UJA-Federation of New York

UJA-Federation of New York is the largest local philanthropy in the world. Headquartered in New York City, the organization raises and allocates funds annually to fulfill a mission to “care for Jews everywhere and New Yorkers of all backgrounds, respond to crises close to home and far away, and shape our Jewish future.”
UJA-Federation allocates funding to social service organizations, healthcare organizations, non-governmental organizations, Jewish institutions, and community agencies in New York, Israel, and 70 countries.

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History

UJA-Federation, as it is known today, was created from the 1986 merger of the United Jewish Appeal, established in 1939, and the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York, a predecessor organization established in 1917.
Both the Center for Jewish History and the American Jewish Historical Society, an affiliate of the Smithsonian, houses . Beginning in 1981, the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York conducted an oral history project. It continued through the merger between Federation and the United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York until 2004. A collection of oral histories was published in 1995. During the late 1980s, UJA-Federation participated in the Soviet Jewry Movement with its Passage to Freedom campaign to help Jewish Émigrés from the Soviet Union.
To honor its centennial in 2017, the American Jewish Historical Society produced an exhibition exploring a timeline of UJA-Federation from 1917–2017, PBS produced a documentary for its Treasures of New York series, and a book, UJA-Federation of New York: The First Century, was published.

Funding

In 2016, UJA-Federation's annual campaign raised $153.4 million. Including bequests, endowments, and capital and special gifts, the total amount raised in the year was $207.6 million. In 2021, UJA-Federation's annual campaign raised $63.2 million. Including bequests, endowments, and capital and special gifts, the total amount raised in 2021 was $249.6 million. UJA-Federation's endowment was $1.2 billion as of 2021.

Leadership

Eric S. Goldstein assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer on July 1, 2014, replacing John S. Ruskay, Executive Vice President Emeritus. In July 2018, Rabbi Menachem Creditor assumed the position of Pearl and Ira Meyer Scholar-in-Residence of UJA-Federation. In 2021, UJA-Federation appointed former Israeli Minister of Labor, Welfare, and Social Services, Itzik Shmuli, as the Director-General of its Israel office in Jerusalem. In 2023, New York State Assembly member Daniel Rosenthal joined UJA-Federation as vice president of Government Relations. Linda Mirels was appointed president of UJA-Federation on July 1, 2023; Marc Rowan was appointed chair of the board.

Notable past leadership

As Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York (1917–1986)

As United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York (1942–1986)

As UJA-Federation of New York (1986–Present)

COVID-19 response

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, UJA-Federation allocated nearly $70 million in emergency grants. In 2020–21, UJA-Federation conducted an in-depth examination of the social, economic, and emotional impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the New York Jewish community, surveying 4,400 Jews in the New York City area. The study found that nearly one in six adult Jewish New Yorkers experienced financial setbacks during the pandemic, and three-quarters of Jewish New Yorkers who said they have a substance abuse problem said it worsened during that period.

Response to the war in Ukraine

As of July 2023, UJA-Federation has allocated more than $25 million to respond to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. With an established presence supporting Jews of post-Soviet states, including the approximately 200,000 Jews living in Ukraine at the start of the war, UJA-Federation began crisis response efforts on February 24, 2022, the same day the war began.

Funding allocation

UJA-Federation has allocated grants to 78 unique organizations operating in Ukraine, Europe, Israel, and New York. Grant allocations focus on humanitarian aid, rescue efforts, refugee support, and other critical response areas. Among the organizations founded at the initiative of the UJA-Federation is the Israel Trauma Coalition, founded in 2001, which provides an umbrella framework for the treatment of trauma and emergency preparedness in Israel and around the world.

Response to the 2023 Israel-Hamas War

Following the October 7 attacks on Israel, the UJA-Federation created an "Israel Emergency Fund." As of December 2023, the UJA-Federation has allocated $156 million, with $75 million from Wall Street donors alone, for its "Israel emergency campaign".