A woman in a JDC blue jacket lifts up an elderly Jewish man in a black shirt and sweatpants during a physical therapy class in Israel.

  WE create
  opportunity
  for all Israelis

HAPPENING NOW: Our Israel Emergency Response >>

Supporting Israel’s most vulnerable is in our DNA.

From the moment JDC was born in 1914 — when our founding cablegram secured help for starving Jews in Ottoman-era Palestine — we’ve been there for all Israelis. Today, we’re continuing to improve the lives of Israel’s poor and elderly, at-risk youth, people with disabilities, and Haredi and Israeli Arab communities through innovative initiatives that move the needle on the nation’s most complex social challenges.

And with Israel’s most vulnerable in the line of fire, our life-saving work is more crucial than ever before.

We believe that impacting all Israelis means both transforming individual lives and changing the systems around them. We do this by bringing all of our partners together — the Government of Israel, municipal leaders, the business and philanthropic sectors, and NGOs — to create research-backed, scalable solutions that draw on the entrepreneurial, can-do spirit that made the desert bloom.

And our impact is global. The problems we solve — and the lives we touch — go beyond any one neighborhood or village: Our proven social innovations are exported worldwide, lifting lives from the U.S. to Ukraine and Ethiopia to Japan.

This isn’t just what we do — it’s who we are and who we’ve been for more than a century.

Our Impact in Numbers

1,000,000+

Israelis benefit each week from services developed by JDC

500,000+

Israelis have kickstarted their careers through JDC’s employment programs.

75,000+

at-risk children and youth have received guidance and support from JDC initiatives each year.

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Public System Efficiency and Effectiveness

JDC starts from the top, training and convening government leaders, municipalities, and the nonprofit and business sectors to collaborate and communicate – leading to better systems, better services, and better lives for Israelis in need. Addressing the “digital gap” is one of our key priorities. The dynamic and rapid pace of digitalization across Israel has created great opportunities for many in the country, but some parts of the population haven’t been able to access these advances. Together with our partners, JDC is connecting all Israelis with the most innovative technologies.

Optimal Aging

Israel’s rapidly growing older-adult population means an increased demand for social services. That’s why JDC is cultivating financial resilience, physical health, and a sense of belonging among low- and middle-income elderly Israelis. Through elderly caregiving and rehabilitation facilities, employment centers for those working later in life, and education and programming for maintaining healthy lifestyles, we’re helping to ensure Israelis can live with dignity in their golden years.

JDC volunteer embraces elderly male client in Israel.

Socioeconomic Mobility

Solving Israel’s socioeconomic challenges is critically important not just for individuals in need, but for the whole country. Those in the Arab sector, Haredi communities, and children and families living outside more developed, urban areas often have fewer social and economic opportunities than other Israelis, feeding an intergenerational cycle of disadvantage. To mitigate this challenge, comprehensive JDC programming emphasizes education and community engagement, as well as outreach to at-risk youth, providing them with counseling and the professional training needed to thrive in Israeli society.

JDC volunteer teaches young Israeli Arab girl to read.

Workforce Development and Productivity

A strong Israel requires a strong workforce. But Israel’s average salary is one of the lowest for developed countries — that’s one reason why JDC is focused on boosting economic productivity, providing people entering the job market with education, professional development, and skills training, as well as supporting developing businesses in struggling industries.