In addition to JCF’s $2 million annual gift to UJA-Federation, the Special Gifts Fund funds kosher food pantries, free legal assistance, support for Holocaust survivors, and more.
Jewish Communal Fund, the largest and most active Jewish donor advised fund in the country, approved grants totaling $840,000 to local Jewish charities in the New York area through its endowment, the JCF Special Gifts Fund. Since 1999, the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Communal Fund has granted more than $15 million to support programs that promote the welfare and security of the Jewish community at home and abroad. These charities are selected with the assistance of UJA-Federation of New York.
“At The Jewish Communal Fund, we are honored to provide much-needed support to local Jewish charities that focus on helping those who are hungry, poor, the elderly, and Holocaust survivors,” said Jenny Lyss, Chair of Jewish Communal Fund’s Charitable Distribution/Special Gifts Fund Committee. “We are grateful to our community of fund-holders who, in addition to generously donating to the charities themselves, also enable JCF to make significant grants from its endowment to support the Jewish charitable institutions that are doing such incredible work on the ground. We are proud of our work as leaders in the philanthropic world.”
This year’s Special Gifts Fund Grantees include:
$375,000 to the United Jewish Council of the East Sideto provide a Digital Choice Food Pantry
Over 200 families on the Lower East Side lack proper nutritional needs. JCF’s grant will fund the establishment of a digital choice food pantry ordering system, enabling clients to log online and choose foods that meet their families’ needs. This new system will reduce lines and food waste, and create a dignified client experience that meets residents’ health and dietary needs.
$250,000 for New York LegalAssistance Group (NYLAG) to provide free Civil Legal Services at the Brooklyn Resource Hub
Throughout New York, many low-income families face obstacles in obtaining legal services. JCF’s grant will provide a supervising attorney, two full-time attorneys, and a paralegal at the Brooklyn Community Resource Hub.
$125,000 to theCommunity Initiative for Holocaust Survivors (CIHS) showcasing “Hours of Freedom”
As part of JCF’s longstanding commitment to supporting Holocaust survivors, it is helping to underwrite a Holocaust commemoration, awareness, and education initiative of the UJA-Federation of New York. On November 12, a concert-drama entitled Hours of Freedom: The Story of the Terezín Composer will showcase music by fifteen composers who were imprisoned in the Terezín ghetto. The performance will benefit CIHS with 100 percent of the funds raised through the event going directly to helping survivors.
$90,000 to support the Marion & Aaron Gural JCC to cover increased food costs at the new Sustenance Center
The Marion & Aaron Gural JCC provides essential community resources to low-income individuals and families in the Five Towns, Far Rockaway and Southwest Region of Long Island. JCF’s grant will help cover increased food costs for over two years of operation at the Sustenance Center. The center is home to the Rina Shkolnik Kosher Food Pantry, along with additional pantries and social, domestic and work related services that help about 300 families, including 700 children a month.