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United Jewish Communities (UJC) is an American Jewish umbrella organization
Umbrella organization

An umbrella organization is an association of institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. In business, political, or other environments, one group, the umbrella organization, provides resources and often an identity to the smaller organizations....
 representing 155 Jewish Federation
Jewish Federation

A Jewish Federation is a confederation of various Jewish social agencies, volunteer programs, educational bodies, and related organizations, found within most cities in North America that host a viable Jewish community....
s and 400 independent Jewish communities across North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
. The UJC was formed from the 1999 merger of United Jewish Appeal
United Jewish Appeal

The United Jewish Appeal was a Jewish philanthropic umbrella organization that existed from its creation in 1949 until it was folded into the United Jewish Communities, which was formed from the 1999 merger of United Jewish Appeal , Council of Jewish Federations and United Israel Appeal, Inc....
 (UJA), Council of Jewish Federations (CJF), and United Israel Appeal, Inc. (UIA)

UJC embodies the Jewish community's unwavering commitment to the tradition of tikkun olam
Tikkun olam

Tikkun olam is a Hebrew language phrase that means, "repairing the world" or "perfecting the world." In Judaism, the concept of tikkun olam originated in the early rabbinic period....
 by advocating for the provision of essential human services and a just social policy
Social justice

Social justice, sometimes called civil justice, refers to the concept of a society in which justice is achieved in every aspect of society, rather than merely the administration of law....
 agenda.

UJC represents and serves one of the world's largest and most effective networks of social service providers and programs, enacting the federations’ pledge to "live generously," by securing support for life-saving and life-enhancing humanitarian assistance programs in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, Israel
Israel

Israel officially the State of Israel , is a country in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area....
 and 60 other countries.






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United Jewish Communities (UJC) is an American Jewish umbrella organization
Umbrella organization

An umbrella organization is an association of institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. In business, political, or other environments, one group, the umbrella organization, provides resources and often an identity to the smaller organizations....
 representing 155 Jewish Federation
Jewish Federation

A Jewish Federation is a confederation of various Jewish social agencies, volunteer programs, educational bodies, and related organizations, found within most cities in North America that host a viable Jewish community....
s and 400 independent Jewish communities across North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
. The UJC was formed from the 1999 merger of United Jewish Appeal
United Jewish Appeal

The United Jewish Appeal was a Jewish philanthropic umbrella organization that existed from its creation in 1949 until it was folded into the United Jewish Communities, which was formed from the 1999 merger of United Jewish Appeal , Council of Jewish Federations and United Israel Appeal, Inc....
 (UJA), Council of Jewish Federations (CJF), and United Israel Appeal, Inc. (UIA)

UJC embodies the Jewish community's unwavering commitment to the tradition of tikkun olam
Tikkun olam

Tikkun olam is a Hebrew language phrase that means, "repairing the world" or "perfecting the world." In Judaism, the concept of tikkun olam originated in the early rabbinic period....
 by advocating for the provision of essential human services and a just social policy
Social justice

Social justice, sometimes called civil justice, refers to the concept of a society in which justice is achieved in every aspect of society, rather than merely the administration of law....
 agenda.

UJC represents and serves one of the world's largest and most effective networks of social service providers and programs, enacting the federations’ pledge to "live generously," by securing support for life-saving and life-enhancing humanitarian assistance programs in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, Israel
Israel

Israel officially the State of Israel , is a country in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area....
 and 60 other countries. It is the second largest philanthropic network in North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
 (second to United Way of America).

Through a multi-dimensional approach to outreach and programming, UJC strengthens the connection and contributes to greater understanding between Israel and the American Jewish community. UJC's President/CEO is Howard Rieger.

While the UJC/federation system advocates for Israel
Israel

Israel officially the State of Israel , is a country in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area....
 to the U.S. federal government
Federal government of the United States

The Federal Government of the United States is the central current reigning United States governmental body, established by the United States Constitution....
 and is a major player in advocating before the United States Congress
United States Congress

The United States Congress is the Bicameralism legislature of the Federal government of the United States of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives....
 and the executive branch
Executive (government)

Sorry, no overview for this topic
, for the domestic policy priorities of the American Jewish
American Jews

American Jews, or Jewish Americans, are Jews who are United States citizens or resident aliens. The United States is home to the second largest Jewish community in the world depending on religious definitions and varying population data....
 community, it remains a nonpartisan
Nonpartisan

In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event or organization in which the participants do not declare or do not formally have a political party affiliation....
/bipartisan
Bipartisanship

In a two-party system, bipartisan refers to any Bill , Act of Congress, Resolution , or any other action of a political body in which both of the major political parties are in agreement....
 organization unaligned with any particular political party in the United States or abroad. UJC's advocacy in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
 is led by UJC-Washington.

United Jewish Communities promotes effective philanthropy, hands-on volunteerism, shared commitment, and collective action
Collective action

Collective action is the pursuit of a goal or set of goals by more than one person. It is a term which has formulations and theories in many areas of the social sciences....
.

Timeline

  • 1999 - United Jewish Communities are formed by the merger of the Council of Jewish Federations, United Israel Appeal, and United Jewish Appeal
  • 2000 - Taglit-Birthright Israel
    Birthright Israel

    Taglit-Birthright Israel is a Zionist Jewish organization that sponsors free 10-day trips to Israel for Jewish young adults. Birthright Israel's goals are to diminish the division between Israel and Jewish diaspora around the world; to strengthen the sense of solidarity among world Jewry; and to strengthen participants' personal Jewish i...
     brings its first group of young Jewish adults to Israel. The program offers Jews ages 18-26 a free ten-day tour of the Jewish state
    Jewish state

    The terms "Jewish state" and "homeland of the Jewish people" are used to describe the Zionism and the Israel and refer to its status as a nation-state for Jews....
    . Founded by Charles Bronfman
    Charles Bronfman

    Charles Rosner Bronfman, Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Order of Canada is a Canada businessman and philanthropist.He is the fifteenth richest person in Canada, with a net worth of US$2.2 billion ....
     and Michael Steinhardt
    Michael Steinhardt

    Michael H. Steinhardt is an American businessman and philanthropist active in Jewish causes. He was one of the first prominent hedge fund managers....
    , it is a partnership between the Israeli government, private philanthropists and Jewish communities around the world, including the Jewish Agency, Keren Hayesod
    Keren Hayesod

    Keren Hayesod ? United Israel Appeal is the central fundraising organization for Israel, with operations in 45 countries. The work of Keren Hayesod is carried out in accordance with the Keren Hayesod Law, 5716-1956, passed by the Knesset in January 1956....
    , and UJC.
  • 2001 - Ethiopian National Project (ENP) launched. It is a partnership between UJC, the Jewish Agency, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
    American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee

    The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee is an American Jews charitable organization with the declared mission to "serve the needs of Jews throughout the world, particularly where their lives as Jews are threatened or made more difficult."...
     (JDC), the government of Israel and the Ethiopian-Israeli community aimed at facilitating the successful absorption of Ethiopian immigrants
    Beta Israel

    The Beta Israel is the Jewish community originating in Ethiopia, but now most of which lives in Israel. They are also known as Falasha by non-Jewish Ethiopians, but this term is considered pejorative....
     in all spheres of Israeli society.
  • 2002 - UJC and the Federations of North America launch the Israel Emergency Campaign in response to Palestinian political violence
    Palestinian political violence

    Palestinian political violence refers to acts of violence committed for political reasons by Palestinians. Palestinian groups that support and carry out politically-motivated violent acts have included Hamas, the Palestinian Liberation Organization ,the Islamic Jihad movement in Palestine, Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the Popular Front f...
    . They raise hundreds of millions of dollars for critically-needed security, medical equipment, and financial assitanice and trauma relief for terror victims.
  • 2003 - For the second time, the UJC General Assembly is held in Jerusalem
    Jerusalem

    Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and its List of Israeli cities in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if Positions on Jerusalem East Jerusalem is included....
    .


MASA is launched to encourage Jewish youth to spend a semester or a year in Israel and help them build a life-long relationship with Israel and a firm commitment to Jewish life. Partnering in this groundbreaking project are the Government of Israel, the Jewish Agency for Israel, UJC / The Federations of North America and Keren Hayesod around the world.

  • 2004 - Israelis Aaron Ciechanover
    Aaron Ciechanover

    Aaron Ciechanover is an Israeli biology, and Nobel laureate in Chemistry for his discovery with Avram Hershko and Irwin Rose, of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation....
     and Avram Hershko
    Avram Hershko

    Avram Hershko is an Israeli biology and Nobel laureate in Chemistry for his discovery with Aaron Ciechanover and Irwin Rose, of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation....
     of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology share the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
    Nobel Prize in Chemistry

    The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Pri...
     with Irwin Rose
    Irwin Rose

    Irwin A. Rose is an American biology. Along with Aaron Ciechanover and Avram Hershko, he was awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation....
     of the University of California
    University of California

    The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University system and the California Community Colleges s...
    .


UJC and the Federations of North America undertake Operation Promise, an ambitious effort to raise millions of dollars to bring Ethiopian Jews to Israel, help mainstream the Ethiopian-Israeli community, feed poor, elderly Jews in the former Soviet Union and strengthen Jewish identity among young Jews there.

Robert Aumann of Hebrew University shares the Nobel Prize in Economics with Thomas Schelling of the University of Maryland.

2006

In response to the war in Lebanon, UJC and the Federations of North America launch a second Israel Emergency Campaign, which provides trauma counseling, enrichment programs, and economic assistance to Israeli children and adults affected by the war. IEC continues to help vulnerable Israelis, including those on the front lines against Kassam rockets launched from Gaza. UJC helps found Sheatufim: The Israel Center for Civil Society, which works to strengthen the social vitality of Israel by developing and advancing a civil society that is pluralistic, proactive, influential, professional and collaborative. Other founding partners are Zionism 2000, the Sacta-Rashi Foundation and the Gandyr Foundation.

2007

With more than 1,500 rockets from Hamas-controlled Gaza striking the Sderot region in 2007, UJC increases Israel Emergency Campaign funding to enhance social services and other aid, largely via JDC and the Jewish Agency. IEC efforts are also transforming the community capacity of northern cities and towns impacted by the Second Lebanon War to better respond to emergencies. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway investment firm makes Israel's Iscar its first non-U.S. acquisition, recognizing the vitality of the Israeli economy.

2008

IEC assistance to the Sderot region grows in response to an intensified barrage of rockets from Gaza. UJC launches 'Voices from Sderot' blog () to share the perspectives of Israelis living on the Gaza perimeter.

External links

  • UJA Federation of Greater Toronto http://www.jewishtoronto.net/
  • Israel at 60 History of the UJC http://www.ujc.org/page.aspx?ID=162303