Jewish Federations of North America: Building Israel's Communal Infrastructure for Over 75 Years

Ever since Israel was founded 75 years ago – and even prior to that – North American Jews have played a key role in the remarkable development of the Jewish homeland, facilitating the creation of its physical, economic, social and cultural infrastructure and boosting the welfare of its growing population. In the early days, most of these efforts were driven by the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) and the Council of Jewish Federations (CJF) – two venerable organizations that later merged, to be reborn as the North American Jewish Federation system.

In its current and former incarnations, Jewish Federations have consistently initiated and enabled numerous large-scale projects that were crucial to meeting real needs and existential challenges in Israel. These initiatives were made possible thanks to the generosity of hundreds of thousands of North American donors.

On many occasions throughout Israel’s history, Federations have rapidly responded to the changing realities on the ground by organizing special campaigns to meet sudden needs in Israel. Among the many examples: Operation Exodus in 1989, when funds were raised to help more than 185,000 Jews from the Soviet Union resettle in Israel; and emergency fund-raising campaigns in response to Operation Cast Lead in 2008, Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012, and Operation Protective Edge in 2014, among others.

Far from being confined to emergencies, Jewish Federations have strengthened and supported Israel through a large variety of important initiatives through the quieter times as well. Indeed, they were founding partners in two of the most far-reaching projects aimed at strengthening the bond between Israel and the Diaspora: Birthright Israel and Masa.

Historical foundational investment
One of the Federations’ most substantial contributions to Israel’s long-term wellbeing is undoubtedly the Israel Education Fund (IEF), a little-known but hugely consequential initiative. Founded in 1964, IEF is a historic foundational investment by North American Jewry in the State of Israel’s communal infrastructure. Over the years, it has raised a remarkable $1.7 billion (in 2021 dollars) from 5,000 donors.

In the nearly 60 years since it was established, IEF has built approximately 1,000 high schools, day care centers, senior citizens centers, libraries, sports facilities and regional colleges in dozens of Israeli towns, from Kiryat Shmona in the north to Eilat in the south. Through the Fund, Federations own 867 properties throughout Israel and manage 64 institutions. More than 10,000 Israelis make use of these institutions every day.

The long list of Israeli assets currently owned by the Federations and the Jewish Agency for Israel through the Israel Education Fund includes 421 kindergartens, 124 community centers, 68 schools, 45 sports facilities, 37 libraries, 27 day centers for the elderly, six youth villages and three absorption centers for olim, among others.

These community institutions help Jewish Federations maintain close relationships with municipalities throughout Israel and ensure that local needs are being met according to each community’s priorities. Federations collaborate closely with local partners, including the Jewish Agency, to ensure that all properties honor the donors’ intent while furthering the public interest.

The Chicago Community Center in Lod is an example of an IEF institution which impacts Israeli society every day: its multicultural activities serve the diverse Jewish and Arab communities in the neighborhood where it is located and encourage coexistence. Another example is the Academic College Levinsky-Wingate, whose Tel Aviv campus is one of the leading teachers’ training institutions in Israel while its Netanya campus educates Israel’s top athletes.

Specific projects for prospective donors
The impetus for the Israel Education Fund was a report submitted by prominent North American educators who studied Israel’s educational landscape in the early 1960s. Their report stressed the need to improve educational opportunities for children whose parents had immigrated from Asian and African countries.

In September 1964, following a year of preliminary high-level discussions, 300 top leaders of the North American Jewish community convened to discuss the proposed Fund. They approved the project, and the Israel Education Fund was officially launched. In addition to building and equipping 72 high schools, as well as establishing pre-kindergarten schools, youth centers, libraries, science laboratories and other projects throughout Israel, the Fund was tasked with providing $52 million in scholarships to thousands of Israeli students and teacher trainees.

The minimum gift accepted by donors was set at $100,000, to be payable over 3-5 years. These gifts had to be in addition to the donors’ annual contribution to the regular UJA campaign. However, unlike the UJA campaign, which targeted the entire North American Jewish community, the Israel Education Fund proactively approached prospective donors with specific projects. Donors were able to name the school or other facility to which they gave money. The new Fund was established as a separate department of the UJA, with its own lay chairperson and lay president, and its own professional staff.

This important Fund is one of the many Federation undertakings that have helped Israel thrive socially and culturally, and to this day it serves as a robust platform for future growth.

A Timeline of Jewish Federations’ Investments in Israel

1948
Some 50,000 newcomers, mainly Holocaust survivors, reach Israel thanks to funds raised by UJA Federation campaigns

1948-49
Through Operation Magic Carpet, the UJA Federation Campaign helps rescue more than 50,000 Yemenite Jews. Campaign funds also bring 125,000 Iraqi Jews to Israel on Operation Ezra

1964
Israel Education Fund (IEF) is created

1985
Operation Moses – 7,000 Ethiopian Jews are rescued

1987
UIA Assembly resolution directs the Jewish Agency to support programs fostering religious pluralism in Israel

1989
UJA initiates Passage to Freedom, raising $46 million for Soviet Aliya

1990
Operation Exodus – the largest emergency fund-raising event in Jewish history. UJA funds help more than 185,200 Jews from the Soviet Union reach freedom

1999
Birthright Israel is launched

2001
Ethiopian National Project (ENP) is launched to facilitate the successful absorption of Ethiopian immigrants in Israeli society

2002
Israel Emergency Campaign raises hundreds of millions of dollars for critical needs, and financial help and trauma relief for terror victims

2003
Masa is launched, to encourage Jewish youth to spend a semester or a year in Israel

2005
Operation Promise brings Ethiopian Jews to Israel, helps mainstream the Ethiopian-Israeli community, feeds poor, elderly Jews in the former Soviet Union and strengthens Jewish identity among young Jews there

2006
Second Israel Emergency Campaign provides trauma counseling, enrichment programs, and economic assistance to Israelis affected by the Second Lebanon War. $350 million dollars was pledged in just five months

2006
Sheatufim: The Israel Center for Civil Society is founded, to promote a civil society that is pluralistic, proactive, influential, professional and collaborative

2008
Jewish Federations raise $7 million during Operation Cast Lead to address immediate needs

2010
The massive Carmel Forest fire claims
44 lives. Jewish Federations raise $2.7 million to help Israel recover from the fires

2012
Jewish Federations open a fund in response to Operation Pillar of Defense

2014
Jewish Federations allocate more than $30M following Operation Protective Edge

2016
$1.18 million is allocated by Federations to support urgent needs following massive wildfires

2018
Federations allocate $400,000 to help organizations working locally respond to the fires caused by flaming kites and balloons launched from the Gaza Strip and to minimize the psychological consequences for the residents

2021
During Operation Guardian of the Walls, Jewish Federations open a fund to address immediate needs and to build resilience for the Israeli communities affected by the violence. $1.85 million was allocated to help Israel respond and recover

2022
Federations collectively help 15,000 Ukrainian olim fleeing from the Russian invasion

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