Latest volume of Jewish Funders Network’s “Greenbook” series provides a snapshot of the emerging field of young adults at risk in Israel.

Jewish Funders Network announced the release of a new guide to funding support for young adults at risk in Israel at the JFN 2019 International Conference in San Francisco on March 19th. Greenbook, Volume 6 provides a snapshot of the emerging field of young adults at risk in Israel.

Tens of thousands of young adults in Israel lack a family support network. When young Israeli adults from dysfunctional or struggling families, or those who have been in State boarding schools or foster care, reach the age of 18, they become adults by law and are expected to integrate into society on their own. Without further support, they face steep odds against breaking the cycle of poverty and achieving their potential.

The number of young adults who can be called "at risk" in Israel may be as high as 120,00 to 200,000, the guide estimates.

Greenbooks are topical research reports for funders, published by Jewish Funders Network. Each volume highlights a challenge facing the Jewish community, maps out the history and background, and details a wide range of approaches to solving the problem.

"This new Greenbook brings to light a problem that too few funders know about," said Shula Mozes of the Mozes-Wolfowitz Foundation, which sponsored the new Greenbook. "We know about poverty, we know about housing problems, we know about employment problems, and we even know how many of these challenges intersect for this population — while they're still children. But once these struggling children become adults, society — government and philanthropy alike — too often forgets them and lets them slip through the cracks. But growing up doesn't make the problems go away. Sometimes, the problems even get worse because the support doesn't continue long enough, and they are doomed to a life of continuous survival only. Effective support can help them become independent, contributing citizens who fulfill their inner potential."

Maya Natan, Director of JFN Israel, hopes the new resource will prompt more and smarter involvement from philanthropists. "We want funders to consider this population and this issue in a new way," she said. "That's what these Greenbooks are for. When you zoom out and see the whole picture of an issue in its context, funders will begin to talk about it more, devote more resources to the cause, and do so more effectively because they understand all the moving parts within the problem, not just the obvious parts." 

JFN often convenes "Greenbook Salons" to accompany the release of new Greenbooks, bringing funders interested in the issue together to learn, connect, and lay the groundwork for future engagement and collaboration. Salons accompanying this release are occurring this week in San Francisco and Los Angeles. "Funder collaboration is what JFN is all about," says Natan. "We can do so much more if we act collectively. We hope this publication can spark new funder-led partnerships, as well as providing the tools and perspective to make those partnerships work effectively."

Greenbook, Volume 6: Young Adults At Risk in Israel was written for funders and is freely available to all on the JFN website.

Author: Itamar Yakir

Editor: Ariel Adiram

Translation (English version): Tami Shamir and Maya Kasir, Legal Transliteration Ltd.

Advisory Committee:

• Barak Dotan
• Anna Erez
• Natan Gelman
• Dr. Chaim Lahav

About JFN:

Jewish Funders Network is the global networking organization for Jewish philanthropists, with members in 14 countries worldwide and offices in New York, Israel, and Los Angeles. JFN members’ annual charitable giving is estimated at over $1 billion. JFN is a community that grows the size and impact of Jewish philanthropy. We connect funders together, empower individual excellence, and catalyze collective action. We work for a vibrant, meaningful, inclusive, interconnected, creative, and compassionate world. Learn more at www.jfunders.org 

Press Contact:

Seth Chalmer
Director of Communications, Jewish Funders Network
[email protected]