Jewish Funds for Justice

Jewish Funds for Justice (JFSJ) is predicated on the notion that Jewish identity with social and economic justice at its center is compelling and inspiring to a wide array of individuals and communities today. This theory is borne out by the increasing number of people who gravitate towards JFSJ’s advocacy, service learning and leadership development opportunities in cities around the country. In addition, JFSJ continues to stand alone among Jewish organizations with established seats at grantmaking, community development lending and socially responsible investing tables throughout the United States. 

JFSJ’s innovative programming has evolved at a fast pace. In addition to its award- winning blog, www.jspot.org, and the engagement of more than 14,000 online activists in one year, JFSJ will continue to intensify its web presence in 2009 by launching Eighth Degree, a domestic version of Kiva.org, enabling donors to fund microloans to aspiring business owners through an online mechanism. Also, while service learning trips were new to JFSJ last year, this year hundreds of 14- to 64-year-olds were attracted to Jewish learning and explorations in destinations like Baltimore, the Gulf region and Los Angeles. JFSJ has also committed to partnerships, such as the Isaiah Fund, the  rst national interfaith fund for long-term, domestic disaster recovery and rebuilding. The Fund will initially target the Gulf Coast post-Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and this will become a blueprint for the creation of funds to support recovery from future national disasters. 

One evaluator writes, “I’ve heard the gratitude of Gulf Coast residents. I’ve seen the enthusiasm of newly organized synagogue members. ... We’ve all bene ted from JFSJ’s commitment to equate Jewishness with justice.” President and CEO Simon Greer and his team continue to garner the highest praise as JFSJ seeks to realize its “vast potential” as the current “premier, progressive Jewish organization in the country.”