Joining Together to End Jewish Poverty

TEN envisions a world where every Jew, regardless of their income, can have their needs met and live a thriving Jewish life. 

When it comes to taking action, poverty can at times feel intractable–– but it is solvable. 

Who are we to say it is too difficult when there are thousands of Jewish human service agency staff at a range of organizations helping Jews when life sends challenges their way. Yet, these agencies are often under-funded and not equipped to meet the full scale of the problem. That’s where we come in.

We mobilize our community of funders to scale up our Jewish support systems and make sure they’re significantly resourced to be successful, so that every Jew who falls into economic insecurity has a place to turn. 

This high holidays, join us in funding your local Jewish human services agency. Locate your neighborhood's provider by searching the over 170 agencies here.

Rachel Sumekh 
Project Executive,
TEN: Together Ending Need 

"It is significantly easier to keep someone housed than it is to find housing for someone who is homeless." 

Andres: Why isn't Jewish Poverty front of mind for more donors?

Rachel: Its a great question because taking action on Jewish poverty goes back to the founding thread of our Jewish organized life as we know it. And there are many Jewish donors from Jeff Schoenfeld to the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation to Cindy Golub for whom it is front of mind. 

Episode 55 of What Gives? The Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network, hosted by JFN  President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny. In this episode, Andrés speaks with  Rachel Sumekh, Project Executive of TEN: Together Ending Need, a collaborative initiative of funders working to ensure that all Jews have access to basic needs. Rachel highlights the reality of Jewish poverty, dispels the myths surrounding it, and sheds light on how poverty impacts all sectors of the Jewish community. Rachel brings both data and heart to this important conversation, as we explore ways the Jewish philanthropic community can tackle these challenges.

Take a Listen

By TEN Advisory Board member Dr. Ilana Horwitz and JFNA Chief Impact Officer Mimi Kravitz

The High Holidays are a time of renewal, reflection and community. They also offer synagogues and Jewish organizations a crucial chance to embrace these disconnected Jews, build relationships and connect them more deeply to the community. To meet this moment, synagogues and Jewish organizations must take concrete steps. A good place to start being cost. 

Low income Jews are three times more likely to say that cost keeps them from joining synagogues. Offering free tickets for first-time attendees, or expanding services to accommodate those without tickets, can make a significant difference.

The barriers to entry for low-income Jews are not always financial or logistical, but can also be social. Sometimes they struggle with not seeming like the ideal “type” of Jew that synagogues might wish to have as a member. A mother of three in her early 30s, with visible tattoos, shared her hesitation about joining a synagogue due to fears of not fitting in. “I don’t give off a ‘Jewish look’ or vibe,” she told us. “I don’t want to be known as the person always haggling for financial aid.”

Read more in the Forward

Join us at the JFNA General Assembly

FEATURED SESSION

We Can’t Afford To Lose Them: Why Millions of Low Income Jews Disengage and What We Can Do 

Monday, Nov. 11th 10:30 – 11:45 AM

New research shows that 20% of North American Jews experience financial vulnerability. Low income Jews today are more desiring of Jewish connection and yet are less aware of the myriad resources and community available. Dr. Ilana Horwitz’ new work on Life Course Theory has pinpointed where disengagement happens and the individual or family become “untethered.” The session will begin with a brief presentation on the findings, followed by a discussion highlighting real world examples of how Federations, Jewish organizations and philanthropists around the country are working to build a community where truly everyone thrives. 

LUNCH DEEP DIVE AND DISCUSSION

Financial Inclusion: How to prioritize low-income Jews in your community

Monday, Nov. 11th, 12:00 - 1:30 PM

This session will take you through an interactive guided exercise to incorporate a financial inclusion lens in your community. We will discuss bright spots from other communities, provide a high-level roadmap for ensuring that low-income Jews are included in planning from day 1, and create space for interactive dialogue for both professional and lay participants to plan for kicking off this work back home. While not required, we recommend pairing this session with the breakout session “ We Can’t Afford To Lose Them: Why Millions of Low Income Jews Disengage and What We Can Do”, scheduled directly prior tot his lunch. 

Let us know you'll be there by emailing rsumekh@jfunders.org

WHAT WE'RE READING

Funder Convening: Jewish Economic Insecurity in New York 

Last week, twenty funders convened on a day of site visits focused on economic vulnerability among New York's Jewish community. The gathering was hosted by The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, UJA Federation NY and JFN's TEN. 

We started the morning at the Commonpoint Queen’s’ Jack and Shirley Silver Hub, where we learned about their co-located services., and had lunch catered by the Hub’s incredible culinary program trainees. In short, at the Silver Hub, you’re able to pick up food, get workforce training, meet with your case manager, get legal support, and more all in one place. As we learned from CEO Danielle Elleman, every day the Hub is open, two people land stable and supportive jobs in cybersecurity, healthcare, construction and more. 

Following a presentation on national studies and data from UJA’s  2023 New York Jewish Community study, attendees shared examples of grants they’ve been part of that had a significant impact. Some of the characteristics that stood out about these grants: 

• They included elements of scaling 
• They leverage the capacity and strengths the organization already has 
• Strong investment in reporting, data tracking, and evolution 
• A group (like federation) provides umbrella-like support to ease any competition
• They are timed well 
• Once a model is proven effective, making a long-term (10 year) commitment 
• For seed stage funders, making grants that propagate other grants and leaders
• Framing things like scholarships as awards rather than a handout 
• Scrupulous attention so that each dollar that is intended for a client gets to them
  

We then spent the afternoon at Queens College Hillel, one of several CUNY Hillels that, through philanthropic support, has a full-time clinical social worker as part of their senior staff. We also heard from a panel of students. When asked “If you had an unlimited budget, what else would you want Hillel to provide?” one student said, “I feel like any ask I have, my Hillel is able to support me.” Since the onset of the pandemic, the Queens Hillel team has offered multiple free meals a week, access to a client-choice digital food pantry, mental health support, career support, a safe space to chill and so much more. As the Queens Hillel Executive Director Jenna Citron Schwab shared “There is no way we can go back from here” putting a call to funders about the necessity of continuing to invest in the salary of a social worker and a wide variety of social services embedded in Hillel.

A recent Rosov study showed that 72% of students said they were more comfortable accessing social services at Hillel than anywhere else. 

Our national data shows that financially vulnerable Jews feel more welcome in spaces that are diverse and have explicit inclusion policies. If there is one takeaway from our afternoon, it is that access to supportive services not only helps meet basic needs, but builds Jewish communities that are more welcoming, supportive, and inclusive. 

Want to learn more about Jewish economic vulnerability? Connect with Rachel Sumekh at rsumekh@jfunders.org.

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 economic insecurity, 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.

We will only solve economic insecurity together, which is why, like a minyan requiring ten people to show up, TEN represents the essentialism of collective action towards our shared goal. Our evolving name signifies an evolution of our work, alongside the same deep commitment. 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. 

Rachel Sumekh

Project Executive, TEN: Together Ending Need
Jewish Funders Network
rsumekh@jfunders.org

NEW REPORT:

The Case of the Missing Narrative: Hollywood, Media, and Jewish Poverty

What is the story of the Jewish people in America today? In order to better understand how Hollywood and the media shape our community's narrative, we set out to explore the stories of Jewish wealth and poverty Americans are presented with on film, television, and in the news media.

Through a new report, we learned that for every TV and film portrayal of a Jewish person experiencing poverty, there are NINE times as many wealthy Jews. Yet according to Pew Research, in 2021, 26% of American Jews had difficulty paying their bills at least once that year. Read coverage in JTA.

Please join us for a webinar led by the report’s author Mik Moore and other guests on October 30th. 

From Temporary Structures to Permanent Solutions: How Jewish Nonprofits Lean In to Address Poverty

by Jon Hornstein
Program Director, The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation

Empathy is a core theme of Sukkot, a Jewish holiday that begins this Friday evening. Many Jews who observe this holiday dwell in temporary structures — called sukkahs — for seven days to remember when their ancestors did the same in the desert after escaping slavery in Egypt. For this reason, many have made connections between Sukkot and homelessness.

While living in a sukkah does not replicate homelessness, it helps us empathize with our fellow kin in humanity who are struggling to make ends meet, and consider ways we may support them. Sukkot is therefore an appropriate time to address the third and final question in our blog series on Jewish poverty: What might the Jewish nonprofit sector contribute to the broader fight against poverty?

Read more.

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.

OCTOBER 2022

Dear Friend ,

Sukkot is a time of gathering. Family and friends gather in temporary huts outside to mark the fall harvest and the time the Israelites spent wandering through the desert. I used to take for granted the fact that we could gather in person to celebrate Sukkot and other holidays. After the Covid pandemic, this is no longer the case. Simply being able to come together as a community is now something to be thankful for.

The temporary huts, the sukkot themselves, are a symbol of impermanence. This holiday more than any other reminds us that everything that we have in life is ephemeral. One strong gust of wind, one virus, one bad investment can change everything. This is of course deeply relevant to our shared work fighting poverty. According to the Pew Research Center’s 2020 survey of Jewish Americans, 17 percent of Jews are either just barely meeting or are not able to meet basic expenses, meaning they are one bad event away from everything falling apart.

As we sit in our sukkot this fall, let us renew our dedication to help those who most need a solid dwelling, a good meal, and a regular paycheck. Alleviating poverty is not an easy task, and often we do not get to see immediate results. But this work is meaningful and necessary. As Pirkei Avot teaches: Lo alecha ham'lacha ligmor, V'lo ata ben chorim l'hibatil mimena - It is not your duty to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.”

Thankfully this year we are free to gather again and can continue to support each other. I look forward to seeing many of you in person at the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly in Chicago in October and the Hillel International Global Assembly in Dallas in December. Please join our Poverty Affinity Group sessions and gatherings at both. We can’t wait to be with you in person again! You will also want to attend an upcoming webinar on Israel's new disabilities law and to read this newsletter's "Bright Spot" feature on how Footsteps helps formerly ultra-Orthodox Jews get out of poverty, as well as articles about the Jewish aspects of anti-poverty work, free consulting on climate-related philanthropy, a call for proposals, and more!

May you and your loved ones be able to gather this Sukkot and enjoy this time of our rejoicing.

B’Shalom,

Rabbi Rebecca W. Sirbu
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
rebecca@jfunders.org

—In-Person Events—

Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) General Assembly
Chicago: Sunday, October 30–Tuesday, November 1

The Affinity Group will be partnering with JFNA on two sessions. For questions, email Jessica Mehlman.

Community is an Intervention: Promoting Youth & Young Adult Well-Being and Mental Health in the Jewish Community
Sunday, 4:45 – 6:15 p.m.

The Jewish community is not immune to the youth mental health crisis. While today’s teens and young adults may be more apt to talk about their challenges, persistent myths and stereotypes undermine their ability to get the support they need. In this session, moderated by Susan Ditkoff of The Bridgespan Group, we’ll examine the systemic causes that have accelerated mental health challenges and their inequitable impact. We will also highlight promising community-driven responses and evidence-based practices that Federations, organizations, and individuals can adopt to promote youth well-being. Speakers include Alex Roth Kahn of UJA-Federation of New York; Drew Fidler of the BBYO Center for Adolescent Wellness, and Ami Altzman of Keshet.

Deep Dive Convening Around Jewish Poverty Data
Tuesday, 8:30–11:30 a.m.

JFNA and The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation are working with 13 Federations to collect better data on poverty in the Jewish community. Join us as we share learnings from the demographic studies to date and discuss how communities are using, or are planning to use, the data. Speakers include Benjamin Mann of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, N.J., Karen Galin of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, and Heidi Gantwerk of Jewish Federation of San Diego County.

Hillel International Global Assembly
Dallas: Monday, December 12 – Tuesday, December 13

Hillel International Global Assembly (HIGA) is a venue for Hillel’s volunteer leaders and supporters to connect with each other and with Hillel’s professional leadership. All attendees of the Affinity Group’s convening are welcome to register for the HIGA program in its entirety, which will highlight themes of poverty and food insecurity throughout the program. More details will be released closer to the event. Email questions about the Affinity group's session to Tamar Frydman.

Poverty on Campus
Tuesday, December 13, 2-5 p.m.

While most American Jewish college students are middle or upper-middle class, a sizable minority, many of them the first generation in their family to attend college, struggle financially during their years on campus. This is particularly true at commuter schools like the City University of New York system where, a 2019 UJA-Federation of New York study found, that fully half of the Jewish students experienced food insecurity. In this convening, we’ll explore how Hillel and other Jewish organizations can better engage and serve financially vulnerable Jewish students. We’ll hear from Jewish students and professionals with lived experience of poverty and learn from funders and practitioners about several approaches being piloted at different campuses.

Jewish Funders Network International Conference
Phoenix: March 19-21, 2023

JFN’s International Conference is the premier event in Jewish philanthropy and where you'll find the ideas, skills -- and most importantly -- people that will make your philanthropy even more effective. The conference, open to JFN members and those eligible for membership, will feature a wide range of programming, including around issues of poverty. Registration will open in December. 

—Webinars—

Ensuring Israelis with Disabilities Can Obtain and Retain Employment
Wednesday, October 26, 12–1 p.m. ET
(9–10 a.m. PT)

The Knesset recently passed the groundbreaking "Social Services Law for People with Disabilities," which aims to improve the lives of people with disabilities in a variety of ways. Among its many other benefits, the new law will open the door for increased employment and job training opportunities for people with disabilities and will create new opportunities for funders to engage in this field in innovative ways. Speakers include Ayala Davidowitz of the Joint Distribution Committee, Orly Fruchter of the Azrieli Foundation, Reuben D. Rotman of the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, Erin Riehle of Project Search, and JFN member Jennifer Mizrahi of the Mizrahi Family Charitable Fund.

Open to JFN members and those eligible for JFN membership.

—Bright Spot—

Footsteps Toward Financial Empowerment

Footsteps member Sarah Rosenberg at her graduation. (Photo courtesy of Footsteps)

Jews leaving New York’s ultra-Orthodox, or haredi, communities face a wide range of challenges, including culture shock, the risk of losing custody of children, ostracism – and in some cases even the need to learn English as a second language. But one of the greatest, and most immediate, challenges is financial. According to Footsteps, an organization providing comprehensive services to this population, more than 95 percent of its clients are in poverty upon leaving, or soon after leaving, the haredi community.

Many struggled with poverty even before leaving the haredi world, where, as a recent New York Times investigation highlighted, schools offer extremely limited secular education, particularly for boys. Lacking math, writing, and other skills, many if not most graduates of these schools are unprepared for jobs outside the community. Meanwhile, even those who were not in poverty when they were haredi, are often fired from jobs at haredi-owned businesses or institutions or evicted from apartments when they come out, or are outed, as no longer observant. In addition, because haredi Jews marry and start families young, by the time people decide to leave the community they often have several children to support.

Footsteps, which served 1,300 people last year, is best known for offering support groups, counseling, and a community for Jews leaving the haredi world. However, helping people overcome poverty is a major part of its work. At the center of this is education: providing advice, mentorship, internships, and scholarships (awarding $500,000 in scholarships annually) to enable people to overcome the shortcomings in their secular education and pursue college or vocational training.

Footsteps celebrates all member successes — from someone living on their own for the first time or choosing a hairstyle that feels authentic to who they are to academic and professional wins. Multiple people came to Footsteps without a high school diploma and went on to win Fulbright fellowships, and one Footsteps member is currently training to be a rocket scientist. But poverty often gets in the way of success, which is why Footsteps has expanded beyond education and job training.

It also offers other social services, such as help applying for government benefits, in-house, and trains lawyers, crisis counselors, therapists, and other social service providers in “cultural competency” for formerly haredi Jews. In the past nine months, it has provided this training to 239 people in 13 different organizations.

During Covid, Footsteps dramatically increased the amount of emergency cash assistance it provided, allocating $380,000 to 173 people for this purpose between March 2020 and April 2022. Most of those funds have gone toward housing. Now, the organization is exploring ways to expand its housing assistance for individuals in the early stages of transitioning from haredi life to the mainstream world.

“Without stable housing, it’s hard to go to school and find a job and do all the things you need to do to move out of poverty,” explained Chani Getter, Footsteps’ scholar in residence.

To learn more about Footsteps, visit footstepsorg.org or email lani@footstepsorg.org

—News—

What's Jewish About Anti-Poverty Work?

"I am often asked about the 'Jewish' in Jewish poverty," writes Jon Hornstein, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation's lead for the Affinity Group. "What is Jewish about anti-poverty work? Why is it important to focus on providing direct services within the Jewish community to complement broader efforts? And what might the Jewish nonprofit sector contribute to the fight against poverty in the United States and beyond?" Get answers to these questions in Jon's blog post. 

Weinberg's anti-poverty work goes well beyond the Jewish community, as noted in a recent Inside Philanthropy article about the foundation's anti-poverty grantmaking in Baltimore, where it allocates $30 million annually. In the article, Aaron Merki, chief program officer at Weinberg explains that it is "not just writing checks to high-quality organizations, which we still do sometimes, and that’s very meaningful work, but actually deeply researching and defining problems because we want to help move the needle in a community.” 

Free Consulting on Environmental Funding

Whether disproportionately impacted by pollution or uprooted from their homes in disasters exacerbated by climate change, people living in poverty are particularly vulnerable to the effects of the global environmental crisis. If you'd like to incorporate climate change work into your anti-poverty philanthropy, you can sign up for free consulting sessions with Gil Ya'acov, program manager of JFN's Green Funders Forum, a peer network that seeks to bring the climate crisis and sustainability issues to the forefront of the philanthropic community. Consultations are limited to JFN members and those eligible for membership.

Gil has advised leading philanthropic foundations, including Yad Hanadiv, The Ruderman Family Foundation, The Sheli Fund, The Stein Family Fund, and others, helping create philanthropic strategies for impacting Israel's environment. He is able to advise funders working in Israel, North America, and beyond. Gil has served as founder, director, and board member of leading environmental organizations in Israel over the past 20 years and was chosen as one of the 100 most influential people in Israel by Israel's The Marker Magazine in 2018, for his role as the founder and executive director of 15 Minutes: Public Transit Alliance in Israel. To schedule a consulting session, email Gil Ya'acov.

Call for Proposals

The Jewish Foundation for Education of Women (JFEW), a private philanthropy that helps women of all backgrounds meet their educational and career goals, seeks proposals for research and advocacy projects that will address the needs of Jewish college students from low-income and working-class backgrounds, as well as middle-income families facing financial challenges. The foundation's goal is to support research that will help colleges, universities, Jewish communal organizations, student groups, and other stakeholders improve college completion rates for Jewish students with financial needs. Grants will be given to support: 1) research regarding financial need among Jewish college students at two and four-year institutions; and 2) advocacy campaigns intended to improve college access, persistence, and completion for this demographic, based on evidence from existing literature and research in the field. Up to $150,000 will be distributed for this grant cycle.

Visit JFEW's website for details and immediate next steps, including a request for project information due November 10, 2022. Contact Stacey Winter with questions.

—Resources—

Affinity Group Videos

Explore the library of Affinity Group videos, on this playlist on JFN's YouTube channel. For a more focused experience, check out the following Affinity Group playlists:

• Our "Success Factors" series includes videos on "Engaging People with Lived Experiences" and "Best Practices Addressing Jewish Poverty in Small Towns."
• Our Covid briefing series includes videos on "The Intersection of Government and Philanthropy in Addressing Jewish Poverty" and "How the Pandemic is Impacting Jews of Color."

The Affinity Group Website

Your one-stop shop for all Affinity Group videos, briefing papers, newsletters, and other materials. www.jfunders.org/affinity

Grantmaking Professionals Exchange

The JFN Grantmaking Professionals Exchange aims to strengthen relationships and enhance strategic, technical, and Jewish learning among professionals across the field of Jewish community philanthropy. The Exchange is managed in partnership with Third Plateau Social Impact Strategies. Offerings include monthly online convenings, mentor matching, a new group for small-staffed foundations, and peer learning groups.

—From the Field—

These Job-Training Programs Work, and May Show Others the Way
(The New York Times, October 3)

The White House Wants to End Hunger by 2030. Here’s What It Means for Nonprofits.
(Chronicle of Philanthropy, September 26)

How to Fix Food Supply Chains? Make Them More Local
(Bloomberg, August 16)

This Nonprofit Is Showing How Rigorous Data Analysis Can Dramatically Curb Youth Homelessness
(Geek Wire, August 11)

How an NYC Nonprofit Is Redesigning Food Pantries 
(Foodtank], August 1)

JULY 2022

Dear Friend,

I hope you are having a great summer!

Though it may not feel like it right now, fall is just around the corner. I'm particularly excited that we'll be kicking off our fall programming this year with a special pre-High Holidays text study exploring what traditional Jewish sources teach us about serving people in poverty, led by Rabbi Jill Jacobs, the CEO of T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights.

In addition, be sure to check out the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA)'s August 4 webinar on best practices in disability employment. You'll also want to read about an innovative financial coaching program offered at Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas and check out highlights from this spring's Jewish Funders Network (JFN) and NJHSA conferences.

I hope to see you at our upcoming programs and encourage you to take advantage of the many resources in this newsletter. The Affinity Group is here to serve you, so please don’t hesitate to contact me with feedback, ideas, news, "bright spots," and anything else you would like to share.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to reducing poverty in the Jewish community.

Warmly,

Rabbi Rebecca W. Sirbu
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
rebecca@jfunders.org

—Upcoming Events—

Best Practice Program Models in Disability Employment

Online: Thursday, August 4, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. ET (8:30-10 a.m. PT, 18:30-20 IL)

This NJHSA webinar will focus on the findings of a recently completed study on best practice program models in disability employment. The initial idea for the study came about through discussions at a meeting of the Affinity Group and its Jobs workgroup! With funding from The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, NJHSA developed and implemented a study on this issue in partnership with colleagues from the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce and Respectability.

What Jewish Texts Teach About Our Obligations to the Most Vulnerable

Online: Wednesday, September 21, 12-1 p.m. ET (9-10 a.m. PT)

Judaism’s texts offer significant wisdom about economic cycles, the causes of inequality, and our obligations to each other. And a key component of the shmita year, which we are concluding, is to serve the needs of those in poverty.

Join us, just days before the High Holidays commence, for a high-level exploration of Jewish teachings on addressing poverty and serving those who struggle with it, both inside and outside the Jewish community.

The session will be led by Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights and author of "There Shall Be No Needy: Pursuing Social Justice Through Jewish Law and Tradition." Additional speaker to be announced.

—Bright Spot—

Empowering Clients Through Financial Coaching

For many Americans, poverty feels like a journey to nowhere. As debt balloons and expenses outpace income, their financial challenges impair their ability to focus at work and maintain stable employment. Eventually, paying for child care or car payments become impossible, the very things necessary for career and financial stability. Poverty begets poverty.

Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas has found a way to interrupt this vicious cycle: offering free financial coaching to all its clients and incorporating financial coaching into career coaching. Following the holistic Working Family Success best-practices model established by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, JFS has, for the past five years, offered a variety of services designed to help clients achieve long-term employment security and financial stability.

Significantly, it uses a coaching, rather than counseling, approach. “With financial counseling, it’s more formulaic,” explains Kristin Lobenstein, JFS’ Manager of Financial Coaching. “The counselor immediately starts putting together a plan, and the client has to follow it. With coaching, we take a bit of a financial history, discuss the challenges they’re facing, and then we ask, ‘What would you like to work on first?’ It’s important that the coach develops trust with the client. It has to be client-centered. If we direct them, how successful will they be?”

Approximately 400 clients are currently served by the approach, and JFS has data that shows an average increase in savings of $3000, a 22 percent decrease in debt, and 67 percent of its clients achieving their employment goals. It also follows the careers of clients for one year after employment, which reveals that many of them have maintained employment and continue to improve their financial stability.

One client even managed to pay off $18,000 in debt in the first nine months of the Covid pandemic thanks to the program. “I created a debt-reduction plan for her, and she became so committed to it that she went out and took every odd job she could,” Lobenstein says. “She kept coming back to coaching: It was the positive conversations and the reinforcement, and she can carry the success with her.”

To learn more about JFS of Dallas’ coaching program, email Allison Harding, Senior Director of Career & Financial Services. (aharding@jfsdallas.org)

Download a PDF from Allison's presentation about the program at the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies' conference. 

—News—

Participatory Grantmaking: A New Funding Tool

Increasingly popular in the mainstream philanthropic world, yet not widely known in the Jewish funding community, participatory grantmaking (PGM) offers a range of opportunities for grantmakers to incorporate and empower community voices in philanthropic decisions. PGM ranges from integrating perspectives of those with lived experience to shifting decision-making power to the communities that grantmakers seek to support.

Authored by Third Plateau Social Impact Strategies and funded by Crown Family Philanthropies, JFN's free new guide details the philosophy, mechanics, and benefits and dilemmas of PGM, exploring its relevance for all grantmakers, with a particular focus on its potential role in Jewish philanthropy. It also offers case studies, as well as extensive resources for those considering incorporating elements of PGM into their work.

Affinity Group at NJHSA and JFN Conferences

Casper ter Kuile, Dr. Ilana Horwitz, and Howard Altschul at the JFN conference. 

The Affinity Group ran extensive programming at two major in-person conferences this spring: JFN's international conference in Palm Beach, Fla., and the NJHSA's Power NET conference in Minneapolis. At JFN, panelists Casper ter Kuile (author of "The Power of Ritual"), Dr. Ilana Horwitz (Fields-Rayant Chair of Contemporary Jewish Life at Tulane University), and Howard Altschul (Chair of UJA-Federation of New York’s Crisis to Stability Allocations Committee) discussed how Jewish communal engagement and social capital can help individuals confronting poverty. The Affinity Group also ran a post-conference session with Dr. Horwitz, Susan Ditkoff (Senior Advisor at the Bridgespan Group), and Jessica Mehlman (Vice President of Impact and Planning at Jewish Federations of North America) on how the funding community can impact change, including flipping prevailing narratives about Jewish poverty.  NJHSA's conference featured a showcase of Response to Poverty programs, highlighting the work of the Affinity Group, Toronto's Project Cobalt; the San Diego for Every Child Guaranteed Income Project, Jewish Family Service of Houston's Nutrition 101; Jewish Family Service of Minneapolis's Setting the Table with Community Partners; Caregiver Homeless Initiative, a partnership between Jewish Family Service LA and the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services; and Jewish Community Services Baltimore's Financial Wellness. Learn more about each program in this slide deck or watch this video.

—Resources—

Affinity Group Videos

Explore the growing library of Affinity Group videos, on this playlist on JFN's YouTube channel. For a more focused experience, check out the following Affinity Group playlists:

• Our "Success Factors" series, which includes videos on "Engaging People with Lived Experiences" and "Best Practices Addressing Jewish Poverty in Small Towns."
• Our Covid briefing series, which includes videos on "The Intersection of Government and Philanthropy in Addressing Jewish Poverty" and "How the Pandemic is Impacting Jews of Color."

The Affinity Group Website

Your one-stop shop for all Affinity Group videos, briefing papers, newsletters, and other materials. www.jfunders.org/affinity

Grantmaking Professionals Exchange

The JFN Grantmaking Professionals Exchange aims to strengthen relationships and enhance strategic, technical, and Jewish learning among professionals across the field of Jewish community philanthropy. The Exchange is managed in partnership with Third Plateau Social Impact Strategies. Offerings include monthly online convenings, mentor matching, and peer learning groups.

—From the Field—

Long Lines Are Back at US Food Banks as Inflation Hits High
(The Associated Press, July 15)

Poverty Explains Why Philadelphia Is So Stressed Out
(Axios, July 14)

Lying Is Part of the 'Etiquette' of Poverty
(The New York Times, July 13)

Utah Abortion Ban Will Drive Women Further Into Poverty
(The Guardian, July 11)

The End of Pandemic Relief Measures Upends Progress in Reducing Child Poverty 
(Morning Edition [NPR], June 17)

Subscribe here to receive the next issue in your inbox.

JANUARY 2022

Dear Friend,

Happy New Year! I hope all of you are managing to stay healthy and are steering clear of the Omicron variant.

As we approach the two-year anniversary of Covid’s arrival in North America, it’s important that we take stock of what we’ve learned so far. In particular, that means understanding the critical role community networks and connections play in addressing poverty, and thinking about best practices for online services.

Networks and connection are at the center of both upcoming Affinity Group events – a webinar later this month and a session at Jewish Funders Network’s (in-person!) 2022 International Conference in March. In both programs, we’ll explore implications of research findings that demonstrate that individuals who belong to faith-based communities fare better both financially and psychologically. These findings present exciting opportunities and synergies for Jewish organizations committed to eliminating poverty in our community while also increasing community engagement.

Meanwhile, Project EM: Empowering and Employing our Community, a nationwide network providing job seekers with all the assistance, resources, and tools they need to find work is an exciting new initiative of the Network of Jewish Human Services Agencies and Jewish Federations of North America. This is a wonderful example of increased collaboration between organizations. Although this new service was catalyzed by Covid realities, it will benefit our community even after the pandemic passes.

I hope to see you at our upcoming programs and encourage you to take advantage of the many resources in this newsletter: In particular the video and suite of information about affordable housing solutions, as well as the Affinity Group’s library of videos and materials. The Affinity Group is here to serve you, so please don’t hesitate to contact me with feedback, ideas, news, and anything else you would like to share.

Warmly,

Rabbi Rebecca W. Sirbu
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
rebecca@jfunders.org

—Upcoming Events—

The Protective Power of Connection

Online: Thursday, January 27, 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT)

Who struggled the most in the Jewish community at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic? Join the Affinity Group and the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis for a data-centered conversation on the financial and material hardships experienced by members of the Jewish American community. Integrating data and theory, we’ll learn how the Jewish community has kept us feeling connected and supported through the pandemic, and learn how we can ensure others do not get left behind. Speakers include Michal Grinstein-Weiss of the Social Policy Institute and Carol Graham of the Brookings Institution.

Affinity Group Programming at JFN 2022 

Palm Beach, Fla: March 27-29

Philanthropists and foundation professionals: Join the affinity group at Jewish Funders Network’s 2022 International Conference, March 27-29, in Palm Beach, Fla. JFN’s annual conference is the premier event in Jewish philanthropy, and it’s being held in person for the first time since 2019 (with strict Covid protocols and a flexible cancellation policy).

The conference will include a session under the auspices of the Affinity Group, focusing on the intersection of Jewish engagement (or faith observance more broadly) and economic mobility/resilience. Dr. Ilana Horwitz, Fields-Rayant Chair of Contemporary Jewish Life at Tulane University, will speak. (Read Horwitz’s recent study "Ties in Tough Times: How Social Capital Helps Lower‑Income Jewish Parents Weather the Economic Hardship of COVID‑19"). Speakers also include Casper ter Kulle, whose book “The Power of Ritual” shows how transforming everyday practice into sacred rituals can heal our crisis of social isolation and longing for connection. Other conference speakers include Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Anne Applebaum; Amy Bach of Measures for Justice,  Urbanist/Professor/Author Richard Florida, Darius Jones of the National Black Empowerment Council, and many others. Please note that session descriptions have not yet been published on the conference site. 

—News—

Developing Sustainable Solutions for Affordable Housing

Learn about affordable housing issues and how to build sustainable, mission-aligned housing and programs that help older adults and adults with disabilities lead independent and fulfilled lives, in the video from a webinar hosted by the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey, Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, Comprehensive Housing Assistance Inc. (CHAI), and others. You can also take a virtual tour of the Weinberg Commons community described in the webinar and take an Affordable Housing Solutions Assessment Survey to help develop an affordable housing initiative in your community. To learn more, contact Karen Bray-Pollak at kbray@jfedsnj.org.

• Watch video
• Virtual tour of Weinberg Commons 
• Affordable Housing Solutions Assessment Survey 

NHJSA and JFNA Launch National Network for Job Seekers

The Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA) and Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) have launched Project EM: Empowering and Employing our Community, a nationwide network providing job seekers with all the assistance, resources, and tools they need to find work. (We reported on this initiative in August of 2021 when it was still in the planning stages.)

The goal of Project EM is to ensure that no matter where someone is on their career path or where they are located geographically, they can get the support they require to get a job–or a better job–free of charge.

Through Project EM, job seekers can access interactive workshops, technical skills training, financial literacy sessions, resume writing assistance, and personalized career coaching, as well as job listings. While administered by Jewish organizations, it is open to anyone and everyone.

Project EM is administered with services provided by 19 NJHSA member agencies with the support of Jewish Federations and relies on the partnership and funding support of The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, and additional funding partners. Project EM’s resources are available at https://www.jewishtogether.org/project-em.

PAG Members Chosen for Wexner Field Fellows Program

Three Affinity Group members are among the 15 outstanding professionals selected for Class 6 of the Wexner Field Fellowship, a three-year intensive program run by The Wexner Foundation, in partnership with the Jim Joseph Foundation. Yasher koach to Sarah Abramson of Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston, Jon Hornstein of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, and Erica Phillips of Crown Family Philanthropies! Utilizing the diverse, cohort-based learning that is the hallmark of The Wexner Foundation programs, Field Fellows will be exposed to different approaches to leadership and tools for addressing pressing issues in the Jewish community, while being integrated into The Wexner Foundation’s network of more than 3,000 professional and volunteer leaders in North America and Israel.

—Resources—

Affinity Group Videos

Explore the growing library of Affinity Group videos, on this playlist on JFN's YouTube channel, including our recent webinar (above) on Jews with disabilities in the workplace. For a more focused experience, check out the following Affinity Group playlists:

• Our Covid briefing series, which includes videos on "The Intersection of Government and Philanthropy in Addressing Jewish Poverty" and "How the Pandemic is Impacting Jews of Color."
• Videos from our FedLab workshops
• Our "Success Factors" series, which includes videos on "Engaging People with Lived Experiences" and "Best Practices Addressing Jewish Poverty in Small Towns."

The Affinity Group Website

Your one-stop shop for all Affinity Group videos, briefing papers, newsletters, and other materials.

Grantmaking Professionals Exchange

The Jewish Funders Network Grantmaking Professionals Exchange aims to strengthen relationships and enhance strategic, technical, and Jewish learning among professionals across the field of Jewish community philanthropy. The Exchange is managed in partnership with Third Plateau Social Impact Strategies. Offerings include monthly online convenings, mentor matching, and peer learning groups.

—From the Field—

How New Robin Hood CEO Buery Plans to Fight NYC Poverty
(The Associated Press, January 12)

Guaranteed Income Experiment for Black Women Aims to Tackle Racial Wealth Gap 
(ABC News, January 12)

Are We Failing the Aging?
(eJewish Philanthropy, January 10)

Monthly Checks, Child Tax Credits: What Will Help End Poverty?
(PBS News Hour, January 9)

What Happened To Poverty in America in 2021?
(Frontline, December 22)

NOVEMBER 2021

Dear Friend,

We are now entering a “new normal” as we continue to deal with the impact of the pandemic. And while the pandemic has greatly challenged the social service sector, it has also expedited innovative solutions, particularly ones using technology. The kosher food pantry Masbia, which began using a new app called Plentiful during the pandemic, is a prime example. Other bright spots: Local federations and aid groups are learning how to harness data gathered in a variety of ways to better serve their populations and lessen the impacts of poverty, and new initiatives are helping those who struggle to find jobs, particularly those with disabilities find meaningful placement.

Over the next several months the Poverty Affinity group will look into each of these bright spots and share best practices with our community. Now is a great time to harness these lessons and learn from each other. Though we are entering the darker months of winter, the light of hope shines bright. With each passing day, we are growing stronger, and our ability to help those in need grows.

Warmly,

Rabbi Rebecca Sirbu
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
rebecca@jfunders.org

—Upcoming Events—

Unprecedented New Findings on Jews with Disabilities: What Does It Mean for the Future?

Wednesday, November 17, 1-2 p.m. ET (10-11 a.m. PT)

Join the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty for an exclusive presentation and facilitated discussion as we dive into the results of three major new studies on Jewish disability inclusion in the workforce. Speakers include Gali Cooks of Leading Edge; Reuben Rotman of the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies; Meagan Buren of Buren Research and Communications, LLC; and Jennifer Mizrahi and Matan Koch of RespectAbility. This event is made possible through the generosity of the Mizrahi Family Charitable Fund in honor of RespectAbility.

—Bright Spot—

Masbia and Plentiful Move the 'Bread Line' Online 

Soon after the Covid pandemic hit New York in March of 2020, the lines outside Masbia, a kosher food pantry (that also operates soup kitchens) with three locations throughout the city, often snaked around the block, with more than 500 people waiting. Now only a few people are waiting at any given time. It’s not that demand for food has decreased dramatically: Masbia continues to serve an average of 400 families a day at each of its locations. What’s changed is that, as Masbia Executive Director Alexander Rapaport puts it, the “bread line has gone digital.”

Along with more than 200 food pantries in New York City (including several other Jewish ones), Masbia now uses Plentiful, an app that makes life easier for both food pantries and their clients. It's one of several new innovations in the field (including some experiments with digital ordering) using tech tools to streamline service delivery and respect client dignity. With Plentiful, individuals in need of food, can see what pantries are open near them and, in many cases, what food is currently available, then make an appointment for pickup, sparing them the embarrassment and inconvenience of standing in a long line.

Meanwhile, food pantries, which tend to operate on shoestring budgets with minimal staff, can communicate with clients, manage traffic flow, and collect needed data ahead of time. With Covid still a concern, it also allows for social distancing, protecting the safety of both clients and volunteers.

“If we know we’re going to have a staff meeting, we don’t book appointments during that time, or if we know we are expecting supplies or a lot of volunteers, then we can book more appointments for those times,” Rapaport explains.

Now clients can be in and out in less than 10 minutes, he says, adding, “It’s quicker than a bank.”

Developed by the New York City Food Assistance Collaborative, a coalition of public and private organizations working to alleviate hunger in New York City, and now operated jointly by City Harvest and United Way of New York City, the app works on Apple and Android phones, and a simplified version is available for clients without smartphones. It provides translation, enabling food pantries to send messages in nine languages.

“It is easy to use, and it makes intake fast and simple,” Rapaport says. “You can send reminders to the clients; you can even tell them, ‘There’s lots of produce today, so bring a wagon.’”

While he was initially skeptical that clients would use Plentiful, Rapaport said the app took off more quickly than anticipated, allowing Masbia to make almost all its food pantry distribution reservation-only.

“Some of our best pantries are at 60 to 75 percent reservations now and the rest are still walk-ins,” says Bryan Moran, Director of Dev Ops at Plentiful and Program Operations Director at City Harvest. “At Masbia it’s like 95 percent reservations. They’ve really embraced it, and they’re great partners.”

While Plentiful launched in New York, it is now available to food pantries (and their clients) throughout the United States. To learn how your community or agency can use Plentiful, email info@plentifulapp.com

—News—

New Videos from GA Leadership Lab

The Jewish Federations of North America's GA Leadership Lab in October featured two sessions on Jewish poverty, both of which can be viewed on YouTube.

"Supporting Those in Need & Combating Poverty" explores how our communal institutions serve both Jews and non-Jews, how this work reinforces our inter-group alliances, and what the opportunities and challenges are in the coming year, especially in terms of the potential expansion of the social safety net by the current administration. In "Using Data to Drive Our Work," you'll learn how Jewish nonprofits can use data to better understand the people it serves, anticipate what's next and react in real time.

—Resources—

Affinity Group Videos

Explore the growing library of Affinity Group videos, on this playlist on JFN's YouTube channel. For a more focused experience, check out the following Affinity Group playlists:

• Our Covid briefing series, which includes videos on "The Intersection of Government and Philanthropy in Addressing Jewish Poverty" and "How the Pandemic is Impacting Jews of Color."
• Videos from our FedLab workshops
• Our "Success Factors" series, which includes videos on "Engaging People with Lived Experiences" and "Best Practices Addressing Jewish Poverty in Small Towns."

The Affinity Group Website

Your one-stop shop for all Affinity Group videos, briefing papers, newsletters, and other materials.

GrantED: Stronger Relationships. Greater Impact.

Nonprofits addressing Jewish poverty — and the funders who support them — can benefit from the many resources offered by GrantED, a joint project of Jewish Funders Network and UpStart. GrantED (jgranted.org) creates and curates articles, tools, and other materials to inspire and inform grantmakers and grantseekers, organizing around four core interdependent components of successful partnerships: strengthening relationships, understanding, and addressing power dynamics, sustaining impact, and effective communication.

GrantED's resources and case studies are selected with an eye toward sharing best practices, showcasing success stories, and equipping funders and nonprofits with the tools to improve. GrantED also encourages interaction and knowledge-sharing by offering workshops, facilitated conversations, and other programs. Learn more at www.jgranted.org.

—From the Field—

Higher Food Prices Hit the Poor and Those Who Help Them
(The New York Times, October 27)

Survey: Jewish New Yorkers’ Employment, Mental Health Suffered During Pandemic
(Jewish Telegraphic Agency, October 14)

Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies Receives $1.2M USDA Grant 
(eJewish Philanthropy, October 14)

Philanthropy Aids in Poverty Decline
(Axios, October 13)

Is Social Distancing Unraveling the Bonds That Keep Society Together?
(The Conversation, October 6)

AUGUST 2021

Dear Friends,

It’s time to take a breath. Rosh Hashanah, which begins Monday night, ushers in a year of Shemita, one in which we are told to let the land rest and not plant anything, a year when all debts are to be forgiven and inequalities in the world lessened. This Shemita year arrives at the perfect time for us.

After 18 months of Covid, we are all tired. Staff burnout and donor fatigue are real, yet, there is still so much work to be done, so much help to give, and we do not have the luxury of taking a whole year off to rest. But in order to continue the important work of alleviating poverty and suffering, we must also take care of ourselves. And this next month of Jewish holidays is a good time to pause.

Take some downtime for yourself. Reflect on the important work you have done this past year. And focus on renewing your strength, energy, and perseverance for the year ahead. Think about what you need to do to recharge your batteries, and then do it for yourself.

The Poverty Affinity Group will not be offering any programming during the month of September and will regroup in October to chart a course forward. Our fall programming, inspired by the theme of Shemita, will focus on strategies for preventing burnout and on re-energizing our work by looking at innovative ways to address ongoing challenges. One such innovation, the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies’ coordinated online job training program bringing together agencies throughout the U.S., is spotlighted below.

Together, we will accomplish many goals this next year, approaching problems in new ways that can break cycles of poverty within our community. But first, breathe. Take some time to pause, nurture yourself, and then we can begin again.

Shana Tova. May it be a sweet and healthy one for us all.

Warmly,

Rabbi Rebecca Sirbu
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
rebecca@jfunders.org

—Bright Spot—

NJHSA Pilots Online Job Services Collaborative 

The ongoing Covid pandemic has undoubtedly been disastrous for the most vulnerable members of our society. But it has also sparked positive innovations and partnerships that will transform and improve human services over the long term. Case in point: a new pilot project of the Network of Jewish Human Services Agencies tentatively called the U.S. Jobs Initiative (USJI).

USJI brings together 20 Jewish vocational service providers from throughout the United States to offer coordinated online counseling, training, and other services for job seekers. It is believed to be the first project of its kind in the vocational services world, and a model that could be replicated to more efficiently offer other human services, such as support groups and elder care management, as well.

The project grew out of the realization, in the months following the arrival of Covid to the United States, that agencies, without making changes in advertising or recruitment, were fielding requests from and providing services to a growing number of clients from other cities, NJHSA President and CEO Reuben Rotman explained.

“At first agencies were a little nervous to say this publicly, because historically they’re funded to serve specific catchment areas,” he said. “But as we started talking about it, we began to think this could lead to an integrated service model.

Numerous meetings later, the project, slated to launch soon after the Jewish holidays, will include a virtual intake process housed on the Jewish Federations of North America’s “Jewish Together” website. Under the model, participating agencies will be able to focus on areas of expertise and refer clients to other agencies for services better provided elsewhere.

Rotman is hoping that by working jointly, individual agencies will also be able to tap into other agencies’ relationships with employers, particularly employers that operate nationally. He also expects it to fill a void for people living in areas that don’t have local Jewish vocational service agencies.

The project is being funded by a collaboration of funders including a two-year grant of $1.75 million from The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation (which also co-convenes the Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty) and an additional leadership grant from Crown Family Philanthropies. Additional funding support is being provided by a group of anonymous funders.

To learn more about the U.S. Jobs Initiative, email Sarah Welch, NJHSA’s Vice President of Workforce Development Services, at swelch@networkjhsa.org

—News—

Fixing the Gender Gap in Jewish Leadership

Most people working at Jewish nonprofits are women. But most CEOs of Jewish nonprofits—especially at the largest organizations—are men. That's a problem not only because it is inequitable, but because this gap can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction among women employees and means that organizations may not be recruiting or retaining the most effective talent. 

Building on the work of Advancing Women Professionals and the Jewish Community, SRE Network, and many others, Leading Edge, an organization that works to inspire dramatic change in how Jewish organizations attract, develop, and retain top talent, has issued a report identifying and analyzing causes of this gender gap. Based on quantitative network analysis, the report identifies five “keystones” — areas where it is possible to make the greatest impact — among them. These keystones spurred five "opportunities," or recommendations:

1. Boards, funders, and other powerful stakeholders can hold Jewish organizations accountable and incentivize them to elevate diverse leadership teams.
2. Jewish nonprofit organizations can implement talent strategies to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
3. Search committees, and the boards that appoint them, can implement processes to ensure that the work of the search committee is professional, equitable, and fair and that the most qualified candidate is chosen for the role
4. Community members can work actively to shift our cultural assumptions about the capacity to be a leader and a primary caregiver at the same time.
5. Institutions can give men the knowledge, support, and incentives to speak out and address the gender gap in leadership (and DEI more broadly).

Download the report to learn more.

—Resources—

Affinity Group Videos

Explore the growing library of Affinity Group videos, on this playlist on JFN's YouTube channel. For a more focused experience, check out the following Affinity Group playlists:

• Our Covid briefing series, which includes videos on "The Intersection of Government and Philanthropy in Addressing Jewish Poverty" and "How the Pandemic is Impacting Jews of Color."
• Videos from our FedLab workshops
• Our "Success Factors" series, which includes videos on "Engaging People with Lived Experiences" and "Best Practices Addressing Jewish Poverty in Small Towns."

The Affinity Group Website

Your one-stop shop for all Affinity Group videos, briefing papers, newsletters, and other materials.

GrantED: Stronger Relationships. Greater Impact.

Nonprofits addressing Jewish poverty — and the funders who support them — can benefit from the many resources offered by GrantED, a joint project of Jewish Funders Network and UpStart. GrantED (jgranted.org) creates and curates articles, tools, and other materials to inspire and inform grantmakers and grantseekers, organizing around four core interdependent components of successful partnerships: strengthening relationships, understanding, and addressing power dynamics, sustaining impact, and effective communication.

GrantED's resources and case studies are selected with an eye toward sharing best practices, showcasing success stories, and equipping funders and nonprofits with the tools to improve. GrantED also encourages interaction and knowledge-sharing by offering workshops, facilitated conversations, and other programs. Learn more at www.jgranted.org.

—From the Field—

Safety Net Policies Are Helping Reduce the Number of Americans Below the Poverty Line – but That’s Not the Whole Story 
(The Conversation, August 24)

When it Comes to Ending Hunger in America, Money Changes Everything 
(The Washington Post, August 19)

Ford and Robert Wood Johnson Foundations Put $7.5 Million Into Efforts to Give Tenants Clout 
(The Chronicle of Philanthropy, August 17)

Pandemic’s Effects on Homeless Show Need for Mental Health Help at Nonprofits
(The Oregonian, August 11)

The Bay Area’s Hunger Problem
(The New York Times, August 10)

These 4 Entrepreneurs Are Building Financial Products That Make it Less Expensive to Be Poor 
(Fast Company, July 29)

Anti-Poverty Organizations Call on NYC to Strengthen Nonprofit Human Services
(NYN Media, July 26)

JUNE 2021

Dear Friend,

Allow me to introduce myself: I am JFN's new Executive Vice President and will be helping to lead the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty.

I'm excited to get to know all of you and to learn more about the work you are doing to address and end Jewish poverty. Over the course of my career, I have focused on using Jewish wisdom to help heal the world. I have worked with many groups in this capacity: the ill, caregivers, rabbis, and more. I look forward to bringing my skill to working with this group to alleviate poverty. Before joining JFN, I was Director of the Engagement Division at Hadassah: The Women’s Zionist Organization. My professional background also includes directing Clal’s Rabbis Without Borders, co-founding the Gender Equity in Hiring Project, and consulting for synagogues, organizations, and individuals on leadership development, building creative capacity, actualizing ideas, and how to work across religious and cultural borders.

Thank you for playing a critical role in elevating issues of poverty on our community’s agenda. We want to know more about how we can help you, so please take the time to fill out our survey (details below). In addition to sharing information about the survey, this issue of our newsletter highlights an important new effort to better serve Jewish survivors of domestic violence and provides information on upcoming and past (now on video) programs. Please stay in touch and don't forget to share your questions and “bright spots.”

Warmly,

Rabbi Rebecca Sirbu
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
rebecca@jfunders.org

—Upcoming Events—

Thursday, July 15, 12-1 pm ET (9-10 am PT)

Lessons from the Frontlines: A Conversation with Avodah Service Corps Fellows

Hear from three Avodah Corps members who have spent the past 10 months working on the frontlines of the fight against poverty in the Jewish community in New York City. 2020-2021 Corps Members Allie Fischgrund (Project Ore), Emma Holyst (Met Council on Jewish Poverty), and Abby Israel (Footsteps) will share stories and perspectives from their work on the ground, surprises or ways that their thinking has changed, and lessons for how to advance the work of breaking cycles of poverty, particularly in the Jewish community. Jennifer Turner, the New York Program Director of the Avodah Jewish Services Corps, will also join to connect this work to Avodah’s broader fight against poverty.

Susan Wolf Ditkoff, Senior Adviser at The Bridgespan Group, will moderate the conversation.

>>RSVP

—Our Work—

Help Us Gather Information

The Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty is engaging in research to learn what resources and supports would be most helpful to you as you engage in the important work of addressing Jewish poverty. Please help us by completing this 12-15 minute survey! Your response to this survey will be confidential and will only be seen by our core team. As part of our research, we will also be conducting brief interviews. If you would like to be interviewed, please let us know. Thank you for your help!

>>Fill out the survey

—Bright Spot—

Mobilizing Support for Jewish Survivors of Domestic Violence

Like Jewish poverty, domestic violence in the Jewish community is a phenomenon that defies stereotypes and whose existence many people deny. Yet, like poverty, it has only increased in the past year as a result of the Covid pandemic. And the two are linked: in seeking to escape domestic abuse, victims frequently confront, or are stymied by, major economic challenges.

With funding from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Jewish Women International recently published an extensive needs assessment and series of recommendations that address these challenges head-on. In addition to recommending greater national coordination among the disparate local Jewish agencies serving domestic violence survivors, the JWI report identifies the need for access to legal support, safe and affordable housing, and the means to build economic security. Among the recommendations:

• Developing trauma-informed and victim-centered strengths and asset-focused skills training programs for both traditional and flexible work environments and tools to increase financial literacy skills for survivors and their children.
• Encouraging financial institutions to provide domestic violence survivors with low-interest loans, cash assistance, and other services that expand long-term economic security, while also connecting and mentoring survivors as they work to enhance their economic security.
• Create a funding mechanism that recognizes the impact of abuse on survivors’ finances, most notably how abuse destroys credit and thereby inhibits access to traditional sources of loans and credit; explore partnerships to provide transitional housing and low-cost moving services.
• Providing Jewish domestic violence programs with adequate funding to hire trauma-informed family law attorneys; creating and maintaining a clearinghouse on typical issues facing domestic violence survivors; offering training, mentoring, and peer support for attorneys serving Jewish domestic violence survivors.

The report also recommends other services and investments, including greater support for children who have witnessed domestic violence and building “survivor-centered responses” to domestic violence that counter existing tendencies to privilege powerful abusers or stigmatize survivors.

JWI CEO Meredith Jacobs said her organization will push for implementation of these recommendations by “forming a national center that will work in partnership to meet the systemic needs of survivors and to support the local Jewish programs and advocates that serve them.”

Download the executive summary and full report at https://www.jwi.org/jewish-domestic-violence

To learn how your organization can partner with JWI to better serve Jewish survivors of domestic violence, email Deborah Rosenbloom at drosenbloom@jwi.org

—Resources—

Affinity Group Videos

We've recently added videos from a special briefing on the new Pew report's poverty-related findings, as well as a webinar on how convening different people and stakeholders can create real change. You can watch these and the growing library of all Affinity Group videos, on this playlist on JFN's YouTube channel. For a more focused experience, check out the following Affinity Group playlists:

• Our Covid briefing series, which includes videos on "The Intersection of Government and Philanthropy in Addressing Jewish Poverty" and "How the Pandemic is Impacting Jews of Color."
• Videos from our FedLab workshops
• Our "Success Factors" series, which includes videos on "Engaging People with Lived Experiences" and "Best Practices Addressing Jewish Poverty in Small Towns."

The Affinity Group Website

Your one-stop shop for all Affinity Group videos, briefing papers, newsletters, and other materials.

GrantED: Stronger Relationships. Greater Impact.

Nonprofits addressing Jewish poverty — and the funders who support them — can benefit from the many resources offered by GrantED, a joint project of Jewish Funders Network and UpStart. GrantED (jgranted.org) creates and curates articles, tools, and other materials to inspire and inform grantmakers and grantseekers, organizing around four core interdependent components of successful partnerships: strengthening relationships, understanding and addressing power dynamics, sustaining impact, and effective communication.

GrantED's resources and case studies are selected with an eye toward sharing best practices, showcasing success stories, and equipping funders and nonprofits with the tools to improve. GrantED also encourages interaction and knowledge-sharing by offering workshops, facilitated conversations, and other programs. Learn more at www.jgranted.org.

—From the Field—

The Miracle of Jewish Pandemic Giving
(Mosaic Magazine, June 28)

Poverty Is A Matter of Policy Choices, Not Moral Failings
(Bangor Daily News, June 23)

Givers and the Government Stepped Up to Support Nonprofits
(The Hill, June 20)

New Research Highlights a Shifting Priority at Food Banks: Tackling the Root Causes of Food Insecurity
(The Counter, June 8)

‘Food Hubs’ In Sacramento’s Low Income Neighborhoods Could Combat Hunger, Support Entrepreneurs
(CAP Radio, June 7)

USDA Sending $1 Billion in Funding to Country’s Food Bank Networks
(The Associated Press, June 4)

Be sure to check out the collection of articles we published last year in partnership with eJewish Philanthropy.

APRIL 2021

Dear Friend,

You may notice that this newsletter looks a little different than previous ones. That’s because Deena Fuchs, who served as the lead staff member for the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty, recently moved on to an exciting new position at the Micah Fund. We are grateful to Deena for her incredible leadership in the affinity group’s first two years, which intensified in the past year as a result of the Covid pandemic.

While we miss Deena, our work to end Jewish poverty continues. We’re restarting our bi-monthly series of webinars highlighting emerging needs and showcasing success factors. Our next one, focusing on landscape analysis, is this Thursday. 

In this month’s newsletter, you’ll learn about our upcoming webinars, get highlights from our work responding to the pandemic, and find out about a “Bright Spot” in Boston — a project that is making mental health care more widely accessible. We also share a video from a session at last month’s JFN 2021 International Conference, important coverage from eJewish Philanthropy, information about a new project to help Jewish funders and nonprofits be more effective, and, as always, curated resources and articles from the field.

Thank you for playing a critical role in elevating issues of poverty on our community’s agenda. Please let us know (email Tamar at jfn@jfunders.org) how we can help you in your work and if you have “bright spots” to share.

Warmly,

The National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty Team:
Susan Wolf Ditkoff, The Bridgespan Group
Tamar Frydman, Jewish Funders Network
Jonathan Hornstein, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation
Rafi Rone, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation

—Upcoming Events—

Thursday, April 22, 12 pm ET (9 am PT)

Our ongoing bimonthly series addresses the challenges the coronavirus pandemic has created for Jews living in poverty and the agencies that serve them, while also highlighting the successful responses to these challenges.

Future sessions will occur every other Thursday. Save the following dates (all Thursdays, from 12-1 pm ET) for the next three sessions: May 20, June 3, and June 17. More dates will be announced soon.

In this week's session, we'll focus on landscape analysis.

Speakers will include Susan Wolf Ditkoff, Senior Advisor of The Bridgespan Group.

RSVP here.

—Our Work—

Affinity Group Featured in eJewish Philanthropy

Jewish poverty took center stage in eJewish Philanthropy's pre-Passover issue, with a "primer" on Jewish poverty. Reporter Helen Chernikoff spoke extensively to Jonathan Hornstein about the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty, and about the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation's work with Jewish Federations of North America to collect better data on Jewish poverty. 

“Jewish poverty mirrors poverty within the broader United States," Hornstein told eJP. "It’s single mothers. It’s older people. It’s people with disabilities. It’s people who lost their jobs in the pandemic."

The article also highlighted Affinity Group member UJA-Federation of New York's cutting-edge The Hub, a new one-stop facility for providing a variety of services to Jews and others struggling with poverty, and noted the widespread innovation in the field.

“A lot of donors are interested in things that are new, cutting-edge, and different from what other people are funding,” Affinity Group member Jeff Schoenfeld said in the article. “Historically that wouldn’t have been describing poverty, but this is a tremendous moment of innovation.”

Responding to a Year of Covid 

In the past year the Affinity Group has been focused on sharing information about needs and responses as a result of the Covid pandemic and on equipping local communities with the necessary tools. Some highlights:

• Thirty-eight community teams gathered at our intensive workshop at the Jewish Federations of North America’s FedLab in November to build action plans on Jewish poverty. Learn more about the FedLab workshop here.
• We developed six funder briefs to help philanthropists and foundation professionals better understand where their investments can have the greatest impact in addressing housing needs, food insecurity, aging adults, workforce training, and other critical areas. Read them here.
• We grew our community of subscribers (as least as measured by this newsletter) from 300 to over 750. These are not just passive subscribers; we have a 50 percent open rate, and a 15 percent click-through rate, both well above industry standards! Read past issues of the newsletter here.
• We have organized 12 webinars, joined by more than 400 unique individuals, and the recordings are continuing to be viewed on our Facebook and YouTube playlists. Many of you have either led or helped spearhead these webinars, and we are deeply appreciative of your efforts.

—Bright Spot—

In Boston, Expanding Access to Mental Health Care 

Mental illness is one of many major challenges exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. A difficult challenge in its own right, mental health struggles have ripple effects on families and communities, and particularly when individuals and families are struggling with financial instability. That’s why Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston partnered with McLean Hospital and Jewish Family and Children’s Service to offer Path to Well-being, an initiative that aims to make mental health care more widely available in the Greater Boston Jewish community.

“We saw a huge increased need taking place right in front of us, and that no one organization alone was equipped to manage,” said Amanda Hadad, CJP’s Associate Vice President of Caring and Social Justice.

“The key is in the partnership,” explained Hadad. “CJP is not a direct service provider or a mental health expert, but we have been successful in convening organizations around the table for collective impact."

People who are interested in Path to Well-being are connected to a counselor, who works with the person to understand their needs and make warm handoffs to appropriate services within and beyond mental health. “The idea is to take the burden off the individual,” said Hadad.

An Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (iCBT) program, Path to Well-being uses a series of self-paced quizzes, guided questions, and visualizations combined with live coaching to help adults experiencing anxiety and depression. CJP covers fees so that there is no cost for patients. (Most health insurance plans do not cover iCBT, something CJP and McLean are hoping will change in the future.) So far, 50 people have participated, and 300 are expected to be served this year.

“iCBT is a data-driven and effective, and it’s convenient because it's self-paced and people can choose whether to access it from their computer or an app on their phone,” said Hadad. “There is also a shortage of mental health professionals, so the opportunity to provide virtual services beyond one-on-one telehealth is important.”

Expanding access to care through iCBT is just the beginning, however.

“We hear over and over again that people don’t know where to go or who to call to get care, and they don’t feel like the Jewish community is a place they can go for mental health needs,” Hadad said. “We see this as a first step in building a centralized, accessible way for people to get mental health resources.”

Other avenues being explored include helping people find therapists and Jewish substance abuse treatment.

“We want to collectively create a new system for Boston’s Jewish community where people can access support and mental health resources with ease and dignity,” Hadad said.

To learn more about Path to Well-being and the CJP’s other mental health initiatives, visit www.cjp.org/path-to-well-being or email Madeline Wenzel at Mwenzel@cjp.org

—Resources—

Affinity Group Videos on YouTube

At JFN's 2021 International Conference last month, the Affinity Group held a session with Ariel Zwang, CEO of JDC; and Rachel Monroe, President and CEO of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, on a “New Blueprint for Addressing Jewish Poverty." You can watch it, and the growing library of all Affinity Group videos, on this playlist on JFN's YouTube channel. For a more focused experience, check out the following Affinity Group playlists:

• Our Covid briefing series, which includes videos on "The Intersection of Government and Philanthropy in Addressing Jewish Poverty" and "How the Pandemic is Impacting Jews of Color."
• Videos from our FedLab workshops 
• Our "Success Factors" series, which includes videos on "Engaging People with Lived Experiences" and "Best Practices Addressing Jewish Poverty in Small Towns."

The Affinity Group Website

Your one-stop shop for all Affinity Group videos, briefing papers, newsletters, and other materials.

GrantED: Stronger Relationships. Greater Impact.

A joint project of Jewish Funders Network and UpStart, GrantED (jgranted.org) creates and curates articles, tools, and other materials to inspire and inform grantmakers and grantseekers, organizing around four core interdependent components of successful partnerships: strengthening relationships, understanding and addressing power dynamics, sustaining impact, and effective communication.

GrantED's resources and case studies are selected with an eye toward sharing best practices, showcasing success stories, and equipping funders and nonprofits with the tools to improve. GrantED also encourages interaction and knowledge-sharing by offering workshops, facilitated conversations, and other programs. Learn more at www.jgranted.org.

—From the Field—

Biden Takes On Sagging Safety Net With Plan to Fix Long-Term Care
(New York Times, April 15)

Off the Grid: A Flood of Federal Aid Often Fails to Reach America's Poorest Families
(Washington Post, April 15)

MAZON CEO Abby Leibman Seizing the Moment on Hunger Policy
(eJewish Philanthropy, April 15)

A New $100 Million Fund Aims to End Homelessness. Building Housing Is Only Part of It
(Fast Company, April 12)

How Food Banks Succeeded and What They Need Now
(New York Times, April 2)

About a Third of Holocaust Survivors in the U.S. Live in Poverty. This Group Helps Them.
(Washington Post, March 24)

Be sure to check out the collection of articles we published last year in partnership with eJewish Philanthropy.

FEBRUARY 2021

Dear Friend,

I hope you and your loved ones are staying healthy.

While the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty is continuing to move full speed ahead, this will be the last affinity group newsletter coming from me. As you may have already heard, I accepted a position as inaugural Executive Director at Micah Philanthropies and will be leaving my role at Jewish Funders Network in March. JFN will be announcing my replacement shortly, and I am confident that I am leaving you in good hands. I will remain involved as a member of JFN and look forward to continuing to work and learn together.

Managing the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my work here at JFN. It has been an honor to interact with all of you — the members of this group are uniquely smart, dedicated, and compassionate, and I have learned a tremendous amount about Jewish poverty and some of the most promising work being done in this field. This group has played a critical role in the Jewish community’s response to both the public health and economic challenges caused by Covid, and I look forward to watching its future accomplishments.

In this newsletter, you’ll find information about our Success Factors webinar series — which will be resuming in April — and learn about a promising collaborative model for improving affordable housing, which is being piloted in Rochester, N.Y.

Please continue to share your news about bright spots like the one in Rochester, as well as feedback on how the affinity group can support your work.

Warmly,

Deena K. Fuchs
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
deena@jfunders.org

—Our Work—

Key Success Factors in Addressing Jewish Poverty

The affinity group’s latest webinar series, "Key Success Factors in Addressing Jewish Poverty" highlights specific case studies and bright spots from throughout North America, with a particular focus on meeting the enormous challenges posed by the Covid pandemic and its economic effects. Each session is on a Thursday at 12 noon ET and is moderated by Susan Wolf Ditkoff, Senior Advisor at the Bridgespan Group.

The first session addressed best practices for addressing Jewish poverty in small communities, and the second explored the key role advocacy plays in addressing poverty. Earlier this month, Idit Klein, President and CEO of Keshet; Yavilah McCoy, CEO and Executive Director of DIMENSIONS; and Lani Santo, CEO of Footsteps, spoke about the importance of engaging people with lived experiences and offered suggestions for how Jewish organizations can do this more effectively. You can watch the whole series here — new sessions will be added in the future.

Future sessions will explore such issues as measurement and evaluation, awareness building, virtual program delivery, and convening for impact. Stay tuned for details about dates and speakers.

—Bright Spot—

In Rochester, Collaborating on Affordable Housing

Photo Courtesy of Jewish Family Service of Rochester

It’s widely known that the United States is facing a severe shortage of affordable housing. However, it’s not just that we need more affordable housing: We also need better affordable housing, places where residents feel a sense of belonging and can get support as they confront the many challenges of living in or near poverty.

Jewish Family Service of Rochester (JFS) recently formed a unique and innovative partnership to strengthen the community and provide holistic support for residents of Rochester Highlands, a 500-unit complex where many of its clients live. It brought together the complex’s owner (Alliant Strategic Investments), CAPREIT Management, The Konar Foundation, and the HAPI (Healthy Apartment Property Initiatives) Foundation for a pilot project that could be a model for communities throughout the United States.
The project, which incorporates elements of Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs), as well as programmatic ideas from HAPI Foundation efforts in several states, launched in the summer of 2019, offering a range of services on-site, including mental health counseling services, a food pantry, a free clothing “closet” and school supply store, case management for seniors, and transportation services.

Each partner in the project has contributed something different. The HAPI Foundation, whose mission is to promote health and wellness to residents living in affordable housing communities, has provided funding for a monthly newsletter to keep residents informed of community events and activities, materials for the site’s community garden, exercise, and nutrition workshops, pedometers and t-shirts for the walking groups, and incentives, such as gift cards to local merchants, to help build resident participation. The owners of the complex, Alliant Strategic Investments made several capital improvements to support the holistic programming and helped fund event gatherings. CAPREIT Management, an experienced provider of management services for over 10,000 affordable housing units across the country, has gone out of its way to help implement and troubleshoot programs.

The residents are also important partners: JFS has engaged and empowered them by surveying them about the type of programming they wanted and inviting them to serve on a council that guides the programming delivered at the complex. Although much of the programming moved online during COVID, resident feedback has been very positive, with many reporting that they feel an increased sense of community and feel like their needs and concerns are being addressed. One resident recently said after a Shabbat program, “I can’t remember the last time I felt like I was home. Maybe it was when I was 11. I am 64. Tonight, this, this makes me feel like I am home.”

To learn more, email Jennie Schaff, CEO and President of Jewish Family Service of Rochester, or Jane Lorin, Founder and Executive Director of the HAPI Foundation.

—Resources—

The Affinity Group Website

Your one-stop-shop for all Affinity Group videos, briefing papers, newsletters, and other materials.

The Affinity Group on YouTube

Since March, we've held eight briefings on how Covid-19 is impacting Jews living in poverty and the organizations that serve them. We have been hearing the needs from the service providers on the ground supporting our front lines, sharing best practices and information, and strategizing on ways to respond collectively. Each webinar features key leaders and focuses on particular needs, aligned to our working groups. The entire series is available in this playlist on JFN’s YouTube channel. We’ve also created a second playlist, that includes Affinity Group videos that aren’t part of the Covid briefing series, such as the FedLab videos and videos from our new "Success Factors" series.

JFN's Covid-19 Response Site

You can find our videos, as well as curated articles, updates on needs in the field and donor responses, as well as other key resources on the Resource Hub and the Human Services North America Needs & Responses sections of JFN’s Covid-19 Response site. Please email Julie Wiener if you have material to share or other feedback.

—Special Request—

Help Us Get the Word Out

Public relations and communications can seem like a luxury for human service groups at times like these. However, to ensure that we secure much-needed resources, it is vitally important that all of us keep getting the word out about our work. If your organization has marketing and communications staff, please put them in touch with JFN's communications director, Julie Wiener, to coordinate on media strategy. And don’t forget to email us your news, especially “bright spots” so we can feature them in this newsletter and elsewhere.

—From the Field—

How Economists See Biden’s $15 Wage Plan (Associated Press, February 17)

The Hidden Holes in America’s Social Safety Net (Vox, February 17)

A Survival Center Tries to Survive the Pandemic (New Yorker, February 16)

Will Biden’s Stimulus Plan Help Reduce Child Poverty in the US? (Aljazeera, February 9)

How Covid Accelerated a Fight Against Food Deserts (New York Magazine, February 9)

For Low-Income Workers, a Chance to Learn New Skills Without Paying a Dime Upfront (Boston Globe, February 8)

As the Biden Administration Proposes Additional Pandemic Relief, Nonprofit Workers See a Country Facing a Growing Crisis (New York Times, January 24)

Giving People Money Turns Out to Be an Incredibly Effective Tool in Ending Homelessness (Fast Company, January 13)

The Jewish Free Loan Movement: Unpacking a Jewish Communal Treasure (eJewish Philanthropy, January 12)

Be sure to check out the collection of articles we published last year in partnership with eJewish Philanthropy.

JANUARY 2021

Dear Friend,

I was going to open this letter by wishing you a Happy New Year, but already 2021 is off to a tumultuous start! Let’s hope the coming year brings some much-needed calm and an end to the Covid pandemic and the suffering it has wrought.

This year, I am looking forward to working with all of you to make significant strides in our shared goal of serving vulnerable populations, both Jewish and non-Jewish, and to ending Jewish poverty.

I hope you will be able to join us for our new series on Success Factors in Addressing Jewish Poverty. If you missed the first session, in which two rabbis from small Jewish communities shared their experiences and what larger communities can learn from them, I encourage you to watch the video. In addition, I believe you will find the newest material from this fall’s FedLab session helpful in planning, coordinating, and implementing local efforts. I think you will also be inspired by this month’s Bright Spot feature focusing on a new centralized support line for Washington DC-area Jews, inspired by the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston’s evidence-based Anti-Poverty Initiative.

As always, I encourage you to stay in touch. Let me know about the anti-poverty work you are engaged in and how the Affinity Group can be helpful. And don’t forget to share your bright spots!

Warmly,

Deena K. Fuchs
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
deena@jfunders.org

—Upcoming Events—

Key Success Factors in Addressing Jewish Poverty

The affinity group’s new webinar series, "Key Success Factors in Addressing Jewish Poverty" highlights specific case studies and bright spots from throughout North America, with a particular focus on meeting the enormous challenges posed by the Covid pandemic and its economic effects. Each session will be on a Thursday at 12 noon ET and will be moderated by Susan Wolf Ditkoff, Senior Advisor at the Bridgespan Group.

The first session (watch the video here), held last week, addressed best practices for addressing Jewish poverty in small communities. On Thursday, January 21, we will learn about the role effective advocacy plays in addressing poverty and will reflect on how Democratic control of Congress and the presidency will change the climate for enacting reforms. Speakers include Elana Broitman, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the Jewish Federations of North America, and Melanie Roth Gorelick, Senior Vice President at the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. And on Thursday, February 4 , we will focus on engaging people with lived experiences. Speakers include Idit Klein, President and CEO of Keshet; Lani Santo, CEO of Footsteps; and Yavilah McCoy, CEO and Executive Director of DIMENSIONS.

Future sessions will explore such issues as measurement and evaluation, awareness building, virtual program delivery, and convening for impact.

Save February 18 and March 4 for future sessions. More dates and details will be announced soon.

—Our Work—

Building Community Action Plans to Address Jewish Poverty

Our FedLab track this fall brought together 38 communities for an intensive afternoon of learning and planning around ending Jewish poverty. We’ve already shared videos from the workshop and the series of “Success Factors” presentations, and now we are pleased to share this summary of the day’s discussions. We hope you find the information here helpful and inspiring.

If you participated in the FedLab track, we welcome your feedback and look forward to learning more about your community’s ongoing anti-poverty work.

—Bright Spot—

DC's New Jewish Support Line Makes It Easier to Find Help

The Greater Washington, DC area Jewish community boasts an extensive network of social service agencies serving those in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia, but few people across the community knew how to access assistance from them according to a survey completed during Summer 2020. But in the past year, in a process begun by The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and then accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Jewish social service providers have focused on collaborating with one another, making it easier for people in need to find help during the pandemic and laying the groundwork for more accessible support into the future.

At the center of the change is 703-J-CARING: the Jewish Community Support Line. This central phone number is staffed by professionals from the Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA) who are trained to provide compassionate, personalized assistance and to refer people to a wide array of nonprofits, government agencies, and even synagogues where help is available. It’s part of a larger shift at the Federation, which is seeking both to use its unique role as a convener to further strengthen the Jewish community, and to develop a more integrated anti-poverty strategy, explains Elisa Deener-Agus, the Federation’s Chief of Staff.

The support line soft-launched over the summer, but marketed in earnest over the High Holidays, with special efforts to encourage rabbis and other local agencies, including JCCs and day schools, to share the phone number with their congregants, members, and families. So far, more than 200 people have called, and referrals have been made to over 40 organizations (Jewish and nonsectarian). Forty-eight people who received emergency grants from Federation’s emergency fund partners have been referred to the support line for ongoing assistance.

While it may change in the coming months, as the pandemic’s economic effects continue to be felt and moratoriums on foreclosures and evictions expire, so far, the majority of calls have been spurred not by COVID-related job losses but by preexisting challenges.

“That speaks to the fact that there was an underlying need before the pandemic and that we had to solve for systemic challenges across the community,” says Shari Merrill, the Federation’s Chief Impact Officer. “The variety of calls has also made it clear that the needs will continue to grow and evolve. Federation and our partners are committed to continuing this work long into the future to ensure we are poised to meet those changing concerns.”

To learn more about 703-J-CARING and The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington’s anti-poverty efforts, email Linda Kraner at linda.kraner@shalomdc.org.

—Resources—

The Affinity Group Website

Your one-stop-shop for all Affinity Group videos, briefing papers, newsletters, and other materials.

The Affinity Group on YouTube

Since March, we've held eight briefings on how Covid-19 is impacting Jews living in poverty and the organizations that serve them. We have been hearing the needs from the service providers on the ground supporting our front lines, sharing best practices and information, and strategizing on ways to respond collectively. Each webinar features key leaders and focuses on particular needs, aligned to our working groups. The entire series is available in this playlist on JFN’s YouTube channel. We’ve also created a second playlist, that includes Affinity Group videos that aren’t part of the Covid briefing series, such as the FedLab videos and videos from our new "Success Factors" series.

JFN's Covid-19 Response Site

You can find our videos, as well as curated articles, updates on needs in the field and donor responses, as well as other key resources on the Resource Hub and the Human Services North America Needs & Responses sections of JFN’s Covid-19 Response site. Please email Julie Wiener if you have material to share or other feedback.

—Special Request—

Help Us Get the Word Out

Public relations and communications can seem like a luxury for human service groups at times like these. However, to ensure that we secure much-needed resources, it is vitally important that all of us keep getting the word out about our work. If your organization has marketing and communications staff, please put them in touch with JFN's communications director, Julie Wiener, to coordinate on media strategy. And don’t forget to email us your news, especially “bright spots” so we can feature them in this newsletter and elsewhere.

—From the Field—

Poverty Grows Despite Economic Recovery
(Pew Stateline, January 6)

2021 Will Be the Year of Guaranteed Income Experiments
(Bloomberg, January 4)

Failure to Support Those Slipping into Poverty Would Profoundly Damage the Entire Economy
(Dallas Morning News, January 3)

Universal Basic Income Fails to Get to the Root of Urban Poverty
(Foundation for Economic Education, December 29)

The Year Inequality Became Less Visible, and More Visible Than Ever
(New York Times, December 28)

As Needs of Newly Poor Surge, Emergency Aid Effort Underway for Frontline Jewish Agencies
(Jewish Telegraphic Agency, December 21)

Nearly 8 Million Americans Have Fallen into Poverty Since the Summer
(Washington Post, December 16)

How COVID Has Impacted Poverty in America
(Frontline, December 8)

The Coming War on the Hidden Algorithms that Trap People in Poverty
(Technology Review, December 4)

What Biden Means for Nonprofits Focused on Social Services
The Chronicle of Philanthropy, December 1

Be sure to check out the collection of articles we published last year in partnership with eJewish Philanthropy.

NOVEMBER 2020 

Dear Friend,

What a busy and crazy fall this has been! I hope you and your loved ones are staying healthy even as Covid cases surge.

I want to warmly welcome many new members of the affinity group, particularly those who connected with us last month through our FedLab workshop. It was heartening to see how many communities are coming together to address poverty, and the sheer amount of networking, information-sharing, and planning that happened in just a few hours was truly astounding! You can learn more about it in the article below and in the videos and other materials posted on the Affinity Group website.

In this newsletter, you’ll also learn about our newly published funder briefs – outlining key needs and funding opportunities in six areas. I hope you will share them widely. I’m also thrilled to share news of Affinity Group members UJA-Federation of New York and Commonpoint Queens’ The Hub, an impressive new one-stop facility that opened last month for New Yorkers of all backgrounds struggling with poverty. And this month’s Bright Spot highlights an innovative Fellows Program being launched by Affinity Group member JFCS of Greater Philadelphia.

Please stay in touch. I want to know what is going on in your community and how the Affinity Group can be helpful.

Warmly,

Deena K. Fuchs
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
deena@jfunders.org

—Save the Date—

*TODAY! It's not too late to register!*

Exploring the Challenges & Opportunities of Affordable Housing 

(Tuesday, November 17, 1-2 pm ET)

Join the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty’s housing workgroup for an update on the dialogue underway about affordable housing and information about an innovative model administered by Jewish Family Services of Rochester that is helping to support an affordable housing community there. In addition, Jewish Funders Network members Jane and Eddie Lorin will talk about their work developing and operating affordable housing communities and about the foundation they launched to ensure the quality of life for residents living in affordable housing communities. Presenters include Lisa Budlow of CHAI (Comprehensive Housing Assistance, Inc.) Baltimore; Jennie Schaff of Jewish Family Services of Rochester, and Eddie and Jane Lorin.

—Our Work—

Funder Briefing Papers Now Available

As devastating as the Covid pandemic has been, we are pleased that it has increased awareness about the many individuals, including Jews, living on the edge financially. With new funders interested in investing in programs addressing Jewish poverty, we want to make it as easy as possible for them to identify the key areas where they can be most helpful. That’s why we just published six funder briefs outlining the needs in key sectors and offering concrete suggestions for how donors can help.

The briefs, available for download here, summarize the needs and investment opportunities in addressing food insecurity, housing, jobs, older adults, mental health, and systems. We encourage you to share them and to incorporate them into any of your fundraising or public awareness efforts. You will also want to read and share this eJewish Philanthropy article about the need for funders to step up on Jewish poverty. If your organization has marketing and public relations staff, please encourage them to contact Julie Wiener (jwiener@jfunders.org), JFN’s director of communications, so we can work collaboratively to get the word out about this and other aspects of the Affinity Group’s work.

Almost 40 Poverty Action Plans Launched at FedLab

When the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty began planning its FedLab track, “Building Community Action Plans to Address Poverty,” the goal was to train working groups from 10 communities. Instead, almost four times as many communities — from all over North America and from cities large and small – assembled anti-poverty working groups and signed up.

In Zoom sessions, leaders from the affinity group shared success factors, best practices, and other important information on addressing poverty. Then, in structured, facilitated discussions, working groups consisting of a variety of stakeholders from each of 38 communities mapped out their next steps. Each group discussed their local goals and benchmarks, examined their community’s strengths and weaknesses, explored which/if any “Success Factors” models and best practices would be most applicable to their community, and brainstormed about potential partners and allies to include in their work moving forward.

“This was an incredibly productive and collaborative conversation for our Colorado agencies, and we have very tangible outcomes to move forward with that we wouldn’t have otherwise,” Steven Baker, Senior Director of Philanthropy at JEWISHcolorado said afterward.

Watch the main video and nine "Success Factor" breakout sessions from this FedLab track here and download other resources from the session here. You will also want to watch our session from the JFNA’s General Assembly, a discussion about local strategies for addressing poverty. 

UJA-Federation of New York Opens Groundbreaking ‘Hub’

In October, UJA-Federation of New York, in partnership with Commonpoint Queens opened the Queens Hub, a new 9,600-square-foot social service center that will offer employment resources, social services, and access to food.

Open to all New Yorkers, the Hub is expected to serve 6,000 clients in its first year. An all-encompassing facility that provides a range of social services to help people stabilize their lives, the centerpiece of the Hub is a best-in-class workforce development program where potential employers will participate in trainings, increasing the likelihood of participants finding employment. The Hub also offers case management, mental health counseling, benefits screening and enrollment, emergency cash assistance, and access to the Commonpoint Queens Digital Food pantry.

Also, in response to Covid-19 and the overwhelming demand for social services, UJA allocated $4.6 million for six satellite Hub locations that will open their doors in November across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island, and Westchester. While the Queens Hub will be permanent to respond to perennial poverty, the satellite Hubs will serve as a shorter-term COVID recovery response. UJA is also working toward building a permanent Brooklyn Hub. For more information, email Alexandra Roth-Kahn.

—Bright Spot—

The Power of Peer Support

One of the linchpins of most addiction recovery programs is the “sponsor” – a recovered user whose lived experience helps them offer mentorship, inspiration, and emotional support. The “peer support” approach has become an increasingly common component of mental health treatment as well. JFCS of Philadelphia believes this approach also can help clients who are struggling to escape poverty – while also helping former clients get to the next step professionally.

JFCS of Greater Philadelphia’s Peer Fellows Program is one of three projects that recently completed the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies’ Jewish Poverty Challenge Intensive Incubation Program (learn about the other two here and here). After months of planning, including focus groups with clients, the project is ready to launch once funding is secured.

Under the program, the agency will select several former clients for year-long full-time paid peer fellowships. The peer fellows, who will serve Jewish clients between the ages of 18-64, will increase the number of client “touch points” – staff at JFCS who are available to help them. The hope is that they also will increase staff awareness of and sensitivity to clients’ experiences, while providing the validation and empathy many clients have told JFCS they need.

“We wanted to better meet clients where they are and add a layer of support, in which someone can be their cheerleader telling them to keep going, saying ‘I did it, I know it’s hard,’” explains Courtney Owen, JFCS’ Director of Individual and Family Services. “But we also knew the fellow would offer an important perspective to the client’s care manager and, by working with our team for a year, would gain job experience and training. The goal is to enhance our care services, but also help the fellow take the next step to a full-time career.”

Many clients “have lived in poverty a long time and feel like there’s no way out,” so “having a peer say, ‘I was able to take the next step,’” can be transformative in getting them to think beyond just surviving month to month, Owen notes.

To learn more about this project, watch this FedLab "Success Factor" breakout session with JFCS Senior Vice President for Programs and Strategy David Rosenberg. You can also email him at drosenberg@jfcsphilly.org 

—Resources—

The Affinity Group Website

Your one-stop-shop for all Affinity Group videos, briefing papers, newsletters, and other materials. jfunders.org/national_affinity_group_on_jewish_poverty

The Affinity Group on YouTube

Since March, we've held seven briefings on how Covid-19 is impacting Jews living in poverty and the organizations that serve them. We have been hearing the needs from the service providers on the ground supporting our front lines, sharing best practices and information, and strategizing on ways to respond collectively. Each webinar, facilitated by Bridgespan Group Senior Advisor Susan Wolf Ditkoff features key leaders and focuses on particular needs, aligned to our working groups. The entire series is available in a this playlist on JFN’s YouTube channel. We’ve also created a second playlist, that includes Affinity Group videos that aren’t part of the Covid briefing series – such as last month’s webinar about Broke: The Game, a game Affinity Group member and JFCS of Pittsburgh COO Dana Gold created to promote awareness about the realities of poverty. (You can download the app version for free or order as a board game here.)

JFN's Covid-19 Response Site

You can find our videos, as well as curated articles, updates on needs in the field and donor responses, as well as other key resources on the Resource Hub and the Human Services North America Needs & Responses sections of JFN’s Covid-19 Response site. Please email Julie Wiener if you have material to share or other feedback.

—Special Request—

Help Us Get the Word Out

Public relations and communications can seem like a luxury for human service groups at times like these. However, to ensure that we secure much-needed resources, it is vitally important that all of us keep getting the word out about our work. If your organization has marketing and communications staff, please put them in touch with JFN's communications director, Julie Wiener, to coordinate on media strategy. And don’t forget to email us your news, especially “bright spots” so we can feature them in this newsletter and elsewhere.

—From the Field—

Philadelphia City Council Votes to Create a Nonprofit Fund Aimed at Pulling 100,000 out of Poverty (Philadelphia Inquirer, November 12)

Millions Face Loss of Jobless Aid: ‘Without It, I’m Dead in the Water’ (New York Times, November 11)

Virus Relief Package Uncertain in Post-Election Congress (Associated Press, November 9)

Residents Feared Low-Income Housing Would Ruin Their Suburb. It Didn’t. (New York Times, November 5)

Biden’s Tax Plan Would Steer Aid to the Poor but Could Deter Some Wealthy Donors from Giving (Chronicle of Philanthropy, October 28)

A Canadian Study Gave $7,500 to Homeless People. Here’s How They Spent It. (Vox, October 27)

SNAP Benefits Cost a Total of $85.6B in the 2020 Fiscal Year Amid Heightened US Poverty and Unemployment (The Conversation, October 27)

We Could Abolish Child Poverty in the U.S. with Social Security Benefits for Poor Kids (Brookings Institution Blog, October 21)

MASBIA Soup Kitchen Transitions to 24-Hour Schedule to Help Those in Red Zones (News 12, October 20)

1.5 Million New Yorkers Can’t Afford Food. Pantries Are Their Lifeline. (New York Times, October 20)

Be sure to check out the collection of articles we published last year in partnership with eJewish Philanthropy. 

OCTOBER 2020 

Dear Friend,

Shana tova! I hope your holidays have been meaningful and joyous so far, despite the limitations imposed by Covid-19. I also hope that you were able to take some time to recharge over the summer (which already seems so long ago). Our work to end Jewish poverty and address the many hardships this pandemic has caused is a marathon, not a sprint, so self-care is critical!

I’m thrilled to share that the affinity group will be reconvening (albeit virtually) at the Jewish Federation of North America’s General Assembly on October 26-27. On Monday, October 26, the affinity group will be leading a session about the importance of place-based initiatives to combat poverty. And on Tuesday, October 27, at the GA's FedLab, we will be helping to facilitate an intensive four-hour session where community teams will strategize their local poverty responses. The GA is open to all, but the FedLab session is by invitation only. Please encourage your local Federation to participate and to bring a team. 

Below, you’ll also learn about our upcoming webinar with Affinity Group member Dana Gold of JFCS Pittsburgh, who has created a powerful new tool to raise awareness about poverty; the 11 communities selected for the second cohort of the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies’ Poverty Challenge; and how a member of the first cohort, Jewish Family Services of Columbus, is using technology to better serve its clients.

Please let me know if you have any questions about or suggestions for the affinity group or if you have a "bright spot" to share. We are here to serve you and want to be sure we are meeting your needs.

Wishing you a joyous rest of Sukkot. Let’s hope 5781 is a happier and healthier year than its predecessor!

Warmly,

Deena K. Fuchs
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
deena@jfunders.org

—Save the Date—

What Would You Do? "Broke: The Game" 

(Thursday, October 22, 1:30 pm, ET)

Join the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty, and Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, for a special program to learn about a groundbreaking new game that educates people about the realities of poverty in the United States.

Created by Dana Gold, Chief Operating Officer of JFCS Pittsburgh "Broke: The Game" simulates the stress and difficulty of attempting to overcome poverty. With a simple setup, this game forces players to challenge their preconceived ideas about poverty and those experiencing it. Hear from Gold about why she was inspired to create this game. Colleagues and funders will then share their impressions of the game after playing. In addition to Gold, speakers include Reuben Rotman, President and CEO of the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies.

All Hands on Deck: Community Collaboration in the Fight Against Poverty During Covid and Beyond 

(Monday, October 26, 3:30-4:30 pm ET)

In this session at the Jewish Federation of North America's General Assembly, Tipping Point CEO Sam Cobbs discusses community-based anti-poverty efforts with Sarah Abramson, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Impact at Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston. To RSVP, register for the GA here.

FedLab Session Addressing Jewish Poverty

(Tuesday, October 27, 12-4:30 pm, ET)

This special track at the GA is by invitation-only. See more details in the news item below.

—Our Work—

FedLab Meeting: Building a Community Poverty Strategy in the Covid-19 Era and Beyond

At last year’s FedLab Conference, the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), in partnership with the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty, put Federations’ role in human services, and particularly poverty, front and center on the Jewish community’s agenda. The Covid-19 crisis has upped the ante, leading to burgeoning human service needs across our communities. Now is the time to reimagine how our communities can help our most vulnerable. What would a holistic, integrated, and client-centered communal response to Jewish poverty look like? How can we develop place-based strategies to address both existing needs and new ones that have emerged due to the pandemic? What are the key components necessary for success? What tools do we need and how are they honed? Who needs to be at the table, and what partnerships do we need to build? What do we need to know, and how can we best learn? Join us as we unpack those key components and then work in diverse, local coalitions of leaders to take the work of fighting poverty from concept to reality. This session, on Tuesday, October 27 from 12-4:30 pm ET, will be attended by teams of local Federation staff, agency leaders, funders, and selected other participants. If you would like to participate, please reach out to your local Federation or email Deena@jfunders.org.

11 Communities Selected for Poverty Challenge

The Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies recently chose 11 agencies to participate in Year Two of its Jewish Poverty Challenge. The goal of the program is to help NJHSA member agencies better analyze the marketplace, launch and manage solutions, and implement sustainable measures for success to address the many dynamics associated with responding to Jewish poverty.

NJHSA has partnered with Start Co., a venture development consultancy firm with an expertise in launching startup, entrepreneurial initiatives and engaging municipalities, corporations and nonprofits in poverty reduction responses, to work with Jewish Community Service Baltimore; Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis; Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay; Jewish Family Service of Atlantic & Cape May Counties; Jewish Family Service Cincinnati; Jewish Family Service Colorado; Jewish Family Services Northeastern New York; Jewish Family Service Orange County, NY; Jewish Family Service San Diego; Jewish Family Service Vancouver, BC; and Jewish Family Service Western MA.

The team at Start Co will provide expert consultation assistance as these agencies rethink and redesign products and services, adjusting assumptions and organization models, while paying special attention to the impact of Covid-19 on service delivery methods.

Reuben Rotman, President & CEO of the Network added that “The COVID-19 pandemic has even further heightened the critical need for innovative solutions to the challenges of Jewish Poverty. With newly vulnerable clients reaching out for assistance in unprecedented frequency, the agencies are challenged to identify new ways of working and new efforts to achieve sustainable solutions for those in need.”

Learn about one of the Year 1 participants in the “Bright Spot” feature below.

—Bright Spot—

Social Services Online and On-Demand

When Covid lockdowns began in March, most nonprofits had to scramble to move programming and services from in-person to online. For Jewish Family Services of Columbus, however, the pandemic came at an opportune moment: just as it was about to pilot an ambitious digital project to create a digital portal. JFS’ effort to move critical services online quickly kicked into high gear shifting “from a small working group putting Post-It notes on the wall to everyone in the agency experimenting and creating new virtual content and services,” Karen Mozenter, CEO of the Ohio agency explained.

The digital portal project was one of three innovations selected for the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies’ 2019 Jewish Poverty Challenge Intensive Incubation Program (see above for information on the 2020 projects), all of which underwent a six-month entrepreneurship building and planning process. The consultants “gave us a process to follow and helped us map out efficiencies,” said Melissa Starr, JFS’s Director of Strategy and Partnerships.

The project was initially designed not with lockdown in mind, but in an effort to make services accessible and available on-demand for low-income clients who can’t easily travel to the office or aren’t free during business hours. “It’s so hard for people to access services when they’re experiencing poverty,” Mozenter said. “So many of our clients work multiple jobs, often as part of the gig economy, and are still in poverty.”

Even before Covid, JFS had already moved some of its services online – offering some virtual support groups and some career coaching via text-messaging. But now, it is offering much more, including shifting its initial intake process online, enabling it to more efficiently and quickly connect clients to needed services, such as referrals to food pantries. And it is also doing more to help clients, particularly seniors and low-income parents, obtain free or reduced-cost Wi-Fi and devices, and get the tech training they need. In addition to tele-counseling and support groups, the virtual programs now also include job-search groups, a series of free community workshops on career and mental health topics, and a variety of social activities, including a movie-watching club and a yoga class, for seniors.

After creating an array of new virtual content and services, JFS hopes to move to the next phase: building out the technology infrastructure so these services are available on-demand to all clients. - “We have spent the last couple of months building content in a way we hadn’t before,” Starr explained. “Now we’re looking to wrap it all into one package.” The agency plans to license the underlying technology to local and national partners, to create a sustainable revenue stream and increase the opportunities for collaboration and impact. To learn more about JFS of Columbus’ digital portal, email Karen Mozenter.

—Resources—

Webinars and More

Since March, we've held seven briefings on how Covid-19 is impacting Jews living in poverty and the organizations that serve them. We have been hearing the needs from the service providers on the ground supporting our front lines, sharing best practices and information, and strategizing on ways to respond collectively. Each webinar features key leaders and focuses on particular needs, aligned to our working groups. The most recent, in August, focused on the challenges facing low-income Jewish college students. The entire series is available in a playlist on JFN’s YouTube channel, JFN’s Facebook page, JFN’s Covid-19 Response site, and on the National Affinity Group for Jewish Poverty section of the JFN site.

—Special Request—

Help Us Get the Word Out

Public relations and communications can seem like a luxury for human service groups at times like these. However, to ensure that we secure much-needed resources, it is vitally important that all of us keep getting the word out about our work. Please help us amplify each other's work by sharing your organization’s Twitter and Facebook handles with us, and following our new Twitter list. Also, be sure that you follow Jewish Funders Network (@jfunders) and the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation (@hjweinbergfdn) on Twitter and Facebook. And don’t forget to email us your news, especially “bright spots” so we can feature them in this newsletter and elsewhere.

—From the Field—

U.S. Faces Shortage of Up to 8 Billion Meals in Next 12 Months, Leading Food Bank Says (Washington Post, October 2)

Elderly and Homeless: America's Next Housing Crisis (New York Times, September 30)

Among Jews, the Young and Highly Educated Bear COVID’s Emotional and Economic Toll (Forward, September 24)

Ignoring Jewish Poverty Is a Sin We Can’t Afford (Forward, September 24)

Poverty Groups Brace for Influx of Need as Extra Unemployment Benefits Expire (Yahoo! Money, September 18)

A Funder-Backed Project Explores Why Covid-19 Adversely Impacts Low-Wage Workers (Inside Philanthropy, September 10)

Amid Layoffs and Funder Bailouts, the Jewish Nonprofit World Is Fearing 2021 (Jewish Insider, September 9)

Meet the 86-Year-Old Jewish Volunteer Running a Food Bank on the Outskirts of America (JTA, September 8)

Masbia Announces New Tech Support Hotline for Breadline Modernization (Jewish Press, September 3)

Be sure to check out the collection of articles we published last year in partnership with eJewish Philanthropy. 

JULY/AUGUST 2020 

Dear Friend,

I hope you are staying healthy and cool.

It’s been a busy summer as the Covid pandemic and its economic fallout continue to hurt our vulnerable populations. We’ve been working hard to foster communication among agencies and funders, and to share information about the needs and best practices.

I’m proud of the Affinity Group’s ongoing series of webinars, particularly the one earlier this month on Jews of color, highlights of which are shared below. We have more briefings coming up, and I encourage you to catch up on any you’ve missed by watching the videos, now available in several locations.

You will also want to learn about the Network of Jewish Human Services Agencies Poverty Challenge, which so far has helped three communities around the country develop more efficient and effective ways of serving Jews in need. In the “Bright Spot” section of this newsletter, we take a deep dive into one of those communities, Detroit, where three agencies are coming together to create a one-stop “shopping” experience for clients. In the next two newsletters, we’ll feature the other communities.

Please stay tuned in the coming weeks for information about a special Affinity Group virtual convening planned for early fall.

As always, I encourage you to stay in touch, share your “bright spots,” and let us know how we can be helpful.

Warmly,

Deena K. Fuchs
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
deena@jfunders.org

—Save the Date—

Affinity Group Briefing #5 on Jewish Poverty During Covid-19 (Tuesday, July 21, 12-1 pm, ET)

In this briefing, we'll focus on the intersection of philanthropy and government Speakers are Louisa Chafee, Senior Vice President, External Relations and Public Policy, UJA- Federation of New York; Jerry Rubin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Jewish Vocational Service-Boston. Susan Ditkoff of The Bridgespan Group Boston will moderate. Learn more about the series in the article below, and watch earlier installments here.

An Intimate Conversation with Wes Moore (Monday, August 3, 1-2 pm, Eastern)

Join Jewish Funders Network for a conversation with Wes Moore, CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, an anti-poverty organization based in New York City, and author of several best-selling books. In this event, Rachel Garbow Monroe, President and CEO of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation will talk to Moore about his new book “Five Days: The Fiery Reckoning of an American City,” Covid-19’s disproportionate impact on communities of color, and how funders can best support racial justice and anti-poverty work at this critical time.

Note: This event will not be recorded, so please be sure to join us live! 

Affinity Group Briefing #6 on Jewish Poverty During Covid-19 (Tuesday, August 4, 12-1 pm, ET)

Details and speakers TBA.

—Our Work—

How Covid-19 Is Impacting Jews of Color

Early in the Covid pandemic, Ilana Kaufman and other leaders at the Jews of Color Field Building Initiative began hearing reports that Jews of color, like all people of color in the U.S., were suffering disproportionately from the pandemic and its economic effects. But it was only when they began seeking partners to establish a relief fund that they discovered how poorly equipped national Jewish institutions were to serve this vulnerable population.

“As I started to call agencies and asked where we can set up money so there’s a central place where people could get help, I realized there was no central place,” Kaufman, the executive director of the initiative, explained in the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty’s July 7 briefing. “Because federations are a disaggregated, loose network, it means that when one vulnerable group needs services, there is no central location to align that group’s need with the services.”

• Read more highlights and watch webinar here.
• Learn more about the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund here.

Our Briefing Series and Other Resources

The July 7 webinar on Jews of Color was the fourth in our ongoing series of briefings to discuss the many difficulties the coronavirus pandemic has created for Jews facing poverty and the agencies that serve them. We have been hearing the needs from the service providers on the ground supporting our front lines, sharing best practices and information, and strategizing on ways to respond collectively. Each webinar features key leaders and focuses on particular needs, aligned to our working groups. You can watch all the briefings in a special playlist on JFN’s YouTube channel, JFN’s Facebook page, JFN’s Covid-19 Response site, and on the National Affinity Group for Jewish Poverty section of the JFN site; we will be adding future webinars to all four locations.

You can find more videos and other key resources on the Resource Hub and the Human Services North America Needs & Responses sections of the Covid-19 Response site. Please reach out to Julie Wiener, JFN’s communications director, if you have resources to share or other feedback.

Detroit, Columbus and Philadelphia Agencies Complete Intensive Incubation Program

Jewish Family Service of Columbus, OH; Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia; and a collaboration of Detroit-area agencies: Jewish Family Service of Detroit, JVS Human Services and Yad Ezra recently completed the Jewish Poverty Challenge Intensive Incubation Program, an initiative of the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies’ Center for Innovation & Research. The incubation program supports agencies in efforts to achieve increased impact and be innovative in addressing the complicated dynamics associated with Jewish poverty.

Start Co., a Memphis-based consulting firm supporting social innovation with nonprofits, municipalities and the corporate sector, guided the agencies through six-month entrepreneurship building process to move their new idea(s) forward or enhance an existing initiative.

In the Bright Spot feature below, you’ll learn more about the project in Detroit. The next two Affinity Group newsletters will spotlight the Philadelphia and Columbus projects. To learn more about the Jewish Poverty Challenge Intensive Incubation Program, email Reuben Rotman.

—Bright Spot—

In Detroit, a One-Stop "Shop" to Help Families in Poverty

Among the many challenges of living in poverty is the very act of seeking help: Just navigating the numerous agencies and government services can be confusing and time-consuming. That’s why three Detroit-area Jewish anti-poverty organizations – Jewish Family Service of Metro Detroit, JVS Human Services and Yad Ezra (a kosher food bank) -- are piloting a one-stop experience, in which Jewish families can get the help they need from one specially trained coach.

“Currently, you can get food assistance from Yad Ezra, financial coaching and employment services from JVS and case management from JFS, but you have to go from place to place and tell four different people what’s going on,” says Perry Ohren, CEO of JFS. “This is especially important in global pandemic times. The exhaustion, confusion and hurt that people have is lessened if they just have to talk to one person.”

When the pilot starts (the project is currently in fundraising mode, after several months of planning and fine-tuning with help from the Jewish Poverty Challenge Intensive Incubation Program, described in the above article) two coaches – Ohren jokingly refers to them as “ninjas” – will be “cross-trained” to work with 20 families each. “In their toolboxes they will have case management capability, finance coaching piece, the employment service piece and a box of food too,” he explains. In year two, the pilot will add three more coaches, serving an additional 100 families. And the hope is to continue scaling up after that.

The project can’t begin soon enough, because the coronavirus pandemic is expected to dramatically increase the number of families in need in the coming months.

“So far in Jewish Detroit, because of the federal stimulus package, people have been to a degree taken care of by government intervention, whether that means they got a stimulus check or better unemployment benefits than they would have,” Ohren says. “But after July, the amount of hurt out there is going to be astronomical, and we expect the people we serve will change a little. Not just people who are renting, but also people who have mortgages, people who were middle class or upper middle class but their employer went belly up.”

To learn more about this project, email Perry Ohren.

—Special Request—

Help Us Get the Word Out

Public relations and communications can seem like a luxury for human service groups at times like these. However, to ensure that we secure much-needed resources, it is vitally important that all of us keep getting the word out about our work. Please help us amplify each other's work by sharing your organization’s Twitter and Facebook handles with us, and following our new Twitter list. Also, be sure that you follow Jewish Funders Network (@jfunders) and the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation (@hjweinbergfdn) on Twitter and Facebook. And don’t forget to email us your news, especially “bright spots” so we can feature them in this newsletter and elsewhere.

—From the Field—

Amid a Deadly Virus and Crippled Economy, One Form of Aid Has Proved Reliable: Food Stamps (New York Times, July 19)

Backers Had High Hopes for Opportunity Zones. Research Shows They Aren’t Delivering (Inside Philanthropy, July 15)

How Bay Area Community Groups Mobilized Donors to Keep Vulnerable People Housed (Inside Philanthropy, July 9)

Jewish Nonprofits Launch Nationwide Volunteer Drive to Respond to Pandemic, Social-Justice Needs (Chronicle of Philanthropy, July 6)

Meet the Gleaners, Combing Farm Fields to Feed the Newly Hungry (New York Times, July 6)

With Gates in the Lead, Foundations Aim to Shift the Narrative on Poverty in the U.S. (Inside Philanthropy, June 23)

The Coronavirus Has Revealed the True Nature of Hunger in America (Chronicle of Philanthropy, June 19)

As US Lockdowns Lift, Evictions Loom for Poorest City Dwellers (Reuters, June 19)

Be sure to check out the collection of articles we published last year in partnership with eJewish Philanthropy. 

JUNE 2020 

Dear Friend,

It’s been a year since we launched this affinity group, but it feels like a lifetime ago! It is fortunate that we began organizing when we did, because the events of the past year, particularly the Covid-19 pandemic, have highlighted how essential and desperately needed our work is.

We’ve broken down our work into working groups and briefing series to focus on specific issue areas, such as older adults and mental health. So far, we’ve held three briefings (see below) and will host several more in the coming months. Please stay tuned for details! All of this is helping us move forward on a long-term national agenda, as well as a midterm one focused on Covid-related needs.

Learn more about the working groups and briefings below, and be inspired by the rapid expansion of Philadelphia’s Call-A-Friend program, which demonstrates that sometimes even a simple, low-tech solution can improve the lives of hundreds of people. This month we also have details on a new relief fund for Jews of color impacted by the pandemic, along with some ideas for how we can more easily share information with one another and the larger Jewish community.

I hope you are staying healthy and safe. Please feel free to email me anytime with feedback and suggestions — and don’t forget to share your “bright spots” and other news.

Warmly,

Deena K. Fuchs
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
deena@jfunders.org

—Save the Date—

JFN Webinars of Interest

The National Affinity Group's briefing series (see more about this below) will be continuing next month, so please stay tuned for details. In the meantime, we encourage you to participate in these upcoming JFN webinars:

• Funding with an Inclusion Mindset: A Strategic Conversation in the Wake of Covid-19 (Thursday, June 18, 1 p.m. Eastern) RSVP and more details here.
• The Jewish Communal Professional Workforce and Covid-19 (Thursday, June 25, 1 p.m. Eastern) RSVP and more details here.

Learn about more JFN webinars here.

—Our Work—

Update on Working Groups

Soon after our inaugural meeting last June, we established five working groups to focus on key issue areas in addressing Jewish poverty: Older Adults, Housing, Food Insecurity, Mental Health, Jobs, and Systems. Together we began working on developing a national agenda on Jewish poverty.

So much has changed in the past year, but a national agenda is more important than ever. Now, though, we need a near-to-midterm Covid-19 national agenda, and our working groups have been developing funder briefings with assessments of need, overviews of communal response with a bright spot showcase, as well as a section focused on investment opportunities – to demonstrate where philanthropic investment can make a difference. We have asked the working groups to consider the following:

• What are the top 2-3 overall messages that funders should know about your field, given what you’ve experienced?

• What promising initiatives are you seeing underway? What initiatives do you think the field needs to see? Are any initiatives addressing both short-term needs as well as addressing longer-term structural issues?

• What do you see as the top 2-3 immediate needs? For the second half of 2020?

• What information can you share about Emergency Funds, Pivots, Innovation & Technology, and Partnerships and sustainability in your field?

Whether you are a member of a working group or not, we encourage you to share your ideas and information. And we look forward to sharing the information we’ve gathered. Now that Covid-19 has magnified the issues of Jewish poverty, putting it high on our community’s agenda, we have the incredible opportunity to help shape the response and the investment.

Catch Up on Our Covid-19 Briefing Series

The National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty has been hosting a series of webinars and virtual meetups to discuss the many difficulties the coronavirus pandemic has created for Jews facing poverty and the agencies that serve them. We have been hearing the needs from the service providers on the ground supporting our front lines, share best practices and information, and strategize on ways to respond collectively. Each webinar features key leaders and focuses on particular needs, aligned to our working groups.

Thank you to all of you who have participated in our first three webinars:

• Food Insecurity and Housing (May 14)
• Older Adults and Mental Health (May 26 )
• Systemic Change (June 9)

Catch up on any you missed by watching them at the links above, on JFN’s Covid-19 Response site, and on the National Affinity Group for Jewish Poverty section of the JFN site; we will be adding future webinars as videos become available.

You can find more videos and other key resources on the Resource Hub and the Human Services North America Needs & Responses sections of the Covid-19 Response site. Please reach out to Julie Wiener, JFN’s communications director, with any updates or other feedback about the videos and other materials on the website.

Covid Relief Fund for Jews of Color

The Jews of Color Field Building Initiative has launched a COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund for people of color in the Jewish community who are experiencing financial hardships as a result of the Covid-19 crisis and economic fallout.

“Systemic racism is amplifying the impact of COVID-19 on Jews of color and all people of color in the U.S,” said Ilana Kaufman, executive director of the Jews of Color Field Building Initiative, in an article in eJewish Philanthropy. “We need to get funds into the hands of the most vulnerable, many of whom struggle daily to pay bills and put food on the table. And we are committed to both inviting applications and disbursing funds in ways that are transparent and reflect a welcoming environment for Jews of color.”

Individuals in need can apply for help ranging from $250-$2,500 – to be spent on basic necessities such as rent or mortgage payments, food, medical bills — at jewsofcolorinitiative.org/resources. The relief fund requires minimal documentation concerning finances, and awards are being made on a rolling basis rather than first-come, first-serve.

Eligible applicants are people of color in the Jewish community living in the U.S., including those who self-identify as Jewish, those who work or have worked for a Jewish communal organization, and those affiliated with organizations in the Jewish community.

—Bright Spot—

Reaching Out to Isolated Seniors

While many people have come to rely on technology, especially Zoom, to cope with the isolation of social distancing, that’s not an option for the clients of Northeast NORC, a Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia program serving 1,700 seniors across six ZIP codes of the city. Northeast NORC’s mostly Jewish clients, whose incomes are below 250 percent of the federal poverty line, tend to live alone in aging homes and “are not tablet- or Zoom-savvy to say the least,” says Brian Gralnick, the Federation’s director of social responsibility.

That’s why when social distancing measures went into place and in-person activities became impossible, Northeast NORC quickly ramped up a decidedly low-tech program: Phone-a-Friend. The program mobilizes and trains (training video available here) volunteers to have phone conversations with Northeast NORC clients one to three times a week. Before the quarantine, the program had about a dozen volunteers and 15 clients. As of June 1, it had grown tenfold, and volunteers, who generally make 20-30-minute calls twice a week, have collectively logged more than 300 hours on the phone. After each phone call, volunteers record their interaction and share emergency needs or other concerns that came up in the conversation, so that Northeast NORC staff can identify and provide other social services to clients as needed.

According to Gralnick, many of the volunteers and older adults are eager to meet in person once the pandemic is over, and the older adults say they are grateful not to be forgotten amid the pandemic. “Unfortunately, for some of our members this is the only interaction they’re going to have with another person that day,” Gralnick says.

• Read about one volunteer’s experience with Phone-A-Friend.
• To learn more about Phone-a-Friend, including its training and recruitment strategies, contact Brian Gralnick at bgralnick@jewishphilly.org.

—Special Request—

Help Us Get the Word Out

Public relations and communications can seem like a luxury for human service groups at times like these. However, to ensure that we secure much-needed resources, it is vitally important that all of us keep getting the word out about our work. To that end, we are hoping to create a more active social media presence, and you can help us amplify each other's work by sharing your organization’s Twitter and Facebook handles with the Affinity Group. We are also building a Twitter list to help follow each other’s news. You can also help by making sure that you, or whoever manages social media for your organization, follow Jewish Funders Network (@jfunders) and the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation (@hjweinbergfdn) on Twitter and Facebook. And don’t forget to email us your news, especially “bright spots” so we can feature them in this newsletter and elsewhere.

—From the Field—

Life on Welfare Isn’t What Most People Think It Is (The Conversation, June 11)

A Gates-Led Donor Collaborative Awards $2.8 Million to Change Attitudes on Poverty (Chronicle of Philanthropy, June 10)

Some Realistic Solutions for Income Inequality (The Hill, June 10)

Met Council Unveils New App to Report Domestic Abuse (New York Jewish Week, June 9)

Food Banks and Other Key Programs Have Received a Fraction of Allotted Coronavirus Money, Angering Some Lawmakers (The Washington Post, June 8)

In Los Angeles, Big Donors and Public Schools Team up on Food Insecurity (Inside Philanthropy, June 5)

As COVID-19 Escalates the Housing Crisis, Funds Flow to Help Low-Income Renters (Inside Philanthropy, June 2)

Hunger Program’s Slow Start Leaves Millions of Children Waiting (New York Times, May 26)

Food Banks Get the Love, But SNAP Does More to Fight Hunger (NPR, May 22)

Dancing between Light and Shadow – Increasing Awareness of the Impact of Covid 19 Disparities on Jews of Color (eJewish Philanthropy, May 21)

In Boston, a Jewish Agency Tackles ‘Shocking’ Poverty and Homelessness (The Forward, May 15)

Podcast: How the Covid-19 Pandemic May Affect Poverty Reduction Efforts (Chronicle of Philanthropy, May 12)

Cutbacks at Social-Service Groups on the Rise, Poll Finds
(Chronicle of Philanthropy, May 11)

Be sure to check out the collection of articles we published last year in partnership with eJewish Philanthropy. 

MAY 2020 

Dear Friend,

I hope you and your loved ones are staying healthy. As the pandemic has wreaked havoc on our world, no one has been harder hit by its health and economic effects than the families and individuals already living in poverty. We are also aware that COVID-19 has increased those among us who are struggling, with more than 33 million Americans filing for unemployment since mid-March.

I am grateful, at least, that we entered this challenging time having already begun the hard and important work of coordinating our efforts to fight Jewish poverty. In this month’s newsletter, we report on the critical work affinity group members are doing to respond to Covid-19 and its ripple effects, ranging from unemployment to food insecurity to increased domestic violence. We also share news about an important webinar series that starts this Thursday, and a new JFN resource we hope you will find useful.

Let’s continue to stay in close contact in the coming months, as our work is more urgently needed than ever. And please continue to share your feedback and ideas.

Warmly,

Deena K. Fuchs
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
deena@jfunders.org

—Save the Date—

A Series of Briefings on Poverty and the Impact of Covid-19

Over the coming months, the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty will be hosting a series of webinars and virtual meetups (the first one, focused on food insecurity and housing, is this Thursday, May 14, from 1-2 p.m. Eastern) to discuss the many difficulties the coronavirus pandemic has created for Jews facing poverty and the agencies that serve them. We will hear the needs from the service providers on the ground supporting our front lines, share best practices and information, and strategize on ways to respond collectively.

Each webinar will feature key leaders and focus on particular needs, aligned to the affinity group’s sub-groups. The first one one Thursday, May 14 from 1-2pm ET will focus on food insecurity and housing. The following two webinars will be take place on Tuesday, May 26th from 12-1pm ET and Tuesday, June 9th from 12-1pm ET – please hold the dates. This Thursday’s session on food insecurity and housing will include JFN Board Member Jeffrey Schoenfeld, Jessica Chait, Managing Director of Food Programs at Met Council on Jewish Poverty, and Lisa Budlow, CEO of CHAI Baltimore. RSVP for this Thursday.

If you register for the webinar this Thursday, we will ensure you get reminders for the next briefings. And if you missed our March webinar on “Supporting Vulnerable Populations During Covid-19,” you can watch a recording of it here.

—Responding to Covid-19—

Affinity Group Members Respond to Covid-19

As the coronavirus disrupts the lives of our most vulnerable populations, dramatically increases unemployment and makes it more challenging to provide many of the direct in-person services, agencies and federations are stepping up to the plate to ease the situation. Just a few examples:

• UJA-Federation of New York is investing more than $45 million in grants to expand food distribution, offer virtual programming for homebound seniors and Holocaust survivors, support the operational capacity of key human service agencies, and offer wide range of services for Jews in poverty in both Israel and New York;
• Chicago’s Jewish United Fund created a $26 million coronavirus initiative to be used for emergency financial aid, including cash grants for housing, food, medical care and other essentials for individuals and families.
• The Jewish Federation of San Diego County, Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego and Leichtag Foundation partnered to establish the San Diego Jewish Community COVID-19 Emergency Fund to support those who are most vulnerable and impacted in San Diego’s Jewish community. As of May 1, it had raised $2.1 million and deployed $537,000, with grants to organizations and rabbis working directly with those in need, as well as payroll assistance for local Jewish organizations.

Getting Much-Needed Personal Protective Equipment to Agencies

In April, the Jewish Federations of North America, JFN and the North American Volunteer Network (which includes alumni and members of the AEPI fraternity) teamed up to help procure much-needed equipment for Jewish nursing homes, hospices, home care and other social service providers. Just last week we delivered one million surgical masks, 500,000 gowns and 400,000 gloves to Jewish nursing homes and other social service providers.

Because all this equipment is far more costly now than usual, we’re raising money so that these agencies don’t have to cover the difference between the normal price (which they will pay) and the current one. You can support this project in a few ways:

1. JFN is acting as a fiscal aggregator, so you can donate through us by emailing Deena Fuchs at deena@jfunders.org.
2. From now through the end of May, JFNA is running Pledge to Protect, a crowdfunding campaign with the goal of raising $3 million through 100,000 donations. Donate through Pledge to Protect.

Please feel free to share this with your networks.

Supporting Domestic Violence Victims

In addition to pushing more individuals into poverty and disproportionately hurting those already in poverty, Covid-19 has had another pernicious effect: increased rates of domestic violence. Domestic violence, exacerbated by victims being more isolated at home with their abuser and families' increasingly high stress levels, is the leading cause of homelessness for women and children.

Many service providers are stepping up to meet the increased need as a result of the pandemic. The Berkeley, Calif.-based Shalom Bayit, for example, is offering phone-based support groups and individual counseling, safety planning for victims while they are in lockdown, and is continuing to offer many of its other services with some modifications. The Met Council on Jewish Poverty, in New York, has expanded its family violence hotline (previously mostly during weekday office hours), with social workers now on call from 8 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays. Met Council leaders recently told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the number of new victims coming for help has doubled and that they expect to see an even bigger increase “when stay-at-home orders are lifted and victims are able to call without fear of their abusers finding out.”

Recommended Articles on This Topic:

• Domestic Violence Hotline Doubles Its Hours During Stay-At-Home Orders (JTA, April 30)
• For Domestic Violence Advocates, Calls Are Down But Need Is Going Up (Forward, April 23)
• A New Covid-19 Crisis: Domestic Abuse Rises Worldwide (New York Times, April 14)

Making the Case for Giving

The Network of Jewish Human Services Agencies, an Affinity Group member, has drafted a new document capturing the impact of COVID-19 on its member agencies and the communities they serve, and to elevate the  Network’s case for giving among the many “asks” that are out there. Much of the content of this document is the result of an analysis of a financial impact survey administered in March, as well as from anecdotal feedback which has come forth from a series of meetings we have convened with the agencies as the pandemic continued to evolve.

The hope is that agencies can adapt the document with their own data and local details, for fundraising use locally. Download it here.

New JFN Resource Available

JFN recently launched an easy-to-navigate website that is both a resource hub and a catalog describing the many needs created by the coronavirus pandemic and tracking the philanthropic responses. The Human Services in North America section contains extensive information and resources about services for Jews in poverty, including relevant articles, webinars, news and other materials. Make sure to check it regularly, and please let us know if you have information to add to it.

—In the News—

For Jews Hit Hard by the Pandemic, a New Worry — Not Having Enough Food (Jewish Telegraphic Agency, May 11)

Nonprofit Ensures NYC Holocaust Survivors Are Fed Amid Coronavirus (New York Post, May 10)

A Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Want to Empower FEMA to Meet America’s Growing Hunger Crisis (Washington Post, May 7) 

As Hunger Swells, Food Stamps Become a Partisan Flash Point (New York Times, May 6) 

Vulnerable Jewish Communities Are Suffering Through This Crisis. We Must Not Forget Them When It’s Over (Jewish Telegraphic Agency, May 5)

Food Banks Can’t Go On Like This (The Atlantic, May 5) 

A Gloomy Prediction on How Much Poverty Could Rise (New York Times, April 16) 

Be sure to check out the collection of articles we published last year in partnership with eJewish Philanthropy. 

MARCH 2020 

Dear Friend,

I hope that, despite the coronavirus and the many disruptions and uncertainty it is causing, you are staying healthy and will still manage to enjoy Purim tonight and tomorrow. While we weren't thinking about the holiday (or the virus) when we decided to schedule the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty newsletter for the second week of each month, sending this out on Purim feels right, since giving gifts to those in need is one of the holiday's mitzvot.

Of course our work in this group isn't merely to give to people experiencing poverty, but to develop comprehensive, coordinated solutions and address the structural challenges that make it so difficult for people to escape poverty. With that in mind, I'm delighted this month to highlight the important work happening in Philadelphia, where five Jewish agencies have come together to do just that. Know of another bright spot or something else we should be aware of as we tackle Jewish poverty? Don't be shy — we want to hear from you!

This newsletter also shares information about our upcoming meeting and work being done to alleviate poverty in the San Diego Jewish community. Please let us know if you have news to share for next month's newsletter, and please stay healthy! 

Deena K. Fuchs
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
deena@jfunders.org

—Save the Date—

Our next meeting will be held at the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA)’s Third Annual Conference – May 3-5, in Dallas. Please join us on Tuesday, May 5, for a post-conference workshop designed to provide opportunities for shared learning, issues-oriented workgroup planning, and community and regional collaboration. If you are part of one of the affinity group’s six sub-groups interested in developing an anti-poverty initiative in your community, or if you want to help catalyze this national movement, this meeting is for you! Please RSVP here.

—News from the Field—

San Diego Jews Convene on Poverty

On Feb. 26, San Diego’s Jewish Community Foundation, Jewish Family Service, and Jewish Federation — as well as the Isakow Foundation, held a community-wide convening on tackling poverty in the local Jewish community. Participants explored how to develop an integrated model of navigating and delivering services to those experiencing poverty while avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy and building on the strengths of various Jewish, secular and governmental service providers.

At the convening the four partners shared this new report, which estimates that poverty touches up to 20 percent of the approximately 50,000 Jewish households in San Diego County. The report, based on analysis of previous community studies and interviews with relevant community professionals, found that local Jews in poverty are often unaware of their eligibility for government benefits and that there currently is no centralized navigation system of financial and other resources to serve the Jewish community. Read the report here. 

—Bright Spots—

Philadelphia Coordinates Services for Jews Experiencing Poverty

Seniors enjoy a program at Federation Housing, where they have access to services from various agencies. 

In Philadelphia, more than a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line, making it the poorest of America’s 10 largest cities. And a new Jewish Federation community study finds that 10 percent of the Jewish population is at an income level low enough for food stamp eligibility, even as only 43 percent of those are actually receiving food stamps.

Frustrated by their inability to meet needs within the Jewish community, particularly to lift individuals out of poverty, five of the metropolitan area’s Jewish social service agencies began meeting in August to work more collaboratively on Jewish poverty.

With help from Compass, a local organization providing pro bono expertise to nonprofits, the groups — Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia (JFCS), JEVS Human Services, the Abramson Center for Jewish Life (senior care), Federation Housing (affordable senior housing) and KleinLife (the Philadelphia JCC) — are interviewing clients and analyzing data to determine whether any services can be consolidated and what more can be done to help the clients escape poverty.

“We’ve learned there’s not as much overlap of services as we thought,” explains Paula Goldstein, president and CEO of JFCS. “Each organization does something slightly different, but we all rely on each other’s services to enhance the quality of life for our clients, because none of us has enough resources to do it on our own.”

While the collaborative is still in research mode, Goldstein says members are leaning toward recommending that the Federation Housing model be expanded in order to provide affordable housing for people under age 62. In addition to addressing the critical need for housing, that model, with its centralized residential communities, enables the community to have a one-stop office on-site where residents can access services from multiple Jewish agencies at once.

“We are a work in progress, but hell bent on finding a way to collaborate, because we know we need to,” Goldstein says.

To learn more, contact Paula Goldstein at PGoldstein@jfcsphilly.org.

—In the News—

City Council Releases Plan to Reduce Philadelphia Poverty by 25 Percent (Philly Voice)

Women Holocaust Survivors Find Joy in Fighting Poverty (New York Times)

2020 Federal Poverty Guidelines: Why It Might Get Harder to Be Considered Poor Under Trump (USA Today)

Poverty Is All About Personal Stress, Not Laziness (Bloomberg)

Can Chicago Address Poverty Without Displacing the Rich? (Nonprofit Quarterly)

Be sure to check out the collection of articles we published last year in partnership with eJewish Philanthropy. 

FEBRUARY 2020 

Dear friend,

Thank you so much for your involvement in the Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty. To keep you up to date on our important work, I am delighted to share this inaugural edition of our monthly newsletter.

Below, you'll find details about a new initiative to get more and better data on Jewish poverty. You'll also find a link to the report generated from our meeting at FedLab. And we've highlighted a bright spot in the field: what Hunter College Hillel is doing to address food insecurity among Jewish students. Know of another bright spot or something else we should be aware of as we tackle Jewish poverty? Don't be shy — we want to hear from you!

We also want to hear what’s working in this affinity group and ways in which we can do better. As a peer network, we are all learning and growing. Your feedback — good and less good — is essential to the process. 

Deena K. Fuchs
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
deena@jfunders.org

—Save the Date—

Our next meeting will be held at the NJHSA’s Third Annual Conference – May 3-5, in Dallas. The affinity group will meet on Tuesday, May 5, at the conclusion of the conference. We will share more information on the agenda and program next month. 

—Highlighting Our Work—

Better Data Is on the Way

The scarcity of accurate and aligned data on poverty and financial insecurity was one of many challenges identified at our inaugural meeting in Chicago last year. We’re pleased to announce that Jewish Federations of North America, in partnership with the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, is addressing this challenge head-on by offering financial incentives encouraging Federations to include poverty-related questions in their upcoming community demographic studies. JFNA will provide $50,0000 grants to 10 Jewish Federations that commit to including a standard set of questions related to poverty, as well as committing to a plan to utilize the data. The grants will also require questions on race and ethnicity, in collaboration with Jews of Color Field Building Initiative (JoC-FBI).

Having more consistent data on poverty and economic insecurity will enable us to be more effective at serving Jews in need and dramatically reducing Jewish poverty. The core sets of questions are available upon request from the JFNA research department, and details on how to apply for a grant will be released soon. For more information, please contact Laurence Kotler-Berkowitz at research@jewishfederations.org.

Report from FedLab

At JFNA’s FedLab Conference in November, we engaged in a series of dynamic learnings and discussions on key issues relevant to the Jewish human services agenda, with a particular focus on poverty, older adults, and people with disabilities. Check out the full “lab report” here.

—Bright Spots—

At Hunter Hillel, Addressing Food Insecurity 

The Jewish students at Hunter College, part of the City University of New York system, face a full plate of responsibilities: schoolwork, part-time jobs and family obligations, made harder by time spent commuting.

Add to that, a UJA-Federation of New York study last year found that more than half of Hunter’s Jewish students reported feeling food insecure.

Fortunately, there is always food available at Hunter College Hillel, where food accounts for over 67 percent of the program budget. “Our food budget reflects both the reality of the problem here in New York City and Hillel’s commitment to serving the needs of students,” explains Hunter Hillel’s executive director, Merav Fine Braun. “We seek to nourish students in both body and soul.”

Braun and her team keep the student lounge supplied with healthy snacks and encourage students to stop in throughout the school day. In addition, food is served at most Hillel activities, including classes and meetings. And when the organization hosts Shabbat meals, take-home containers are available so students can bring home any leftovers. Braun says she and her team have heard from many students that without Hillel, they would miss meals.

“Knowing we’re there for them makes a huge difference in lessening their stress and helping them stay committed to both their college classes and their Judaism,” Braun says. To learn more email Braun at merav@hunterhillel.org.

—In the News—

Trump Budget Contains Nearly $300B in Safety-Net Cuts (NPR)

Unaffordable Rental Housing May Be 'New Normal' in United States (Reuters)

Cities Prepare for the Worst as Trump's Food Stamps Cuts Near (New York Times)

Stepping Around Human Misery (National Review)

Be sure to check out the collection of articles we published last year in partnership with eJewish Philanthropy. 

Even the most advanced Jewish philanthropic portfolio, should have an allocation of “vintage Tzedaka”, which is earmarked to sustain the weakest and neediest of our communities. 

Few Jewish customs are as time-honored and widespread as the giving of Tzedaka. General acts of loving kindness are ingrained into Jewish children from an early age by their parents and the Jewish society that surrounds them. Whether earmarked for a local institution or a  national cause, it is unlikely to find a Jewish home that is not charitable. 

This is with good reason and not by chance. Kindness is hailed in the Talmud as one of the fundamental traits of the children of Abraham and Sarah (Talmud Tractate Yevamot 79a). Tithing one’s income is the only act where we are encouraged to “test” God’s reciprocal reward (Talmud, Tractate Taanit 9a). Feasting on the Jewish holidays without tending to the poor, is considered a shameful disgrace (Maimonides Laws of Festivals 6/18 ). One of the main factors for the destruction of the Second Temple was due to moral corruption and neglect of society’s weakest.

The famous quote “Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man To Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime”, is actually rooted in Maimonides’ "Eight Degrees of Charity" (Maimonides Laws of Charity 10/10), where he states that the highest form of charity is giving a person a job so he can sustain himself. This more sophisticated approach to charity is likely the impetus for today’s modern evolving of Charity into Philanthropy.

Wise donors utilize their professional skills to continuously review and reshape the most effective methods of philanthropic “investing” that will deliver a maximum ROI. Philanthropists who have the capacity, may attempt deeper strategic goals, such as uprooting the causes of inter-generational poverty via education, career counseling and public policy. Ideological “Big Idea” investors may choose to focus vast resources on impacting social change, economic policy and political outcomes, which can produce highly leveraged long-term outcomes for society.  

However, upgrading our standard of charitable giving has also had challenging consequences. For many donors, classic charity is no longer sophisticated or cutting-edge enough, especially since it is definitively more of a band-aid and less of a solution. Moreover, there is often an ill notion that poverty is self-inflicted, since certain sects of society still choose to live on welfare.

Instead of simply feeding the poor, innovative philanthropists may seek to utilize food as a means of initiating social change or nutritional education. Donating medical equipment to disabled populations is no longer as appealing as advocating for disability legal rights.  While this advancement and sophistication of charity is a huge blessing, how will we remain committed to providing Tzedaka for Jewish children who go to sleep hungry or a handicapped mother who cannot afford an electric wheelchair? 

Even the most advanced Jewish philanthropic portfolio, should have an allocation of “vintage Tzedaka”, which is earmarked to sustain the weakest and neediest of our communities. These valuable resources, should all be executed strategically (effective utilization and leverage of funds), transparently (vetted accountable organizations, professional leadership, accessible data) and professionally (benchmarks, milestones and KPIs). It is critical that we all utilize our philanthropic resources to invest in promoting the religious and social values that shape society, the Jewish people and the State of Israel. However we must be mindful to preserve Judaism’s historical value of Tzedaka, and not abandon our weakest brothers and sisters.

Joseph Gitler (a JFN member) is a graduate of Yeshiva University and Fordham University Law School. After making aliyah in 2000, he worked for three years as Director of International Sales & Development for a family software business. He founded Leket Israel in 2003 after witnessing significant food wastage in Israel at a time of rising poverty. Joseph’s vision and steady hand have led the organization from a simple, one-man operation to Israel’s largest food rescue organization. He is married to Leelah, has five children and enjoys biking, traveling and spending time with his kids.

There is an enormous opportunity for the Jewish community to bring new energy, power, and cohesion to the work of our non-profit sector and, especially, of our philanthropy, to address the needs against which our neighbors and often our community are struggling. 

Poverty too often appears as a cause, effect, and perpetuating factor in various social crises, including failures in our systems of health, education, food distribution, housing, and other social services. Social ruptures of hatred, blame, and fear toward groups based on race, ethnicity, and other forms of identity often further exacerbate these crises. However poverty comes to be, it is attended by a vulnerability and loss of power that opens the door to other crises, failures, and ruptures that make the cycle worse.

I’ve pushed at the monster of American inequity from many vantage points over 35 years — leading business coalitions that worked to expand digital access rather than exacerbating economic divides; managing foundations that invested in growing non-profit capacity to address issues of inequity; serving as a White House appointed, Senate-confirmed agency head, distributing billions of federal grant dollars to non-profits and communities leveraging AmeriCorps and VISTA volunteers to strengthen safety nets and interrupt generational cycles; and, today, heading Repair the World, offering thousands of Jewish young adults meaningful service opportunities to address urgent needs experienced in their own communities.

Even though so much energy is required to achieve even limited success addressing poverty, the work of Repair the World has fueled in me a sense of renewed optimism and purpose; a revitalization that comes from tapping into the energetic idealism of young adults together with the urgency of Jewish moral values. Along with Repair, the amazing work that Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps has been leading for decades offers both inspiration and direction for this.

There is an enormous opportunity for the Jewish community to bring new energy, power, and cohesion to the work of our non-profit sector and, especially, of our philanthropy, to address the needs against which our neighbors and often our community are struggling.

First and foremost, taking this opportunity would make a critical difference at a critical time in the lives of others, and the benefits to the Jewish community would be enormous as well. Struggling to navigate our own demographic changes, to heal rifts of leadership, to bridge generational and geographic divides, we have a truly classic opportunity to recapture our sense of efficacy and community by turning from our self-absorption, and, instead, living out our “light unto nations” purpose. Hillel said the entire Torah rests in the scripture that others should not be treated as you, yourself would not wish to be treated. 

Repair the World is experiencing this as a vital moment for our Jewish community to live out our purpose to be a light to the nations, to recognize the holy in all people, to make the places we live better for our presence. 

Here are some lessons that we learned that may serve Jewish philanthropists seeking to engage more deeply in anti-poverty work.

• Nowhere does implicit bias require deeper listening and humility than when philanthropists address poverty. Reducing the chasm between haves and have-nots is an act of valor for philanthropists, who, by definition fall uniquely on the “haves” side of the gulf. This doesn’t necessarily taint their motivations, but it does assure practical and moral conflict in addressing the very dynamics by which the wealth was acquired, and can create instincts that the philanthropists “know better” than the communities suffering poverty about what they need.
• Relationships first. No amount of work addressing urgent needs or bringing change can yield fruit without holding deep relationships with the people and non-profits in the communities that are at the epicenter of the challenge. And, in the end, it is the relationships with both organizations and the individuals who lead and participate in their efforts— not the issues or the investments— that drive transformation for everyone deeply involved in the work.
• Think long-term and act with urgency. The old and new testaments each assert that the poor will always be with us – and we are ordered to be generous, open our hand, never refuse, and more. This reflects the deep dichotomy that the issue of poverty may be immutable, but the journey of individuals, families and communities into, and, more importantly, out of poverty rests in our hands. 
• Address urgent needs — while working to change the system. The need for bringing systemic change to a justice system that seems driven to incarcerate generations of men of color cannot be overstated. Neither can we overstate the need for caring adults to mentor youth whose parents are incarcerated. The likelihood is 75% that a child with one incarcerated parent will spend time in jail themself – a statistic ruthlessly tied to the huge majority of such children who live in poverty. However, when that same child has a volunteer mentor for one year, that likelihood is cut in more than half. Investments to address the system will save future generations – however, they can only succeed over a great arc of time and in partnership across multiple sectors. Meanwhile, investments in effective non-profits that recruit, train, support and oversee these corps of volunteers will have a real impact on real people, right now.
• Mistakes are lessons and failures accelerate success. I still shudder recalling my visit to a DC public school in 1996, where I found administrative offices cluttered with dusty servers, screens and CPU’s – all technology that, as head of America Online’s new foundation, I’d sent them nearly a year earlier. We believed that we could “help” overburdened, under-resourced schools create new digital pathways for student success; however, that year not many students actually benefited from the tens of millions of dollars worth of hardware, software and digital access accounts from America Online and other companies. The lesson was painful and expensive – and it was repeated many times over before philanthropists identified the right formulas for supporting installation, training, and integration into educational curricula. Today, however, access to internet technology and training is supporting many schools and students to realize educational aspirations that would otherwise be unachievable – and the early failures were as essential in getting there as the persistent effort.

Victories against poverty come depressingly slow, and are often offset by even larger defeats; relentless acceleration in the pace of change, fueled by technology and globalism are driving economic displacement and volatility, fostering environments that capture vulnerable families in the cycle.

Our Jewish community has people, resources, values and experience to make a big difference with work that desperately needs doing. And, it seems to me that the opportunity to tackle this work comes at the perfect time for our community to reach beyond our insular challenges and support some holy work.

David Eisner is President and CEO of Repair the World

(An installment in the series Spotlight on Poverty, a partnership between JFN and eJewish Philanthropy.)

Fifty-four years ago, President Lyndon Johnson first uttered the now famous phrase “the war on poverty” in his State of the Union address.  When he spoke in 1964, a staggering 19% of Americans were considered poor, equaling 36 million Americans at the time. Today, the poverty rate may have dropped to 12.7%, but with our much larger population, that translates to more than 40 million Americans living in poverty.

The more local statistics are no less startling.  One in five New York–area Jewish households is poor.  One in 10 are near poor.  Moreover, 45% of all children in Jewish households live in poor or near-poor households.

We can do better than that.

In the decades since 1964, we’ve made leaps forward in science, medicine, technology, and more. We need to harness these advances to attempt new strategies and introduce systemic change.

Since our creation in 1917, UJA-Federation has looked to lift individuals and families out of poverty and put them on a path to self-sufficiency. Now, as we’ve entered our second century, we’re reenergized to tackle this challenge, recognizing that a web of issue keep people poor — and so we need to tackle them all.

To understanding the current landscape, we’ve been on a listening journey to hear from people who are disrupting the poverty space and working on the frontlines of today’s “war on poverty.” The first learning — we can’t go at this alone.

To bring as many people to the table as possible, earlier this summer, we hosted more than 200 poverty visionaries and thought-leaders for a daylong conference. We heard from Matthew Desmond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, who opened our eyes to the enormity of the housing crisis and the role of eviction in the poverty cycle. Barbara Turk, New York City’s Director of Food Policy spoke about how to scale innovative ideas and best practices across the hundreds of food pantries throughout our city. Other speakers addressed workforce development and how new technology can be harnessed to address homelessness and hunger.

Since the conference, we’ve been focused on three key areas that will guide our work going forward, and that we encourage others to consider as well:

• An effective response will not come from any one sector alone: Diverse stakeholders – nonprofits, interfaith groups, philanthropists, and advocacy groups – need to work in collaboration. Our interaction with government must go beyond advocacy to policy formation. In the closing remarks at the conference, Counsel to the Governor Alphonso David said “If programs are the strategy, greater policy is the lever we can pull to amplify the effectiveness.” We must form coalitions of funders, planners, and policy makers to ensure that our programs and policies are bolstering one another, and that public and private resources are better aligned.
  
  
• Moving the needle requires an appetite for innovation and a certain degree of risk: Like in so many industries, some of the most successful responses to poverty were started by individuals who had both a great idea and the courage to pursue it. For instance, as a student at UCLA, Rachel Sumekh created a mechanism for students to donate their unused meal plan dollars to peers who were skipping meals because they couldn’t afford them. She then scaled this idea into a national initiative called Swipe out Hunger, which has had enormous impact. In New York, we believe that UJA’s new Digital Choice Food Pantry System created in partnership with the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, will be equally as effective in helping alleviate food insecurity. This cloud-based software is using an innovative point system and touch-screen technology to allow low-income individuals to select the food their families want and need. (You can learn more about the Digital Choice system and our full anti-poverty initiative by watching this video:
  
  

• Giving people dignity and hope is as important as giving them material support: In his opening remarks, Matthew Desmond reminded us that "poverty reduces people born for better things." When people are expending all of their energy trying to survive, they cannot even begin to envision a better future for themselves. The inverse is true as well — when we can help people discern a path toward economic stability provided through a dignified path, we offer them the ability to dream once again. When we think about measuring the success of anti-poverty efforts, in addition to quantitative data such as income and job retention, we also need to factor in the change we have made in a person’s ability to hope.
  
  

Poverty is an age old problem, yet we need to get more creative about how we respond. The human service sector needs to partner with government, tech developers, and entrepreneurs – and together, in trying to find efficiency and scale, we must hold onto the dignity of each and every client.