Stepping Up in This Time of Need

 

By Nancy B. Greer
President & CEO
The Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle exists to ensure a vibrant and thriving Jewish community, now and in the future. We are here in times of joy and in times of crisis. The pandemic has swept our community, as it has the rest of the world, without leaving any part of Jewish life unscathed.

 

I am happy to report that your Federation is stepping forward to provide one-time emergency grants to nine Jewish organizations in crisis, locally and in Israel. In normal times, these organizations are effectively self-sustaining and our support is more impactful as an advocate and community services provider. These are not normal times. Many organizations require immediate financial sustaining support. We have stepped up to help.

 

The Federation, along with an anonymous donor who is matching the Federation grants, will extend $450,000 in immediate aid. We are assisting organizations that are wide-reaching community engagers experiencing financial crisis, agencies whose services are in higher demand to care for our Jewish community’s most vulnerable, and partners in Israel providing humanitarian services to at-risk and food-insecure Israelis. Specifically, we are providing one-time grants to:

This is not an exhaustive list of the over 100 Jewish organizations that serve our region. They are partners for which a one-time grant will make a significant difference in helping them manage their unique challenges. The Federation’s ongoing programs are helping Jewish organizations in other ways. We are investing in our Jewish day schools through tuition assistance. We are continuing to support our overseas partners, The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) and the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). We are helping small organizations in our region with Small Agency Sustainability grants.