-JDC Partnership, sponsored by The Jewish Federations of North America, helps nearly 25,000 children with basic food, medicine, shelter, and clothing. The Partnership also subsidized holiday celebrations and special Rosh Hashanah packages for the families. Click here for details.

September 24, 2009
UJC/The Jewish Federations of America supports the Secure Community Network's efforts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure Jewish communal organizations have updated information and resources on pandemic preparedness, particularly heading into the fall flu season. SCN recently coordinated a series of H1N1 conference calls for Jewish communal organizations impacted by H1N1 outbreaks.

September 17, 2009
UJC/The Jewish Federations of North America Emergency Committee has allocated nearly $460,000 dollars in the past year to help communities in North America respond to disasters, from assisting California communities devastated by wildfires to aiding the Houston area hit by Hurricane Ike to supporting victims of the Seattle shooting. To learn more about UJC/Federation disaster relief work, contact Robyn Judelsohn.

August 13, 2009
UJC/The Jewish Federations of North America supports JAFI’s Partnership 2000 (P2K) program, an extraordinary global platform connecting some 550 communities. P2K is building bridges among these communities - sharing ideas, strengths, challenges and models of success, therby empowering both communities to make positive changes. Click here for more info.

August 6, 2009
UJC/The Jewish Federations of North America supports JDC’s network of 30 community-based Parent Child Centers (PCC), which help improve parenting skills and family functionality among dysfunctional, abusive or neglectful families with children aged 5 to 12. The Mobile PCC initiative rotates staff between outlying communities, reaching families in smaller towns and rural locations. Please click here for details.

July 30, 2009
UJC/Jewish Federations of North America supports JAFI’s Atidim program, which offers higher education to more than 8,000 students ages 13-30 from Israel’s social and geographic periphery, including Bedouin, Cherkessk, Druze, Ethiopian, Arab and Jewish Israelis. Please click here for details.

July 23, 2009
UJC/Jewish Federations of North America supports JDC’s growing Torah v’Hinuch network in Djerba, Tunisia, which had a combined enrollment of 200-plus students in their Jewish kindergarten and girls’ school in 2008. The students benefit from a secular and Hebrew curriculum. In addition, JDC helps support two yeshivot in Djerba that enroll 150 boys, offering them several hours daily of secular instruction at the Torah v’Hinuch school as well.  For details on JDC's work in Tunisia, click here.

July 16, 2009
UJC/Jewish Federations of North America supports the Jewish Agency’s Lomdim Jewish Education program in Argentina. This year, 1,100 children will participate at an average cost of $420 each. Read more about all of the Jewish Agency’s Argentina efforts. 

July 9, 2009
India is home to an estimated 4,500 Jews in a country of over 1 billion people. UJC/Jewish Federations of North America’s support of JDC's Evelyn Peters Jewish Community Center in Mumbai offers a range of Jewish educational programming for all ages. The community’s only youth group, the Jewish Youth Pioneers, provides a vital framework for the community’s future leaders to network and gather in a Jewish context.

July 6, 2009
UJC/Jewish Federations of North America supports the Jewish Agency’s Young Communities, which harness the power of idealistic young Israelis who come to live in and strengthen underdeveloped regions of the Negev and Galilee. For more information, click here.

June 25, 2009
Thanks to the support of UJC/Jewish Federations of North America, World ORT has launched a new phase of Kadima Mada, its science and technology venture in Israel, providing 12- to 15-year-olds with Lego Robotics kits to create mini-robots. The program fills a strong need for more technology study tracks geared to schoolchildren who require remedial work in traditional science and humanities. For information, click here.

June 18, 2009
UJC/Jewish Federations of North America supports the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation/JDC International Camp in Szarvas, Hungary. The camp hosts some 2,000 Jewish campers and counselors from more than 20 countries and is an informal Jewish educational venue for children from around the Jewish world, helping to nurture a generation of future leaders. For more information, click here. 

June 11, 2009
UJC/Jewish Federations of North America supports the Jewish Agency’s famed Ulpan Etzion, which has tripled the capacity of its Jerusalem program from 80 to 230 students, and is opening a new campus in Haifa to accommodate 40 students. The intensive Hebrew study program has served for decades as a unique first home and ulpan for thousands of single, college-educated olim ages 22-35 from around the world. For more information, click here.

June 4, 2009
UJC/Jewish Federations of North America supports the Jewish Agency's Youth Aliyah Villages, which educate more than 1,000 native Israeli and new immigrant youth, primarily from at-risk backgrounds, and also provide short-term programs for 12,000 young people.  Click here for details.

May 21, 2009
Thanks to the support of UJC/Jewish Federations of North America, World ORT has joined with one of the world's biggest high-tech companies, Cisco, and with JDC, to set up a groundbreaking training program for women in Tirat HaCarmel, near Haifa. Students from low-income families pay only a nominal fee for the internationally recognized Cisco Certified Network Associate course, giving them an opportunity to learn practical employment skills and to gain employment opportunities through the program’s partnership with companies in a nearby hi-tech industrial zone.  For more information, click here.

May 7, 2009
UJC/Jewish Federations of North America supports the revival of Jewish learning in the Baltic states through the Limmud-Keshet conference, initiated and cosponsored by JDC in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles. At the March conference, local volunteers devoted hours of preparation to enable 1,000 people to gather in Vilnius, Lithuania for a weekend festival of Jewish learning that has become part of the worldwide Limmud phenomenon. Since its launch in 2004, the event has resonated with the emerging Baltic communities, which have struggled to revive their Jewish identities after decades of Communist rule. To learn more, click here.

April 24, 2009
UJC/Jewish Federations of North America supports ORT’s Technical High School in Rio de Janeiro, which has enrolled the highest number of students ever in its 65-year history, a sign of its burgeoning reputation for a top-quality education. The school now has 360 students, a 20 percent increase over last year. Click here for more info.

April 2, 2009
UJC/Jewish Federations of North America supports JDC’s work with the Hungarian Jewish Social Support Foundation. Thanks to the foundation, in 2008 more than 3,500 elderly Jews received medical care and equipment; more than 2,200 clients received winter relief assistance; more than 1,300 received food support; and 115 needy elderly received monthly cash assistance. JDC continues to sponsor social services for needy elderly Jews through the foundation while gradually handing over the responsibility to the community.

March 26, 2009
UJC/Jewish Federations of North America supports the Jewish Agency's Lomdim Jewish Education program in Argentina. This year, 1,100 children will participate in the program at an average cost of $420 per person. Click here to read more about the Jewish Agency’s Argentina programs.

March 19, 2009
UJC/Jewish Federations of North America supports the Lawson-ORT Career Program in St. Petersburg, Russia, which provides Jewish adults with employment training. The program is linked via distance learning technology to the Moscow Vocational Training Center and other ORT centers throughout the CIS and Baltic States, and offers career placement both locally and in Israel.

March 12, 2009
UJC/Jewish Federations of North America supports Masa, which encourages young adults to visit Israel on long-term programs.  This year, more than 8,000 young adults from 48 countries will participate in MASA's 140 semester and year-long Israel experience programs at an average cost of $1,875 per scholarship. Click here for more info.

March 5, 2009
UJC/Jewish Federations of North America support JDC’s Supportive Communities for the Disabled and Elderly, giving people the help they need to continue living independently. Twenty Supportive Communities help 400,000 disabled Israelis and more than 200 Supportive Communities help 37,500 elderly Israelis. JDC-ESHEL, the Association for the Planning and Development of Services for the Aged in Israel, is working with the Israeli government to expand to 300 communities by the end of 2010.

February 26, 2009
The ORT school in Odessa, supported by UJC/Jewish Federations of North America, has been named a flagship of Contemporary Science and Education in Ukraine by the Odessa Department of Education, placing it among the top 1 percent of the country's educational institutions. The school provides high-quality Jewish and general education for 400 students ages 6-17. For more information, please click here.

February 19, 2009
The UJC/Federation system supports JAFI's Youth Futures program, which matches at-risk children and young people with "trustees" who can provide them focused attention. During the recent conflict in Southern Israel, 80 trustees, many residents of the region under fire, underwent special training to help 1,200 participating children and their families. Trustees learned how to conduct a "home visit" in a bomb shelter, how to identify trauma, and what resources to offer those in need. Click here to read a personal account from Adi Cohen, a Youth Futures Trustee from Beer Sheva.

February 12, 2009
The UJC/Federation system's Israel Emergency Campaign funded a JDC survey following the Second Lebanon War, which revealed that disabled people lacked accessible bathrooms in shelters. In response, JDC partnered with Milbat (The Israeli Center for Technology and Accessibility) to create a portable kit. This investment proved critical during Operation Cast Lead, when JDC sent kits to help hundreds of disabled residents of Southern Israel use a shelter close to home.

February 5, 2009
Since Dec. 24, 2008, JAFI's SOS Emergency Fund has provided more than $100,000 in assistance for 111 victims of missile fire in Southern Israel. Funded by UJC/Federation system donations and founded in 2007 as part of the JAFI's Fund for Victims of Terror, the SOS Emergency Fund provides immediate financial assistance to victims of terror.

January 29 ,2009
Supported by funds from UJC/Federations, JDC and the Israeli government have created the "120 Strong" program, which sends 180 case workers to provide daily outreach to the 25,000 elderly residents in Southern Israel. The program is based on JDC's Supportive Communities model, which provides elderly residents with a 'Community Parent' to help with critical tasks and give them personal attention. Ninety-five percent of Supportive Communities program participants claim that these visits give them the strength to carry on in difficult times. To learn more about JDC's programs for residents in Southern Israel, please click here.

January 22, 2009
Businesses in Southern Israel have suffered a 40 percent reduction in income during the current conflict. Thanks to UJC/Federation system support, JDC and the Center for Promotion of Entrepreneurship (MATI) are helping 50 small-to-medium-sized businesses in Southern Israel by selling their merchandise online. Now these businesses can expand their market reach, while Sderot residents can make purchases from the safety of their homes. Google Israel and Bezeq (Israel's national telephone carrier) employees volunteered to help with this project. For more information on the UJC/Federation System response to the conflict, please visit the UJC Gaza Situation Web page.

January 15, 2009
With UJC/Federation system support, the Jewish Agency for Israel is taking children living in Southern Israel on respite trips outside the missile zone. More than 23,000 children will participate in daily trips, including excursions to parks, zoos, a planetarium, Mini Israel, concerts and plays. The respite trips allow the children to relieve mounting levels of stress and fear, while revitilizing their spirits in a fun atmosphere. To see a video of JAFI's 'Day Without Missiles' program for kids living near Gaza, please click here. For more information on the UJC/Federation System response to the conflict, please visit the UJC Gaza Situation Web page.

January 8, 2009
During the Israel Defense Force's Operation Cast Lead, 20 OTZMA participants are volunteering at army bases in Israel's north. The OTZMA participants are packing equipment and organizing supplies. To learn more about OTZMA, which is funded by UJC and the Federations of North America, please visit www.otzma.org.

December 26, 2008
UJC/Federation supports ORT's Technical High School in Rio de Janeiro, recently ranked 7th out of 443 schools in the city and 13th out of 18,000 schools nationally-- making it the highest-ranked technical and Jewish school in Brazil.  Click here for details.

 

December 18, 2008
UJC/Federation supports JDC’s Center for Independent Living (CIL), which serves the unique needs of Israel's 400,000 disabled adults. Run by and for disabled adults ages 21-65, centers in Jerusalem and Beersheva, serving 2,500 residents, are designed to help them participate fully in Israeli society while living at home. The centers offer peer counseling, advocacy efforts and support. Five additional centers will be established throughout Israel. Click here for details.

December 4, 2008
UJC/Federation supports World ORT's Science Journey/Kadima Mada venture in Israel, which is installing Smart Classrooms in the country’s most disadvantaged schools in the northern and southern peripheries. In Smart Classrooms, students and teachers engage in interactive lessons using digital white boards. With Israel's Ministry of Education, World ORT is developing 1,000 similar classrooms throughout Israel.

November 28, 2008
UJC/Federation supports JDC's "It’s a Deal" program, which targets at-risk Israeli youth ages 15-18, most of whom have dropped out of school. "It's a Deal" allows participants to work in more than 30 youth-run business enterprises and then to be placed in jobs, helping them acquire professional skills, confidence and a chance to re-connect with society. The youth-run ventures include coffee houses and restaurants, handicrafts workshops, printing houses, bakeries and more. 

November 20, 2008
After the recent war in Georgia, the UJC/Federation-supported JAFI brought 40 Georgian youngsters ages 10-16 to Israel for a week-long respite of travel, fun and education  For many of these young Jews, it was their first visit to Israel. For more details on the UJC/Federation response to the Georgia crisis click here.

Novemember 13, 2008
UJC/Federation supports Nahar HaEch, a JDC-funded Jewish folk dancing group based in Belgrade, Serbia. The group is one of more than a dozen to take part in Serbia’s annual celebration of International Children’s Day, when the Jewish community of Belgrade partners with JDC and local organizations to honor and embrace children of all backgrounds and circumstances, including orphans, children with disabilities, and children of various minority groups. This year’s event attracted over 250 participants.

November 6, 2008
UJC/Federations support the "Two Tales-One Story" coexistence program funded by JAFI and the Abraham Fund. Through dialogue and informal activities involving school principals, teachers and children, more than 200 youngsters in six Jewish and Arab elementary schools in Acre are building bridges of mutual understanding and friendship in a city where Arab-Jewish tensions recently erupted. Since its 2006 launch, "Two Tales-One Story" has helped hundreds of children in ethnically diverse cities throughout the Galilee.

October 30, 2008
Supported by UJC/Federation, the Roslyn Z. Wolf Cleveland-JDC International Fellows program provides an unparalleled opportunity to work building a Jewish community. One select college graduate gets an opportunity to help an isolated or re-emerging Jewish community by developing programs to teach young people, train young leaders and care for the elderly. This year’s fellow, Aliyah, lives in Minsk and has helped enrich the Jewish community through classes, holiday celebrations, and by creating Moishe House Minsk -- a grassroots community center for Jews in their 20s.

October 23, 2008
With UJC/Federation support, JAFI's Net@ program is training thousands of low-income high school students in Israel to design, build and maintain computer networks, while working with teams and developing community leadership. Graduates of the four-year program become certified computer network technicians with credentials as network managers and operators.

October 16, 2008
UJC/Federation-supported JDC organized the "JUDAFEST" Jewish Street Festival in Budapest this past summer, which drew over 3,500 people to become the largest Jewish event in Hungary today. Crowds lined up to eat falafel, hear a Klezmer concert, and have their faces painted. The street festival is the latest effort to increase Jewish affiliation in the capital.

October 10, 2008
Funded by UJC/Federation, the Magen David Adom Ambulance Volunteer Program, a joint program of Magen David Adom and the Jewish Agency for Israel, brings hundreds of Jewish young adults from around the world to volunteer as first responders on ambulances. The program has grown from 47 volunteers in 2000 to 600 volunteers in 2008.

October 2, 2008
Through UJC/Federation support, JDC's Summer Youth Camp in India brings young Jews together for Jewish and outdoor programs. This past summer, 20 young people from across India gathered at the hill station of Matheran, outside Mumbai, for a four-day adventure camp with rock climbing, rappelling, valley crossing, nighttime hikes and Jewish learning.

September 25, 2008
Through UJC/Federation, the Jewish Agency for Israel brought 40 young Jews from Georgia to Israel for a week-long tour this month. The students, including some from the war-torn city of Gori, are traveling this week throughout Israel, meeting peers on Israel experience programs and learning about ways they could complete high school in the Jewish state.

September 18, 2008
United Jewish Communities, on behalf of the federation system, is one of 38 members of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD).  During a national disaster, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) relies upon NVOAD to organize the non-medical needs of the displaced disaster victims, such as the provision of sheltering, feeding, and human services.

September 4, 2008
Through a program designed by UJC and administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 411 Jewish communal institutions in the United States -- federations,  community centers, family services, schools, synagogues, museums, homes for the aged, and others -- received grants during fiscal years 2007 and 2008 to improve their physical security and preparedness against potential terrorist acts.

August 14, 2008
UJC/Federation partners JAFI and JDC have helped save Georgian Jews since the outbreak of the military conflict in the Democratic Republic of Georgia/South Ossetia last week. Through its office in Tbilisi, JAFI has coordinated the evacuation of Jews from the city of Gori to safety in the Georgian capital. JAFI has also helped expedite the immigration of Georgian Jews to Israel. Meanwhile, JDC field staff moved into emergency mode, bringing much-needed medicine, food and water to Jews in the conflict region, and by helping evacuate many to safer locations in Georgia or Russia.  

August 7, 2008
UJC/Federation supports JDC’s Outreach Network Initiative, which provides professional support and technical assistance to grassroots organizations offering Jewish programming  to 10,000 to 15,000 unaffiliated Hungarian Jews of all ages and backgrounds. The Initiative has created a local philanthropic network that will help these organizations become more self-sufficient, build community capacity and nurture a richer Jewish life in Hungary.

July 31, 2008
The number of immigrants to Israel from South Africa is expected to nearly double this year. 100 new immigrants arrived in Israel on July 21 on the first-ever chartered flight for immigrants from South Africa, organized by UJC/Federation supported JAFI and the South African Zionist Federation.

July 24, 2008
UJC/Federation supported the 10th anniversary of JDC’s Machol Hungaria Israeli folk dance festival, the largest of its kind in Europe. From April 28-May 4, some 230 participants from 16 countries gathered at the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation/JDC International Summer Camp in Szarvas, Hungary to celebrate their Jewish heritage through movement. The festival included dance classes, a Yom HaShoah commemoration, Shabbat observance, a Havdallah ceremony along the Danube River, a talent show and a dance party.

July 17, 2008
UJC/Federation supports Kol India, the JDC-published quarterly magazine, now found in 1,000 Jewish homes across India. The magazine reports community events and programs for India’s 4,500-5,000 Jews, and educational pieces for readers of all ages. To learn more about JDC’s work in India, click here.

July 9, 2008
With UJC/Federation support, JAFI’s Lone Immigrant Soldiers programs have provided 565 Israeli Army soldiers with critical guidance and mentoring. Programs include pre-paid calling cards so soldiers can communicate with their families abroad, planning for higher education after the army and a course in transitioning to civilian life.

July 3, 2008
Through UJC/Federation support, MASA, a historic and strategic partnership between the Israeli government and JAFI, enables thousands of young Jews to spend a semester or year in Israel. Participants build a life-long relationship with Israel and a commitment to Jewish life. MASA participants also recently attended the Presidential Conference in Jerusalem to discuss creating a better future for Israel and the Jewish community.

June 27, 2008
JAFI, with the support of UJC/Federation, recently hosted aliyah (immigration to Israel) seminars in six cities across North America. Some 2,000 people in Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, Philadelphia and Toronto heard from Israeli government representatives discussing such topics as job hunting, buying a home, school registration, acquiring health insurance and Israeli taxes. In attendance were Israeli representatives from the cities of Ariel, Haifa, Kiryat Tivon and Modiin, all of whom are seeking new olim and returning Israelis.

June 19, 2008
Ambassadors from around the world participated in a trip to Israel this past April to learn about JAFI programs sponsored by UJC/Federation. Envoys from Australia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cameroon, Chile, Kenya, Latvia, South Africa and Uruguay saw how these JAFI programs aid new immigrants, assist at-risk youth, advance co-existence and strengthen Israeli society. 

June 12, 2008
With UJC/Federation support, JAFI organized an event for Israel’s 60th anniversary as part of its continued efforts to help the residents of Sderot and the Gaza perimeter communities. The event, broadcast on Israel’s Channel 10, included games, sports, arts and crafts, a petting zoo, trampolines, rides and performances by popular musicians.

 June 5, 2008
UJC/Federation is helping JDC provide support for the small Jewish communities still remaining in Morocco and Tunisia, numbering some 5,500 people, enabling them to maintain essential communal services like assistance for the ailing and elderly, nursing homes and a range of educational, recreational and cultural programs for Jewish youth.

May 29, 2008
Some 2,500 immigrants and tourists participate in UJC/Federation-supported JAFI Hebrew-language ulpan classes in Israel each year. Marking Israel's 60th anniversary, JAFI has launched a state-of-the-art Virtual Hebrew Ulpan, featuring live weekly Webconferences with an Israeli teacher, and including a resource kit with a CD and textbooks.

May 22, 2008
UJC/Federation supports the JDC-ESHEL Supportive Community network, which enables older Israelis to remain in their homes, rather than in senior facilities, by providing services addressing daily needs. A call button connects homes to an emergency response center for medical needs; a community coordinator keeps in contact with seniors and does small repairs; volunteers help with social programs, home visits and errands. Some 200 Supportive Communities operate, and are expected to grow to 300 through 2010.

May 15, 2008
UJC/Federation supports JAFI programsin the embattled Sderot region. JAFI recently held a Sderot Merchants Fair in Tel Aviv in conjunction with the city and the owners of the Hangar 11 concert venue, who donated their prime location for the event. The fair, which drew 20,000 people, was aimed at boosting sales for Sderot businesses, and featured124 businesspeople including artists, craftspeople, jewelers, food vendors, clothing designers and hairstylists, with entertainment by Sderot's popular teen musicians.

May 8, 2008
UJC/Federations are helping many Jewish communal groups worldwide mark Israel’s 60th anniversary. For example, UJC/Federation-supported JDC has organized a “Park Israel” event in Moscow’s famed Ostankino Park for thousands to celebrate Israel’s anniversary -- the first public celebration of Israel in Russia. The event will feature performances by acclaimed Russian and Israeli artists, food, children's activities and more. UJC/Federations also support the UJC-JCPA Israel Advocacy Initiative, which has been helping communities use Israel @ 60 celebrations to advocate for Israel and offers online resources with event ideas, materials and noteworthy practices.

To learn more about Israel @ 60 celebrations, visit UJC’s Israel @ 60 website.

May 1, 2008
UJC/Federation supports JAFI’s Hefziba network of Jewish day schools in the former Soviet Union. The past March, 450 Hefziba high school students studied the Holocaust and visited the sites of lost European Jewish communities.

April 24, 2008
The UJC/Federation Israel Emergency Campaign’s latest allocation is funding JDC respite trips for elderly and disabled in the Sderot region who, due to lack of resources and mobility, are unable to escape the conflict zone and interact with their peers in a safe environment. Approximately 1,700 people will enjoy day and overnight trips over the next six months.

April 17, 2008
UJC/Federation support enables JDC to help build the Paraguayan Jewish community. With the JDC's guidance, the community hired a new rabbi, community director, and director of Judaic studies at the local school. Meanwhile, the JCC expanded its program and attendance, all families now receive a weekly e-letter on communal events, and the community raised substantial funding from local donors for the Jewish school.

April 10, 2008
Israeli children will be on vacation from school this Passover, yet children in Sderot and the Western Negev will not likely get a break from the waves of Kassam rockets striking the region. Thanks to UJC/Federation funding, JAFI will provide a respite to more than 2,500 children with outings in safer areas this holiday.

April 3, 2008
With support from UJC/Federation, JDC’s partnership with the Tzedaka Foundation in Uruguay offers help to impoverished local Jewish families. The foundation’s Lev Gadol (Big Heart) program cares for Jewish toddlers five afternoons a week, while their parents are working or job-hunting. The children enjoy a nutritious meal and age-appropriate activities with Jewish content. 

March 27, 2008
UJC/Federation dollars help fund the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Machon: Institute for Youth Leaders from Abroad. Established in 1946 by the World Zionist Organization, this program nurtures young leaders from Zionist movements worldwide. Today there are over 12,000 graduates, many prominent in Jewish life. About one-third of Machon graduates make aliyah. Machon's current class has nearly 300 students, including 100 from Latin America.

March 20, 2008
UJC/Federation dollars fund JDC’s medical programs for Moroccan Jews. This past year, 925 needy Jews received care in cardiology, radiology, pediatrics, gynecology, and dentistry at a comprehensive clinic in Casablanca. In addition, 700 people benefited from screening and early intervention programs. JDC also supports programs that offer round-the-clock medical supervision and nursing care at an in-house facility in the Casablanca Jewish community’s old age home, and regular check-ups, vaccinations, and first aid care for Casablanca’s Jewish schoolchildren. The program also provides medical services for Jews living in Morocco’s smaller communities.

March 13, 2008
UJC/Federation dollars help fund JAFI programs in the former Soviet Union that have helped shape a Jewish renaissance in these communities. In the past year, approximately 12,000 youth and students participated in an intensive camping experience, more than 10,000 children attended Jewish day schools, more than 3,000 participated in JAFI-supported Sunday schools, 3,500 enjoyed an Israel experience, and some 14,000 people of all ages attended Jewish literacy and Jewish Studies courses.

March 6, 2008
UJC/Federations of North America helped fund the first-ever Latin American conference on aging for the Jewish communities in the region.  Organized by JDC and Argentina’s Le Dor Va Dor campus for elderly Jews in Buenos Aires, and other local organizations, the ground-breaking conference gathered together nearly 100 Jewish communal professionals and lay leaders from 19 institutions in eight countries this past fall to discuss gerontology and Jewish communal services for the aged.

February 28, 2008
UJC/Federation helps fund JAFI’s Makom program, which aims to build connections between young North American Jews and Israeli youth through education and culture. There are 13 MAKOM communities serving hundreds of thousands of young people annually.  In 2007 The Economist magazine called Makom a cutting-edge voice for Israel engagement.

February 21, 2008
UJC/Federation support for JDC’s activities in Cuba has strengthened the revival of Jewish religious and communal life on the island and the generosity of hundreds of mission participants helps the community meet humanitarian needs in the face of ongoing shortages. One of JDC’s most successful activities was the second National Rikudim (Israeli dance) Festival last year, in which more than 500 people from seven local Jewish communities participated.

February 14, 2008
Through UJC/Federation support, JAFI sent more than 1,400 young Israelis to some 200 summer camps across North America this past year. These Israeli “shlichim” -- ambassadors -- impacted hundreds of thousands of young Jews by teaching them about life in Israel, and returned home with a broader view of Judaism and Jewish peoplehood.

February 7, 2008
Through UJC/Federation support, JDC's 13/17 Project, created during the height of Argentina's economic crisis, provides Jewish Argentinean teenagers each month with meals, sports and cultural activities -- and the only contact they have with the Jewish community, a recent survey showed. The 13/17 Project gives these teens, whose families still require aid, a place to connect with Jewish peers, gain Jewish knowledge, and feel a sense of community.

January 31, 2008
With support from UJC/Federations of North America, the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) develops engaging online content on Israel. The JAFI Web site includes 20 e-academy courses in four languages featuring prominent Israeli political and cultural figures. In 2007, more than 6,500 students and educators worldwide participated in JAFI's distance-learning, more than 6,000 people participated in videoconferences and more than 17,000 watched videos on JAFI's YouTube channel.

 

January 24, 2008
OTZMA, a partnership of the United Jewish Communities/The Federations of North America and the Jewish Agency for Israel, is a 10-month, service based, leadership development program in Israel for young adults, ages 20-26. There are 47 participants on the program this year, representing 23 federations. More than 1,400 young adults have participated in the program since its inception in 1986.

January 17, 2008
Supported by UJC/Federation, JDC has developed a unique Jewish community center (JCC) model in the former Soviet Union, with 186 JCCs each tailored to fit their own community's needs. Offering activities for all ages and interests, these JCCs have become an indispensable resource for community members and a vital vehicle for engaging unaffiliated Jews.

January 10, 2008
UJC/Federations supports JAFI’s Zionist Seminars, an interactive program for synagogues, schools and colleges worldwide that aims to bring Israel closer to the global Jewish community. Seminars include Jewish identity, Israel advocacy, current affairs, Israel/Diaspora relations, Jewish history, Israeli culture and politics and more. Zionist Seminars recently took place in Australia, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Uruguay, the U.K., the U.S. and Canada.

January 3, 2008
Through UJC/Federation support, JDC has pioneered programs in the former Soviet Union that help local Jewish communities become more self-sufficient. JDC offers professional and lay leadership training programs, “best practices” competitions and the cultivation of local business plans and fundraising efforts that enable these communities to become more capable of assessing their needs, conceiving projects to meet them, and managing financial and human resources to bring these projects to fruition.