The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), formerly the United Jewish Communities (UJC),Berkman, Jakob (June 9, 2009). "UJC to Change Name". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2016-12-31. is an American Jewish umbrella organization for the Jewish Federations system, representing 141 local Federations and over 350 independent Jewish communities across North America that raise and distribute over $2 billion annually, including through planned giving and endowment programs, to support social welfare, social services and educational needs. Jewish Federations also provides fundraising, organization assistance, training, and overall leadership to the Jewish Federations and communities throughout the United States and Canada. Some of the communal organizations that Jewish Federation gives funding to include Jewish Community Centers, Jewish day schools and summer camps, Jewish Family Services, Hillels and Moishe Houses and Israel-related organizations such as Birthright. Jewish Federations government and advocacy team works towards protecting minority rights and combatting forms of hate, including antisemitism. The Federation movement protects and enhances the well-being of Jews worldwide through the values of tikkun olam, tzedakah and Torah.
JFNA was formed from the merger of the United Jewish Appeal (UJA), Council of Jewish Federations, and the United Israel Appeal. Jewish Federations has three core international partners: The Jewish Agency for Israel, The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, and World ORT, for which the Federations system provides the largest amount of unrestricted funding each year. The organization hosts an annual General Assembly event for the broad North American Jewish community.
Each local Jewish Federation (JFED) is a secular Jewish non-profit organization found within many metropolitan areas across the United States with a significant Jewish community. They provide supportive and human services, philanthropy, financial grants to refugees around the world, humanitarian and disaster relief, host leadership conferences and fellowship opportunities for women and youth, charitable drives, help those in need navigate comprehensive resources, and provide outreach to at-risk Jewish populations in 70 countries worldwide, and more. While the Jewish Federation was created to primarily service Jewish communities, they also provide for other communities. All federations in North America operate an annual central campaign, then allocate the proceeds to affiliated local agencies.
Leadership The current Jewish Federations of North America Chairman is Gary Torgow. The CEO & President is Eric D. Fingerhut.
History Starting in 1654, when the first Jewish communal settlement in New Amsterdam (modern-day New York) began despite Governor Peter Stuyvesant's attempts to ban the first Jewish people in North America from the settlement (until he would be overruled), and for the next 250 years; the Jewish community promised local governments they would not become a burden, by taking care of their own community. Throughout this period, as the Jewish community continued to grow in what would become the United States, they "established synagogues, burial societies, credit unions, and Hebrew youth societies in dozens of cities before there was a single federation."
According to Historian, Donald Feldstein in The Jewish Federation: The First Hundred Years: ″There is no single source where one can find a comprehensive history of the Jewish Federation in North America...The first Jewish Federation in the United States was founded in Boston in 1895, another was organized in Cincinnati, Ohio, and within several years federations sprung up around the country wherever there were significant Jewish communities."
The founding philosophies of the first Jewish Federations in America were based in secularism, but deeply influenced by Jewish tradition, like Hesed (loving kindness); and organized like the Kehilla, a communal organization found in diverse regions throughout Eastern Europe at the time; created to meet the welfare needs of Jewish communities in an inclusive and comprehensive way. However, unlike the Kehilla, which were usually formed under the authority of local governments to collect taxes from the Jewish community in support of services, the Jewish Federation in the United States has always been fully autonomous.61-62
The first Jewish federation was founded in Boston in 1895 as Associated Jewish Philanthropies. Cincinnati formed its federation, United Jewish Social Agencies, the next year. Chicago founded its federation in 1900 followed by St. Louis. Federations were soon formed in many other cities with large Jewish populations. Initially (1895–1945) the federation system was focused on welfare needs of individual Jews with the goal of integrating them into the US. The Jewish federations inspired the 1913 formation of the forerunner of the United Way, the community chest in Cleveland, Ohio.
Council of Jewish Federations (1932–1999) The National Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds was formed in 1932 as the umbrella organization for Jewish federations in the United States. "National" was dropped from the name in 1935 and "Welfare Funds" was removed in 1979 to become the Council of Jewish Federations (CJF).
United Jewish Appeal (1939–1999)
The United Jewish Appeal for Refugees and Overseas Needs (UJA) was founded in January 1939 to combine the efforts of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), led by Rabbi Jonah Wise; the United Israel Appeal led by Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver; and the National Coordinating Committee Fund led by William Rosenwald. Its founders emphasized that the worsening crisis facing European Jewish people in Europe and Palestine would require three to four times the funds raised in the previous year. Under the unified campaign, each organization retained its distinct responsibilities: the JDC focused on aid to Jewish people in Europe; the United Israel Appeal supported the Jewish community in Israel, including incoming refugees; and the National Coordinating Committee Fund assisted refugees arriving in the United States.
United Jewish Communities In 1999, the UJA, CJF, and United Israel Appeal merged to create United Jewish Communities. Amid declining influence and a shift toward donor-directed philanthropy, local federations gained greater control, selecting two-thirds of the new board. Philanthropist Charles Bronfman became volunteer chairman, leading the organization's strategic planning.Abelson, Reed (February 14, 1999). "Merger Near, 2 Jewish Philanthropy Groups Pick a Leader". The New York Times. Accessed December 9, 2008.
Jewish Federations of North America
In October 2009, the UJC was renamed the Jewish Federations of North America, and many local federations subsequently adopted variations of its new logo.
After a couple of years of lower staff layoffs in February 2010, new CEO Jerry Silverman laid off three senior vice presidents that made an estimated $750,000 to $1 million combined.
Campaigns LiveSecure Campaign
In 2021, Jewish Federation of North America announced the $54 million LiveSecure campaign, which it described as the largest campaign to secure North America's Jewish communities in history. This campaign was launched in the aftermath of the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, to provide security for Jewish communities. The campaign brought in a total of $130 million after initially raising $62 million, surpassing the $54 million goal, and adding local matching grants over the following years. As a result of the LiveSecure campaign, in collaboration with the Secure Community Network, more than 130 communities are equipped with professional security programs, helping to protect Jewish places of worship, JCCs, and Jewish institutions. Beyond physical security, the campaign brought elevated efforts to combat antisemitism through education, civic engagement, and interfaith partnerships to counter misinformation. In 2026, Jewish Federations announced that every Jewish Federation in North America is now involved in the LiveSecure Campaign.
Ukraine Emergency Campaign
In December 2021, Jewish Federations began receiving regular updates from the Jewish Agency and JDC, regarding the buildup of Russian troops along the Ukraine border. As a result, Jewish Federations held multiple briefings to local Federation leadership to ensure they were up to date on the fast-changing situation. In 2022, when war with Russia broke out, Jewish Federations launched an emergency fundraising campaign with partners The Jewish Agency and JDC, with a goal of raising $20 million to support the Ukrainian Jewish community. Within one month the goal was met and Jewish Federation ultimately raised $100 million for essential needs, including meals, medical care, clothing, and mental health support for the nearly 10 million Ukrainians forced from their homes.
Israel Emergency Campaign
After Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on October 7 attacks, the Jewish Federations of North America immediately launched the largest emergency campaign in its history. In less than one month, the Federations' Israel Emergency Fund raised more than $500 million. In that time, the funds helped pay for more than 48,000 food package deliveries and over 238,000 hot meals to individuals in at-risk communities.
For the months that followed, the campaign expanded to serve the continuous needs in Israel, including lifeline services such as food, shelter and support to displaced Israeli's from their homes; medical supplies to hospitals, ambulances, and emergency response units; donations to suffering businesses and families; and community building with a focus on post-trauma relief. The Israel Emergency Campaign raised $908 million, with 100% of the funding going to over 4,200 grants to 877 NGO partners, including support for 208 communities across Israel. Federations care went beyond just the Jewish community, but sought to send care to populations who have particular or specialized needs during this emergency, including Arabic, Amharic, and Russian-speaking populations, at-risk youth, LGBTQ+ communities, women, Bedouin communities and people with disabilities. The largest share of donations went to the Jewish Agency, the Joint Distribution Committee, and non-profits in the Gaza Envelope. Other agencies that received funding include United Hatzalah, Magen David Adom, ZAKA, Chabad, and dozens of hospitals and medical organizations.
To make mental health care more accessible, Jewish Federations contributed nearly $7 million to a new program in partnership with the Ministry of Health that created 16 community-based mental health centers to provide services to 200,000 Israelis each year. The Mental Health in the Community program serve those suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder since October 7.
Jewish Federations also worked to get Israel’s economy back on its feet after 10/7. The Israel Emergency Loan Fund provided donations to businesses across Israel impacted by the war and without access to traditional banking credit. Through ReGrow Israel, Jewish Federations supported the farming communities of Western Negev with grants of $12.5 million to urgently replace equipment destroyed and looted by Hamas terrorists, allowing them to resume farming in time for the first spring planting season after 10/7. Federations also aided in replanting apple orchards and grape vineyards in the North of Israel after Hamas terrorists set them ablaze.
Structure