Building Community. Saving Lives. - Jewish Federation of San ...

Building Community. Saving Lives.

“
Once the first katyushas were falling,
we understood this war will be different.
Who do I call
I was thinking this one,
then this one. Then I said,
this is what
the Federation system
is all about.
Within minutes, we had the go ahead
to bring 40,000 children
out of harm’s way.
”
Ze’ev Bielski
Jewish Agency for Israel
2

The United Jewish Federation is your commitment to one
of the world’s most successful and innovative humanitarian
networks. Each year, the federation movement invests more
than $3.2 billion—improving the network to build and
strengthen our community; and through that community, to
fight poverty, care for the elderly and to secure the future
of the Jewish people. To help repair the world.
The United Jewish Federation is your response to a world in crisis—
a grassroots, community-wide effort that enables you
to demonstrate your unwavering support for the people
and State of Israel, and to turn on a dime to provide much
needed emergency assistance to all people, whatever their need,
wherever they live.
The United Jewish Federation is your center for Jewish philanthropy,
a robust and diverse community of enterprising funders leveraging
their resources to build constructive, sustainable change for the
Jewish people and the world.
The United Jewish Federation is you,
and your values come to life.

“
It is our

esponsibility
not to give up.
We cannot say it is too hard.
Is it too hard for a parent to
help a child A brother to help
a sister We are a global Jewish
family. Our greatest strength is
our communal responsibility.
Steve Schwager
JDC
”

JEWISH POVERTY
When Yuval Cohen showed
up on what was considered the
worst street in Kiryat Shemona,
everything changed. When asked
what was there now that hadn’t
been there before, one young
man said, “Hope.”
➜ For more,
jewishinsandiego.org/Yuval
“I knew that we needed
counseling. After the divorce
we went to the Federation
and got help for all of us.”
➜ For more,
jewishinsandiego.org/Wendy
“The worst part is not having
water. The hunger, the cold…
they are bad, but the worst is
not having water.”
➜ For more,
jewishinsandiego.org/Inna
Y O U R D O L L A R S A T W O R K
$50
Gas money for
an unemployed
person to go to
a new job
6

For many people, Jewish poverty is an oxymoron. Yet, 800,000
North Americans live at or near the poverty line; 266,000 Jews in the
former Soviet Union; one third of all Israeli children. There are 24,000
poor Jews in Argentina and an estimated 5,400 in Ethiopia. People
praying to return home to Israel, recently divorced or widowed young
mothers and fathers, victims of domestic abuse or cancer, Jewish
seniors choosing between food and medicine all around the world.
RESPONSE: Federation and its partners are building caring communities
that can meet immediate crises, as well as take on systemic
challenges. Leveraging your philanthropic dollars with both private
sources and government funds, Federation embraces new initiatives
and adapts, grows and strengthens scores of already successful
programs that offer a broad array of services.
In North America, the former Soviet Union or in Israel, on any day of
the week, a Jewish family will come to Federation or one of its partners
because they can’t pay the rent. We will discover one child has a learning
disability and the family is using all its reserves on finding help; or
that one of the parents has become a caregiver and hasn’t been able
to work. We will make connections or provide homecare, job training or
food packages. We will give them clothing, furniture or counseling.
With your increased gift, we will give them hope.
$100 $200 $613 $2000
Groceries for a
family in crisis
School supplies for
an Ethiopian-
Israeli child
Six months of
vitamins and
medicines for an
Argentinean
newborn
One school year of
hot meals for four
school children in
the FSU

THE ELDERLY
500,000 North American Jews
are over 75.
20,000 seniors live in 41 Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities
(NORCs). One in four American households are caring for elderly
or disabled family members. 1,000 seniors rely on Federation for
transport to a doctor’s office, grocery store or community center.
More than 11,000 seniors live in Federation-supported housing in
North America; more than 6,000 in Israel. 220,000 elderly Jews in
the FSU rely on federation for food, medicine, winter relief, companionship
and more.
And Holocaust survivors around the world continue to suffer from the
unspeakable acts of violence they endured—living under a conspiracy
of silence, unable to trust anyone, afraid to sign up for anything, even
government assistance … often afraid to admit their frailty, because
in the camps frailty meant death.
RESPONSE: Federation and its partners are worldwide leaders in
delivering the broadest range of innovative services to seniors.
Federation support for NORCs delivers more cost-effective health
and supportive services every day. Adult day care, cooperative health
promotion, crisis prevention, and community improvement initiatives
in the FSU, North America and Israel are changing the face of aging.
Caseworkers reach out to Holocaust survivors at every turn, providing
counseling and a full array of other services as needed. New caregiver
initiatives are providing respite care and support services. In
Washington, Federation partners are advocating for senior housing,
for long-term care and prescription drug benefits while safeguarding
Medicare and Medicaid funding.
With your increased gift, we will do more.
Y O U R D O L L A R S A T W O R K
$18
Nine flu shots
8

Lee Schaefer moved across the
country to be near her family.
She thought it was the end
of her great life experiences.
Then she learned about the
Federation-supported activities
in her apartment complex.
➜ For more,
jewishinsandiego.org/Lee
Cheryl Fishbein was struck
by two things when her
father got sick: How much it
took out of him and how
much it took out of her.
➜ For more,
jewishinsandiego.org/Cheryl
Holocaust survivor Hilda
Diogenes just lost her husband;
her children live out of state;
and her memories are all too
vivid: “They made us all come
outside and they took my
brother’s little baby and threw
it at the wall. It was the
beginning of the terror.”
➜ For more,
jewishinsandiego.org/Hilda
Maria Vassilyevna lived in
terrible conditions after the fall
of the Soviet Union.
“I was in a yard. We couldn’t
even get water. 9 years ago
they told me Jews were buying
me an apartment. Can you
imagine my joy I have been
living in paradise ever since.”
➜ For more,
jewishinsandiego.org/Maria
$65 $365 $850 $2000
One housekeeing
visit for a
senior living
independently
in San Diego
An assessment and
“living well plan”
for adults caring
for aging parents
Dental care for
an elderly person
in Israel
A year of home delivered
Kosher meals for a homebound
senior through the
Foodmobile program from
Jewish Family Service

CRISIS RESPONSE
“
When we work together,
one plus one will be
more than two.
”
Moshe Vigdor
Jewish Agency for Israel
“As we always do, whenever
there are Jews in need, we
come to their aid … But from
the start [of Katrina], we were
also committed to help the
general community.”
Dr. Carol Smokler,
UJC Emergency Committee
➜ For more,
jewishinsandiego.org/Katrina
“Most of those whose lives have
been devastated are those who
lived in the least desirable areas.
They are the poorest of the poor.
These are the people who
are most going to need our
assistance for the long term.”
Judy Amit, JDC
➜ For more,
jewishinsandiego.org/Tsunami
Y O U R D O L L A R S A T W O R K
$60
One day of sumer
camp for a child
living in Nahariya
10

➜ For more, jewishinsandiego.org/Israel
Because of the infrastructure supported by the Federation annual
campaign, 100% of funds raised for the Israel Emergency
Campaign, and for Katrina and Tsunami Relief, went directly to
Federation partners to deliver critical services. In all cases, the
Federation system moved with great agility and proved that crisis
response is the finest expression of our work: ensuring that a
generous network of help reaches those in need.
During the conflict in the north of Israel and the missile fire
in Sderot, funds went to upgrade and repair bomb shelters; to
activity kits for children; to move more than 70,000 children out
of harm’s way; and to provide emergency assistance to the elderly
and disabled. After the war in Lebanon, your dollars rebuilt
damaged absorption centers and schools; supported school readiness
and after-school activities; provided trauma counseling and
easy-to-access small business grants.
The impact of the extraordinary work of your Federation partners
during Katrina was felt by every affected community. For many, it
was an eye-opening experience. Federation dealt with diverse
organizations and communities, forming valuable relationships.
Federation partners in Southeast Asia launched partnerships to
distribute food in the Tsunami-ravaged region, to build temporary
housing for hundreds of families and to establish 10 “Healing
Camps” to serve vulnerable Thai youth.
$150 $1700 $3000 $300,000
An hour of posttrauma
counseing
for a Katrina victim
Installing one airconditioning
unit
in an Israeli public
bomb shelter
Two months of
temporary housing
for a family diplaced
by Katrina
A fully outfitted
mobile medical
unit for use in a
disaster region

PEOPLEHOOD
“We Jews are a unique people—
a religion, a nation, a civilization—
with a 3,000-year history of
commitment to Peoplehood. Jewish
culture was built on togetherness.
”
Joe Kanfer
ujc
birthright israel provides
free trips to Israel to
young Jewish adults in
North America, the
former Soviet Union
and throughout Europe
and South America.
➜ For more,
jewishinsandiego.org/birthright
“We are the only Jewish
organization in the
business of community
building.”
HOWARD RIEGER, UJC
➜ For more,
jewishinsandiego.org/peoplehood
Y O U R D O L L A R S A T W O R K
$25 $80
Membership
to a Jewish
Youth Club in
the FSU
Month of preschool/
supportive services
for an Ethiopian-
Israeli child
12

Peoplehood is the instinctive feeling that we belong to the Jewish
People. Acting on that feeling, and building a Jewish community that
touches all Jews — a community that is open and responsive and
strong — is the core work of the Federation.
With your support, United Jewish Federation has taken responsibility
for ensuring the basic needs of the Jewish people in our communities,
in Israel and around the world during much of the 20th and now 21st
centuries. Basic needs that were once limited to ensuring physical
safety and security; and today, include the primary existential need
for individual meaning and connection to community.
It is a commitment to Peoplehood that has enabled the Federation to
thrive and fulfill its mission. But today — removed from our European
immigrant roots, the Shoah and the birth of the State of Israel
— being Jewish is no longer a condition, but a choice. And more and
more of our resources must be allocated to reconnecting all Jews to
the Jewish people.
RESPONSE: The United Jewish Federation works to enrich and
strengthen Jewish life in North America, Israel and around the world,
creating an inspired community based on Torah, justice, caring, service
and our connection to Israel. We work to leverage our human,
intellectual and financial resources to build strategic, collaborative
partnerships, with congregations, private foundations and key
government agencies.
With your help, we can do more.
$500 $1500 $7500
Educational materials
and equipment for
a kindergarten in
Poland
Post-birthright seminar
for 10 young Jews in
Germany
A year’s rent and
basic expenses for a
new immigrant family
in Israel

YOUR OVERSEAS PARTNERS
The Jewish Agency for Israel connects the Federation community
in an unmatched global partnership singularly devoted to ensuring
the future of the Jewish people with a strong Israel at its heart. The
Jewish Agency works in communities around the world with a dual
purpose: To keep the promise to every Jew, who for any reason,
at any time, wants to come home to Israel; and to put Israel into
the lives of the Jewish world’s next generation. Through dynamic
partnership platforms with the people of Israel, such as
Partnership 2000 and Youth Futures, the Jewish Agency also
creates equal opportunity for at-risk immigrants and young people,
strengthens Israel’s vulnerable communities, and connects all
of the Jewish people in shaping the future character of Israeli
society. And in times of crisis, the Jewish Agency works with its
partners around the world to mobilize immediately and address the
urgent and ongoing needs of populations in distress.
Founded in 1914, The American Jewish Joint Distribution
Committee (JDC) gives global expression to the principle that all
Jews are responsible for one another. Working on behalf of North
America’s Jewish Federations, JDC is dedicated to rescuing those
in danger, providing relief to Jews in distress, and revitalizing
Jewish communities. JDC is committed to helping Israel’s most
vulnerable citizens overcome the social challenges they still face
through special partnerships and innovation. In the spirit of
“healing the world,” JDC also offers non-sectarian disaster relief
and longer-term development assistance worldwide.

programs & partners receiving funding from UJF in 2006-2007
Agency for Jewish Education
Educators’ Conferences
Hebrew Teachers’ Workshops
High School of Jewish Studies
Melton Adult Mini-School
Special Needs Resources Program
San Diego Educators Standard for Excellence:
Rosh Hodesh: It's a Girl Thing
Day School Marketing Initiative
Hillel of San Diego
Campus Shabbat Celebrations
Holiday Celebrations
Graduate Student Program Director
Jewish Family Service
College Avenue Senior Center
Foodmobile
Jewish BigPals
Jewish Healing Center/JACS
Mood Disorders
North County Inland Senior Center
Project Sarah
Rides & Smiles (Senior Transportation)
Senior Nutrition Program
University City Senior Center
Youth Assessment & Development
Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS
Astor Judaica Library
Camp Judaica Specialist
Enhancing the Lives of Senior Adults
Inclusion
Jewish & Single in San Diego
Jewish Single Parents
Judaic Specialist
Shalom Baby
Teen Program
Seacrest Retirement Village
Senior Fitness
Community Programs
BBYO
Community Chaplain Program
Community Outreach Program
Ken Youth Movement
San Diego Day School Scholarships
Summer Resident Camp Scholarships
UJF’s Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel Independence Day)
UJF’s Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Commeration)
UJF’s Yom Hazikaron
(Israel Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism Remembrance Day)
Young Judaea
San Diego Jewish Day Schools
Chabad Hebrew Academy
San Diego Jewish Academy
Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School
Southern California Yeshiva High School
Torah High School of San Diego
Overseas Funding
American Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)
Ibim/San Diego Student Village
Jewish Agency For Israel (JAFI)
Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council
United Jewish Communities (UJC)
UJF Israel Center, LLC:
Israel @60 Celebration Events
Israel Student Travel Scholarships
Jacobs International Teen Leadership Institute
Jewish Communal Professionals Exchange
Scott Stone Israel Teen Trip

Photographs by Jonathan Levine, Jeffrey Neira, Lloyd Wolf and Getty Images.
jewishinsandiego.org