The American Jewish Committee has the mission to safeguard the welfare and security of Jews in the United States, in Israel, and throughout the world and to enhance the quality of American Jewish life by helping to ensure Jewish continuity and deepen ties between American and Israeli Jews.

American Red Magen David for Israel (ARMDI) is the only authorized fundraising organization in the United States for Magen David Adom, Israel’s equivalent to a Red Cross Society. ARMDI supports the MDA Emergency Medical, Ambulance Blood and Disaster Services.

The American Technion Society (ATS) supports the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel’s premier university, to ensure the Technion’s continued excellence and achievement. The future of a secure and economically independent Israel is in high technology, and the future of high technology in Israel is at the Technion.

For more than 88 years, the Anti-Defamation League has been combating anti-Semitism and bigotry of all kinds. Their web site chronicles the history and current status of many issues in this ongoing battle.

Since 1843 B’nai B’rith, “Children of the Covenant,” has carried forward the idealistic mission: uniting Jews in service to their community and the world. B’nai B’rith is the world’s largest Jewish human rights, community action and humanitarian organization.

The Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations is composed of independent organizations whose unity of purpose is a secular expression of our Jewish heritage, with particular emphasis on the cultural and ethical precepts of Jewish learning.

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations represents 52 national Jewish organizations from across the political and religious spectrum. The Conference provides a forum for deliberations of American Jewish leadership and a central address for key American, Israeli and other world leaders to consult on issues of critical concern to the Jewish community.

Giving Wisely, sponsored by the School of Social Work of the Hebrew University, is the Internet Directory of Israeli nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, developed to help donors to evaluate and make educated decisions (or even know which organizations are legal) so that they can choose those that are closest to their own areas of interest.

Hadassah the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is a volunteer women’s organization, whose members are motivated and inspired to strengthen their partnership with Israel, ensure Jewish continuity, and realize their potential as a dynamic force in American society. In Israel, Hadassah initiates and supports pace-setting health care, education and youth institutions, and land development to meet the country’s changing needs. In the United States, Hadassah enhances the quality of American and Jewish life through its education and Zionist youth programs, promotes health awareness, and provides personal enrichment and growth for its members.

• Newtown (PA) Chapter of Hadassah

Hadassah Kaddish is a program under which your donation to Hadassah ensures that the ancient Kaddish prayer will be recited each year beneath the Chagall windows at Hadassah Hospital in Jeruslaem.

JCC Association of North America is the leadership network of, and central agency for the Jewish Community Center Movement. It is comprised of more than 275 JCCs, YM-YWHAs and camps in the US and Canada, annually serving more than one million members and an additional million non-member users.

Jewish Family & Life (JFL), a fast-growing pluralistic entrepreneurial non-profit organization, is the world’s leading publisher of original Jewish content online. Their on-line presence includes:

• JewishFamily.com
• GenerationJ.com
• SocialAction.com
• JVibe.com
• MzVibe.com
• JewishSports.com
• JewZ.com
• JBooks.com

Jewish Deleware is a fine example of a website devoted to a regional Jewish community.

The first fifty years of the Jewish National Fund were spent purchasing the land that would become the State of Israel. Now after another fifty years spent developing the land for the people, and with the continued assistance of supporters from around the world, JNF has a vital role in conserving and protecting the ecology of the land for now and the future. The JNF web site offers a lot of ways to help Israel, including planting trees in Israel and helping Israeli victims of terrorism.

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger is a national, nonprofit agency which allocates donations from the Jewish community to nonprofit organizations providing food, help and hope to hungry people of all faiths and backgrounds.

NAVAH Organization provides financial and social support to victims of terrorism in Israel. NAVAH receives donations that are used to assemble care packages to be delivered by groups of volunteers to victims and their families in Israel. Each package contains a loving message from donors and the organization works to facilitate contact between donors and recipients if it is requested. NAVAH also provides direct financial assistance to help victims meet their increased expenses as they recuperate from their injuries.

United Jewish Communities represents 189 Jewish federations, 400 independent communities and 700,000 people across North America, who contribute more than $2 billion every year to help repair the world. The UJC site is a rich source of news and information about Jewish affairs and charitable works.

World ORT is one of the largest non-governmental education and training organisations in the world, with past and present activities in over 100 countries. A non-profit, non-political organisation, ORT’s objective is to meet the educational and vocational requirements of diverse students throughout the world. Currently, ORT educates or trains more than 290,000 students annually, through its network of programmes, training centres and schools.

http://middleeastfacts.com/links/links_jewish_charity.php

The report reviewed by Moishe Alexander, CFC CEO

More and more people who think of themselves as average donors are creating Donor Advised Funds at the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto. As a matter of fact, over 30% of the almost 300 Foundation funds are Donor Advised Funds.

“Many people don’t realize they can do all their charitable giving through the Foundation,” says Carol Kassel, Director of the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto. “They can support causes of their choice, here, in Israel or anywhere in the world where Jews are in need. And it makes giving so much easier. Donors don’t need to write separate cheques for each donation or create different charitable vehicles.”

There are many ways to put yourself in the driver’s seat when it comes to making decisions about your philanthropy.

One way is to set up your own private foundation to look after your annual grants to any charity you like. For most of us, this sounds a bit daunting.

And it is. Not only from the financial point of view, which requires that you disburse at least 3.5 percent of the invested assets each year without disturbing the initial capital, but setting up your own foundation is a cumbersome and expensive process. You need a board of directors, investment consultants, and legal and accounting experts to incorporate, register and organize your private foundation. There is a certain need and a place for these private foundations, but for most of us – it is a stretch.

Fortunately, there are other alternatives. “A Donor Advised Fund is a simple, convenient way to streamline all your charitable giving,” explains Kassel. “The whole purpose of a Donor Advised Fund is to put the donors at ease by letting the Jewish Foundation look after all the administration of the fund. The donors can then concentrate on the causes that mean the most to them.”

HOW A DONOR ADVISED FUND WORKS

•   A donor may start a fund with a minimum contribution of $10,000 of cash or other assets.

•  The donor receives an immediate tax deduction when he or she makes a contribution to the fund, but does not need to make a quick decision about which charities to support.

•   The donor may recommend distributions from the fund to registered charities whose activities fall within the broadly defined charitable mandate of the Jewish Foundation.

•   The assets in Donor Advised Funds are pooled and invested by professional money managers who are selected to manage the funds wisely and profitably. By pooling funds for investment and administrative purposes, the Jewish Foundation is able to minimize costs while engaging first rate fund managers.

•   Last fiscal year, our pooled funds earned 10.5%.

•  Donors are free from administration and record keeping. The Jewish Foundation processes distributions, mails cheques to recipients, administers and invests the assets of the fund and issues regular financial reports on the status of the fund to the donor. This frees the donor to concentrate on the rewards of charitable giving.

•   Donors enjoy ready access to the knowledge and experience of the staff of the Jewish Foundation regarding the Jewish community’s local and overseas needs and the organizations that exist to serve those needs.

“These funds provide the greatest flexibility and convenience without burdensome reporting requirements and high administrative costs. They offer terrific tax advantages as well,” says Kassel.

“Our donors are often people who don’t want to just write a cheque,” explains Kassel. “They want to be more actively involved in their philanthropy. They want to support the organizations that will directly impact the issues they care deeply about.”

reviewed by Moishe Alexander, CFC CEO

Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School
Provides a personalized education for girls in the spirit and warmth of Chassidut Chabad. We produce students who are well educated and have midot tovot, ready to tackle the challenges of tomorrow from positions of leadership and community involvement.

The Bernard Betel Centre for Creative Living is a learning and wellness centre committed to maximizing the quality of life for seniors in the community and reflecting Jewish values. (Approved by the Board of Directors, April 2000)

WHY COME TO THE CENTRE?
At the Bernard Betel Centre, we’re accustomed to hearing people ask themselves where would they be without us?

People come to us for a variety of reasons.  Retirement and ageing represent significant stages in one’s life and are accompanied by many changes which can affect health and an individual’s quality of life.  Redefining one’s identity outside the workforce, after the loss of a spouse or post child rearing years is a difficult and challenging transition and often requires the need for seniors to re-establish a sense of purpose and self esteem.  Research has shown that ageing is a continuous process and maintaining an active lifestyle can delay the onset of many diseases, increases agility and mobility and extends an individual’s ability to live independently in the community.

This video features Sharon Chodriker, the staff contact for the Centre in charge of the Lifelong Learning Institute. Sharon explains why her vision of having community youth come in to the centre to hear the information about Facebook, YouTube and Crime Stoppers together with the seniors was a good idea.

That’s where we come in. We offer one stop access to a myriad of recreational, educational, wellness, community support programs as well as an on site Cafeteria.  Not surprisingly, seniors come to our Centre and access programs from our different operations simultaneously during their visit.  Where else, but at the Bernard Betel Centre for Creative Living can you take in lectures from leading scholars on topics as diverse as mass media or religion in the modern age; converse in English, Yiddish, Russian, French, Polish and Hebrew; feast on the best haimishe, kosher cuisine in Canada; indulge in creative writing classes and discussions on Yiddish literature; attend regular Synagogue services; receive the benefits of morning Tai Chi classes and free monthly screening clinics; get help from counselors and support groups that aid you in dealing with Parkinson’s, Osteoporosis, Low Vision, Sleep/Wake Disorders and Nutrition; go on out of country trips or the Stratford Theatre Festival, while you mingle with the most interesting people in town?  Trained instructors deliver the vast majority of our programs; a few are facilitated/ led by volunteers and / or paid staff.

In addition to attending programs or accessing services, the Centre’s philosophy embraces member involvement, particularly in the design, implementation and evaluation of its programs.  There are numerous opportunities at the Centre including:

• participating in Members’ Council and or one of its 19 Committees;
• representing the membership on our Board of Directors, its committees and Task Forces;
• Educating people of all ages about elderly abuse throughout Ontario;
• Tutoring students through one of our many Intergenerational Programs;
• Teaching classes and or supervising workshops;
• Lobbying various levels of government on issues of concern to seniors;
• Supporting our Community Support Programs by visiting isolated seniors and performing telephone reassurance checks;
• Acting as ambassadors for the Centre by speaking to groups on behalf of the United Way and UJA Federation.

Ultimately, through member involvement, health promotion and community collaboration, our programs and services strive to achieve:

• Independence
• Self-worth
• Physical and emotional well being
• Intellectual and creative stimulation
• Jewish values