The Joint (JDC)

Choose an amount to donate One-time Choose an amount The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Inc., JDC, is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, contributions to which are deductible for federal income tax.

Right now, JDC is working with local and global partners to provide immediate humanitarian aid — distributing medical supplies, clean water, and other vital assistance — to victims of the category-5 hurricane that struck the Caribbean, displacing hundreds of thousands of people. Donate now to help hurricane victims in the Caribbean.

Choose an amount to donate One-time USD$ Continue The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Inc., JDC, is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, contributions to which are deductible for federal income tax.

Global Jewish Reflections is a recurring feature highlighting the spiritual wisdom of rabbis, Jewish educators, and others from around the JDC world. In packing for our trip to Buenos Aires, we Jewish professionals had been very thorough — sunscreen, bug spray, good socks for long hikes, ruffled skirts for tango class, even some scribbled divrei Torah (sermons) we were prepared to give at a moment’s notice.

Global Jewish Reflections is a recurring feature highlighting the spiritual wisdom of rabbis, Jewish educators, and others from around the JDC world. I had a whole lesson plan of Jewish texts and reflections on leadership prepared for a group of teens at the KEDEM Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Chișinău, Moldova. Instead, I ended up throwing most of it out the window. I was abroad for four months this past summer on sabbatical from my pulpit in Columbus, Ohio.

Nelly Zhukova was in the prime of her life when the Soviet Union collapsed, a seismic event that transformed all she had once known. Soon after, she found herself struggling to care for her sick father on a meager pension. At this uncertain period in her life, she had no one to turn to — except for the JDC-supported Hesed Eliyahu social welfare center in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Jerusalem, August 14, 2024—The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), announced today that Brigadier General (Res.) Hadas Minka-Brand, Ph.D has been named as the new Executive Director of JDC Israel. Minka-Brand, a highly esteemed organizational psychologist and 25 year-veteran of the IDF, will begin this role on August 15.

Global Jewish Reflections is a recurring feature highlighting the spiritual wisdom of rabbis, Jewish educators, and others from around the JDC world. Arriving in Budapest this past winter, I didn’t know what to expect or what we — five Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) rabbinical and cantorial students traveling through our JDC Entwine/HUC Weitzman Fellowship — had to gain from a few days in Hungary.

When a rocket attack devastated Majdal Shams, a small hamlet located just seven miles from the border with Lebanon, Ashalim, the JDC division for at-risk children and youth in Israel, responded immediately, based on its long-standing relationship and programs with the local community. Long before Oct. 7 and in the months since, JDC has coordinated with municipalities across Israel to ensure the country’s most vulnerable young people have what they need to thrive amidst the ongoing conflict.

In the chaos and uncertainty of the Ukraine crisis, many elderly Jews in Dnipro might credit Victoria O. for lifting their spirits. As manager of online activities at the city’s JDC-supported Hesed Menahem social welfare center, Victoria creates virtual programs that inspire and stimulate lonely and isolated Jewish seniors. In this reflection, Victoria opens up about an innovative program that’s bringing Jewish life, learning, and traditions to those who need it most.