Israel World Jewry Bureau

About


The Israel-World Jewry Bureau is a unique allocations process, developed in 2004, that has allowed The Birmingham Jewish Federation to help fund smaller, yet equally important agencies, doing vital work for people in need in Israel and around the world.

Through the Israel-World Jewry Bureau allocations process, dollars raised by our annual campaign, as well as dollars contributed by the Birmingham Jewish Foundation, are not only making an important difference in the lives of those we help, but also enable members of our Birmingham community to work in direct partnership with our brothers and sisters in Israel and elsewhere around the globe.

Israel-World Jewry Bureau accepts allocations from organizations all around the world, but federal legislation requires that all recipient agencies be affiliated with a US charitable organization or receive approval from the Jewish Federations of North America through its oversight process. Agencies applying for funding must have a local community advocate.

The Israel-World Jewry Bureau committee is made up of different members of our community who review applications and make decisions based on priorities set by the committee, which vary year-to-year.

Questions?

If you have any further questions or are interested in serving on the committee, please contact Victoria Kimerling.

Organizations We Support


Dental Volunteers for Israel (DVI)

Offers free dental care to Jerusalem’s at-risk children and youth, regardless of race or religion.

DVI is the ONLY totally free dental clinic in all of Israel, offering state-of-the-art treatment, thanks to volunteer dentists from all corners of the world. DVI offers free dental care to Jerusalem’s at-risk children, youth, needy elderly and Holocaust Survivors, regardless of race or religion.

Ethiopian National Project (ENP)

Empowers young Israelis from Ethiopia who have academic potential.

ENP’s Space (School Performance and Community Empowerment) Scholastic Assistance Program promotes academic growth and improvement by providing supplementary tutoring to students in small groups. Along with its commitment to improving students’ academic performance, SPACE  also works to improve students’ self-esteem and leadership skills through lessons that address obstacles to social integration and personal development.

Impact Israel (Formally Known as Yemin Orde)

Introducing vocational training to provide graduates with a competitive edge when entering the job market.

Yemin Orde Youth Village, located on 77 acres atop Mount Carmel in northern Israel, is home, school and safe haven to 450 at-risk and immigrant youth from around the world. Impact Israel is the U.S. philanthropic partner of Yemin Orde Youth Village and Village Way Educational Initiatives. 

IsraAid

Provides humanitarian assistance all over the world to overcome extreme crises and has provided millions with the vital support needed to move from destruction to reconstruction, and eventually, to sustainable living.

IsraAID is an international non-governmental humanitarian aid organization based in Israel. Since their founding in 2001, their teams have worked in emergency and long-term development settings in more than 60 countries around the world. 

Krembo Wings

Krembo Wings is the only inclusive youth movement in Israel for children and youth with special needs, providing weekly social activities for young people with all types of mental and physical disabilities together with their able-bodied peers.

Leket Israel

Feeds the hungry in Israel through a food rescue program that harvests excess fresh food from caterers, cafeterias, manufacturers, grocers, and farmers.

Leket Israel, the National Food Bank, is the leading food rescue organization in Israel. Unique among all other organizations that serve the poor in Israel and food banks worldwide, Leket Israel’s sole focus is rescuing healthy, surplus food and delivering it to those in need through partner nonprofit organizations. 

Nevet

Nonprofit organization dedicated to opening up educational opportunities for children and teenagers from weaker populations by providing them with food security. Nevet was launched as an initiative under the auspices of “Leket Israel” in 2006 and became an independent entity in 2015. 

Operation Lifeshield

Provides above ground protective shelters for areas of the country vulnerable to incoming rocket attacks.

Operation Lifeshield is an emergency campaign to save innocent lives by providing Israel’s threatened communities with the protected air raid shelters they so desperately need. 

Orr Shalom

Orr Shalom is a non-profit organization that cares for children and youth at risk that have been removed from their parents’ custody by welfare authorities due to an extreme lack of protection and parental dysfunction. For over 40 years, Orr Shalom has sought to provide these children with everything they were lacking – immediate protection, a warm home, an embracing family environment, and everything that a child needs for proper development and a real chance for an improved present and future. 

ORT

ORT America is the leading fundraising organization supporting ORT’s global network, transforming lives through education and training in 40 countries.

SELAH — Israel Crisis Management Center

Helps new immigrants and their families who have experienced trauma including terror attacks.

Selah provides comprehensive support to immigrants throughout Israel whose lives have been torn apart by tragedy and who lack the resources to cope. In times of crisis, each individual has different needs.  With compassion and discretion, Selah strives to identify the most urgent emotional and practical needs, and respond to meet them.

The American Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) (in the FSU)

The world’s leading Jewish humanitarian organization that provides assistance to needy elderly in the Former Soviet Union breaking the cycle of poverty and connecting them to a caring Jewish community.

 

The Jaffa Institute

The Jaffa Institute is a Social services agency that assissts severely disadvantaged children and their families, without distinction of religion or national origin, from the impoverished communities of Jaffa, South Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, and Bet Shemesh in Israel.

Women's Spirit

Women’s Spirit, founded in 2007, works to promote Economic Independence of women survivors of abuse in Israel and strives for social change from a feminist perspective and commitment to social and gender justice.

Yashar lachayal

Provides various forms of support to soldiers from impoverished families, those injured in the line of duty, and bereaved family members of those who fell in Israel’s defense.    

Zahal Disabled Veterans Fund

Rehabilitation treatment & programs for men and women that were wounded in the course of their service and were left with a lifelong disability.

Explanation of Process


Most organizations are brought to the IWJB committee by community members who either have an existing relationship with the organizations or find them compelling enough to want to pursue sending Birmingham dollars to assist them. That community member serves as the “Local Advocate” for the organization.

Each organization completing a Request Form (Step 1) no later than November 24th, 2023, with or without an existing Local Advocate, will be considered by a vetting subcommittee based on the mission, policies and guidelines of the IWJB. Every organization will also be vetted by our umbrella organization, Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). After the initial subcommittee review, select organizations will be invited to complete a full application for consideration by the IWJB committee. All organizations, including those receiving allocations in previous years, must complete this Request Form.

Preference will be given to organizations with an established Local Advocate and/or a strong Birmingham community history/affiliation.

Please keep in mind that Birmingham’s Jewish community is small, and there are only so many organizations that can be funded. In 2023, over $181,000 was allocated between 16 organizations. Most grants awarded were between $1,000 and $5,000, and not all organizations that applied were awarded grants.

First Step

Whether you are an organization that has applied or received funding in the past or a new organization (with or without a Local Advocate), you must complete the Request Form (Step 1) by November24th, 2023. Please read through our Policy Statement and Guidelines for more information. The IWJB staff member will notify you if your application makes it to the next step. Please be patient and do not check on your application status as this might take a few weeks for vetting and for the IWJB committee to meet. You will probably be notified sometime in January 2024.

Second Step

Following review of the Request Forms, select organizations will be invited to complete a full application for consideration by the IWJB committee. Please note that being invited to complete a full application does not guarantee an allocation.

Policies and Guidelines


POLICY STATEMENT

The Israel-World Jewry Bureau of The Birmingham Jewish Federation gives preference to grant requests from organizations/agencies that focus on our 9 targeted areas:

  • Israeli Security Needs & Security Needs Elsewhere
  • Social Services
  • Portrayal of Israel in Media
  • Anti-Semitism
  • Strengthening the connection between the people of Birmingham and the people of Israel and the Jewish World
  • Threat of a Nuclear Iran
  • World Wide Jewish Needs
  • Economic Development
  • Immigration and Absorption
GUIDELINES

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Grantee must be a 501(c)(3) – mandatory.
  • They must have an “American arm” or “Friends of…” Or, if they do not have this, the grantee must be approved by Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)* Every organization that applies for IWJB is sent for vetting by IWJB staff member to JFNA.
  • Programs and projects which have an impact on many people for a limited amount of money.
  • The request must be solely for Israel or World Jewry.
  • Preference will be given to organizations with an established Local Advocate and/or a strong Birmingham community history/affiliation.

Activities and Agencies that the IWJB is reluctant to fund:

  • Religious institution
  • Political groups/organizations/campaigns

*In post 9/11 world, you can’t give directly to overseas organizations without a thorough vetting process of their financials, boards and board member affiliation.

Since Birmingham can’t do the vetting ourselves we will only give to organizations that have a U.S. affiliate….” meaning Friends of…”

OR

We send through JFNA’s overseas office which does the vetting for us in Israel. We use JFNA because we are comfortable with their level of due-diligence.