National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty rebranding as TEN: Together Ending Need

Four years ago, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and Jewish Funders Network established the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty, and a long overdue conversation began. Recognizing that 20% of Jews experience the depleting effects of poverty, the group rallied dozens of communities, raising awareness, gathering critical data, and, most importantly, taking concrete actions to support individuals in meeting their most fundamental needs. 

Today, we are excited to announce our new name, TEN: Together Ending Need.

Our evolving name signifies an evolution of our work, alongside the same deep commitment. Resourced with new demographic data, numerous successful program pilots, and a strong network of partners, TEN is welcoming its next chapter focused on collaboration and action.   Across the United States, TEN collaborates with funders, institutions, direct services agencies leading the work, and the wider public to foster a Jewish community where every member has their basic needs met. Over the last several months, TEN has expanded its work following the onboarding of poverty expert Rachel Sumekh as project executive in March 2023. 

Simultaneously, we share a new logo accompanying this announcement. Seen below, the image of a maze is reflective of the all too often dizzying, exhausting, confusing, and difficult-to-see-the-light-through path that all too often is the experience of those seeking to find stable housing, dignified employment, affordable childcare, and beyond. We will only solve poverty together, which is why, like a minyan requiring ten people to show up, TEN represents the essentialism of collective action towards our shared goal. And finally, the missing corner, also known as pe’ah, symbolizes the corner of our field we must leave empty each Shmita year. Our tradition mandates sharing our bounty with our peers, and by doing so, we create a path of more ease for those navigating life’s tightest mazes. 

We are TEN, a community of idealistic and ambitious funders and leaders committed to changing the narrative and daily reality around poverty in the Jewish community. We invite you to join us in our work to end poverty! Please contact TEN Project Executive, Rachel Sumekh at rsumekh@jfunders.org 

To become involved in our work, visit our webpage.