Federation announces $13.6 million raised and $8 million in grants
$150,000 from the Israel Emergency Relief Fund has been granted to help Karmiel and Misgav combat forest fires that could break out as a result of rocket fire.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh announced that the community raised $13.6 million toward the Federation’s $14.5 million campaign goal.
More than $8 million of those funds will support local and overseas organizations for unrestricted operations in 2024-’25, Federation officials said.
The funding includes a $900,000 block grant from the Jewish Healthcare Foundation for local human service agencies.
The Federation’s board also granted $150,000 from the Israel Emergency Relief Fund to help the Federation’s Partnership2Gether regions, Karmiel and Misgav, combat forest fires that could break out as a result of rocket fire, according to a news release.
Later this year, the Federation will move toward “an innovative funding model that maintains most core allocations yet prioritizes additional monies for critical community issues such as addressing antisemitism and enhancing young adult engagement,” the news release states. “Future grants in these areas will be available to all local Jewish organizations, marking a major evolution in the approach to community support.”
To address rising antisemitism, the Federation awarded one-time grants to The Edward and Rose Berman Hillel Jewish University Center, Penn State University Hillel, Chabad at Carnegie Mellon University and Chabad at the University of Pittsburgh “in recognition of the incredible resilience of our campus organizations. These grants, tailored to each organization’s needs, celebrate their commitment to fostering vibrant Jewish life on campus.”
“We are deeply grateful for the Federation’s support,” said Dan Marcus, the executive director and CEO of Hillel JUC. “This grant empowers us to continue our vital work and support Jewish students during these unprecedented times.”
The Federation’s Planning and Impact committee also approved the following grants from the Jewish Community Foundation and the Centennial Fund for a Jewish Future: Classrooms Without Borders will receive funding for a yearlong training program for Jewish educators to learn how to teach about antisemitism; ElevatEd will receive funding to seed a program through a national collaboration that helps recruit and retain early childhood educators at Jewish schools and centers.
“We are thrilled to make these allocations to vital local and overseas organizations, thanks to our donors’ incredible generosity,” said Judi Kanal, chair of the Planning and Impact committee. “This funding supports human services and campus life, reflecting our commitment to the community’s well-being and addresses pressing issues such as antisemitism.” PJC
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