UJA-Federation of New York
UJA-Federation of New York, (United Jewish Appeal⁣ – ⁣Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York, Inc.) is the largest local philanthropy in the world. Headquartered in New York City, the organization raises and allocates funds annually to fulfill a mission to “care for people in need, inspire a passion for Jewish life and learning, and strengthen Jewish communities in New York, Israel, and around the world.” UJA-Federation allocates funding to social service organizations, healthcare organizations, non-governmental organizations, Jewish institutions, and community agencies in New York, Israel, and 70 countries. History. UJA-Federation, as  it is known today, was created from the 1986 merger of the United Jewish Appeal, established in 1939, and the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York, a predecessor organization established in 1917. Both the Center for Jewish History and the American Jewish Historical Society, an affiliate of the Smithsonian, houses UJA-Federation's archives. Beginning in 1981, the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York conducted an oral history project and continued through the merger between Federation and the United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York until 2004. A collection of oral histories was published in 1995. During the  late 1980s, UJA-Federation participated in the Soviet Jewry Movement with its Passage to Freedom campaign to help Jewish Émigrés from the Soviet Union. A book entitled "UJA-Federation of New York: The First Century" was published in 2017 to honor UJA-Federation's centennial. In 2016, UJA-Federation's annual campaign raised $153.4 million. Including bequests, endowments, and capital and special gifts, the total amount raised in the year was $207.6 million. The American Jewish Historical Society, an affiliate of the Smithsonian, houses UJA-Federation's archives. Eric S. Goldstein assumed the position of CEO on July  1, 2014. Jeffrey A. Schoenfeld was appointed president of UJA-Federation of New York on July 1, 2016; Robert S. Kapito was appointed chair of the board. In July 2018, Rabbi Menachem Creditor assumed the position of Pearl and Ira Meyer Scholar-in-Residence of UJA-Federation. COVID-19 Response. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, UJA-Federation allocated nearly $70 million in emergency grants. In 2020-21, UJA-Federation conducted an in-depth examination of the social, economic, and emotional impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the New York Jewish community, surveying 4,400 Jews in the New York City  area. The study found that nearly one in six adult Jewish New Yorkers experienced financial setbacks during the pandemic, and three-quarters of Jewish New Yorkers who said they have a substance abuse problem said it worsened during that period.