Greater Miami Jewish Federation

Education, Culture and Youth Services - The Greater Miami Jewish Federation is working to secure a strong Jewish future. The Federation Annual Campaign funds over 160 agencies, programs and services in Miami, nationally, in Israel and in more than 70 other countries around the world. Federation supports organizations and programs that educate and build Jewish identity by providing funding for formal and informal educational programs, ensuring that new generations of Jews will be here to care for our community in the future. In fiscal 2021-2022, $7.2 million+ was directed from the Annual Federation/UJA Campaign toward multiple formal and informal Jewish education and identity initiatives serving adults and children in the community. More than $2.2 million in grants and scholarships were allocated to 10 Jewish day schools and nine congregational schools in Miami-Dade County, impacting 5,090 students, enhancing their understanding and appreciation of our rich Jewish heritage. Our three Miami Jewish community centers received over $2.1 million in direct grants to provide services to more than 10,000 people of all ages and abilities through quality early childhood education and after school programs, summer camp, cultural arts and sports and recreation programming. Federation awarded 221 scholarships to children to attend Jewish overnight camps across the US, strengthening their Jewish identity. Having a strong, welcoming Jewish presence on college campuses is critical today for students. Federation funding supports seven Hillel programs on multiple university campuses throughout Florida, providing programming for more than 8,000 Jewish students. Additionally, the Miami Moishe Houses and Moishe Pod, who receive funding from Federation, conducted 125 programs for 668 young Jewish adults in 2021. Over 35,000 people - including students from schools, colleges and universities - visited the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach, a program of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. Through Federation's Jewish Volunteer Center Young Lion of Judah Program, pre-bar/bat mitzvah students were paired with Miami area Holocaust Survivors to share experiences. PJ Library of Miami, a program of Federation, and its implementing partners hosted virtual and in person family programs on Jewish values and celebrations. This is in addition to the books and music sent to over 4,480 children through local funding. Since its inception, PJ Library has delivered over 473,617 books in Miami. Additionally, grants from The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation through donor- advised funds and other designated funds helped The Foundation achieve its charitable objectives, provide funds for emergencies, and develop resources necessary to address future opportunities and needs for the community.

Human Services Programs, General/Other - The Greater Miami Jewish Federation, through its network of beneficiary agencies and services, provides for the humanitarian needs of people of all ages. In 21-22, $3.3+ million was allocated locally from the Annual Federation/UJA Campaign to care for the most vulnerable people in our community. From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and through the end of FY 21-22, Federation committed an additional $10.4+ million in emergency funding to address new needs created by the coronavirus crisis. We helped the most vulnerable among us including many hundreds of individuals and families who were newly - and suddenly - in need of significant critical assistance. At the same time, we secured the financial well-being of our largest partner agencies and schools. When the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside collapsed, Federation mobilized immediately, activating various partners to provide short-term disaster response services to victims' families, first responders and all those affected by the devastation. Federation's Mishkan Miami rabbis and chaplains were dispatched to offer spiritual and grief counseling. Our primary human services partner, Jewish Community Services of South Florida (JCS), was on-site throughout the crisis to provide trauma counseling and to help survivors access benefits, insurance, legal advice and relief programs. Federation also supplied - and continues to provide - financial help to people who lost all their possessions, as well as those who lost beloved family members. As of the end of FY 21-22, Federation provided direct financial assistance to victims and families totaling more than $2.4 million. Additionally, $244,000 was granted to Jewish Organizations who were active in Surfside recovery efforts. The infrastructure, the partnerships and the relationships Federation has developed over decades enabled us to play a meaningful role in bringing comfort and assistance to individuals and to a community deeply scarred by trauma and loss. More than 1 in 5 Jewish people in Miami continue to depend on Federation for some form of financial assistance - including nutritious kosher food, emergency financial aid, crisis and employment counseling, educational and camp scholarships, and much more. The Jewish community's 24-hour Access and Information hotline operated by Jewish Community Services of South Florida received 9,718 requests for assistance, many of which resulted in direct aid, referrals, counseling and emergency grants from Federation and our partner agencies. Over $250,000 in emergency assistance grants were provided for people experiencing hardship, many due to COVID-19. The Hebrew Free Loan Association of Miami, a Federation program, disbursed $250,950 in loans, to assist with medical bills, tuition costs, IVF treatment, housing assistance, auto expenses and other emergency needs due to the pandemic. JWorks Miami, Federation's community employment program, helped 111 people find employment. There were 4,182 visits to the Jewish Community Services (JCS) Kosher Food Bank. Through JCS home delivered and congregate meal programs, 285,459 kosher meals were provided to homebound seniors. These meals provided important nutrition and a community connection for seniors able to live independently in their homes. Nearly 550 Holocaust Survivors in Miami-Dade County received personalized and comprehensive case management services through JCS to assist with coordinating care, obtaining benefits and general support. There were over 550,000 hours of in-home care provided to this population last year, to ensure that our Survivor community is able to live safely and independently. With Federation support, JCS provided 180 adults and children, survivors of domestic abuse, with services through JCS' Shalom Bayit Domestic Violence Prevention Program, helping transition the adults and children to a life free of fear and intimidation. 512 adults, seniors and children benefitted from 7,247 counseling sessions and other psychological services from the professional clinical staff of JCS' Behavioral Health Services. Federation's Miami Jewish Abilities Alliance continued to link individuals with disabilities, and their families, to resources, services, support groups, workshops and clinics and recreational programs within the community. Through the Jewish Chaplaincy Program's Refuat Ha'Nefesh Jewish Spiritual Care Visiting Program, chaplains and volunteers provided comfort, solace and joy to thousands of people experiencing a variety of personal difficulties. With the support of Federation, 38 Jewish children - victims of abuse or neglect - received child welfare services from Jewish Adoption and Family Care Options (JAFCO). Through the Jewish Community Centers and Friendship Circles, over 900 children and young adults with special needs participated in a variety of programs. The purpose of these programs and similar types of programs is to provide a mechanism to ensure the future viability of Miami's organized Jewish community. As part of this community outreach, Federation's Jewish Volunteer Center (JVC) promotes greater volunteer participation in the delivery of direct services, to expand the services agencies could provide at a lower cost, and to promote volunteerism as a way of enhancing Jewish identification and involvement. In addition, there are programs that enhance volunteer involvement by assessing organizational needs, understanding current trends and issues, creating meaningful opportunities for volunteers, exploring volunteerism by infusing Jewish values, examining high quality models for volunteer recruitment, retention, and enhancement. Offering one-time family friendly programs and ongoing individual activities, in 21-22, Federation's JVC enabled 2,225 people to volunteer 3,848 times to benefit community organizations through Federation's Jewish Volunteer Center, totaling almost 15,400 hours of volunteering and equaling nearly $440,000 in paid time. Advocating on behalf of Miami-Dade County's most vulnerable Jewish populations, the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) worked tirelessly with governmental leaders to ensure that direct government funding of social services was provided to Federation partner agencies. JCRC and Women's Philanthropy created the Task Force to Combat Human trafficking in 2015 to increase public awareness and concern about the dangers of this modern form of slavery and its prevalence in Miami-Dade County and Florida. Federation has programs to increase community development and leadership by reaching out to all constituencies. The purpose of the programs is to build community involvement in Federation, educate future volunteer leaders, and build a core of future leaders to lead Federation and our community agencies. Educating the next generation of leaders and providing oversight of program delivery systems have always been focal points of Federation. Since March 2011, Federation has sent weekly emails to more than 60,000 people, highlighting select resources and news events in the Jewish community. Years ago, Federation embarked on a bold initiative through the creation of the Foundation for Jewish Renewal and a variety of programs were developed, including the High Holiday Welcome Project, which provides worship opportunities at no cost to thousands of people annually. Through the Elevate Leadership Department, Federation offers skills-based, multi-session leadership programs. In general, the programs consist of about six, three-hour sessions and include interactive learning covering general leadership, Jewish values and specifics about our organizational structure, philosophy and methodology, our partner agencies, and local demographics. In 21-22, we awarded $70,000 in Incubator Grants to help Jewish nonprofits build capacity, spur innovation and serve unmet local needs. We also awarded $80,500 in Women's Impact Initiative Grants to organizations in Miami that have the potential to inspire and empower Jewish women and girls, improve our local community and achieve social, economic, religious and political equality. Additionally, by grants from The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation through donor-advised funds and other designated funds, The Foundation is able to fulfill its charitable objectives, provide funds for emergencies, and develop resources necessary to address future opportunities and needs for the community.

Overseas Programs and Services - For over 80 years, the Federation has been committed to the welfare and aid of the Jewish people worldwide, connecting people to Jewish life, and creating strong connections to Israel providing $7,193,569 to organizations that focus on these issues. In the Israel, the former Soviet Union (FSU), throughout Latin America and Europe and in more than 70 other countries around the world, Federation has supported programs and services that care for the vulnerable, foster Jewish renewal among younger generations, and create strong connections to Israel. Federation works with The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and its overseas partners, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), and World ORT. The Jewish Agency launched the COVID-19 Loan Fund for Communities in Crisis where 23 countries were recipients. This emergency initiative helped bridge immediate gaps in cash flow amid the coronavirus. The loans were used for Jewish day school tuition subsidies, food assistance and medications for families in need, the purchase of COVID-19 medical supplies, to pay the salaries of teachers and community staff, to develop online programming and activities throughout the pandemic and more. FSU: Nearly 60,000 people are participating in JDC-sponsored renewal activities across the former Soviet Union particularly in Jewish community centers that have become a cornerstone of this effort. Federation funding supports welfare relief that reaches over 80,000 elderly Jewish clients in the FSU in more than 2,000 locations, providing food, medicine and medical care, home care, winter heating and social services from a network of more than 60 Hesed social welfare centers, operated by JDC: 70,076 seniors received food assistance, 25,226 seniors received home care, 20,719 received medicine or medical assistance, 7,345 received winter relief, and 13,522 were helped in emergency situations. In the former Soviet Union, JDC furnished critical nutritional and medical assistance to more than 30,000 Jewish children and their families. The Jewish Agency for Israel operated summer camps in the FSU, as well as Sunday schools and provided young adults with leadership activities. Ukraine: In response to the war in Ukraine, aided 35,000 Jews in Ukraine and 39,000 Jewish refugees. Assisted in helping evacuating those at risk, providing shelter to the displaced and refugees, providing humanitarian aid (food, medical supplies), and trauma relief. Argentina: JDC works in close cooperation with Jewish communal leaders to identify the individuals and families at highest risk, and to ensure that vulnerable children, adults and elderly receive food, medicine, clothing and other essential aid. JDC helped 617 people with food assistance, 105 people with housing support, 67 people with crucial medicine, 4,184 of the "new poor," devastated by the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, 40 college students with critical ancillary expenses. Venezuela: Assisted 308 families and 28 seniors with deliveries of nutritious food. 120 Jews with chronic illness with medication. 308 families and 28 seniors with holiday food packages. Cuba: provided 150 vulnerable families with food, milk and special Shabbat meals. 450 vulnerable Jews with medicine supplies. Help the community be connected virtually during the pandemic through technology. Europe: JDC provided food and essential welfare services for elderly Jews. JDC also helped economically vulnerable Jewish children, connecting them and their families to Jewish life. Jewish communities in Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey and India receive support to care for elderly in facilities that provide residential care, full medical services, recreational and therapeutic services, excursions, and holiday events for residents. Israel: To foster strong connections with the people of Israel, Federation maintains a successful partnership with the city of Yerucham in the Negev in addition to programming connecting Miami and Yerucham, we are helping youth at risk achieve greater academic success and maturity through the Youth Futures in Yerucham Program. In 36 locations across Israel's socioeconomic and geographic periphery, Youth Futures provides interventions and empowerment enabling them to take their place as independent, productive members of society. We are also working on projects for the Negev- southern Israel - in collaboration with other communities in the area of healthy placemaking and creative placemaking. Federation assists the Ethiopian-Israeli community by providing students with scholastic assistance with after school tutoring and workshops. We provide the opportunity for the Ethiopian-Israeli community to gain valuable skills in the field of high tech through educational assistance, mentoring and enrichment through the Ethiopian National Project, as well as organizations that provide free legal assistance to Ethiopian-Israelis and assist Ethiopian-Israeli educators to find jobs as teachers in the school system. Federation's Women's Amutot Initiative funds non-profit organizations focusing exclusively on the welfare of marginalized, voiceless and at-risk women and girls in Israel. These organizations focus on economic empowerment, social empowerment, protection against violence, prevention of violence, and leadership development. In response to the Covid pandemic and Israelis facing unemployment , assisted the unemployed with retraining and re-entering the workforce for those in Israel's geographic and socioeconomic periphery and older adults by creating new types of courses for a Digital Career School, providing online training that builds participants' digital skills and equips them with updated skills for the workplace; and Expanding Middle of the Road job centers for Israelis age 45+ by adding new physical employment centers, creating a virtual employment workshop center and working with employers to encourage employment of older adults. Federation also supports projects to alleviate food insecurity, as well as programs that serve special needs populations, provide emergency medical assistance and trauma relief, and programs that promote religious diversity and pluralism. In addition, Federation supports programs that enable Jewish young adults from around the world to participate in long-term Israel experiences that strengthen their Jewish identity and connection to Israel.