The Jewish world in the age of coronavirus – A special Israel Hayom project
Part VII: How Jewish federations in the US continue fundraising despite the pandemic
Jewish federations in the United States have managed to raise more $160 million over the past several months toward helping Jewish communities cope with the COVID-19 pandemic despite dwindling resources and logistical complications.
The efforts have helped fund a variety of initiatives that help Jews across North America get by, either by giving them access to food or by securing short-term loans and similar financial means.
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"We are witnesses to the strength of being part of a Jewish collective, which has always moved us forward as a people; we are unstoppable," Mark Wilf, who is the Chair of the Board of Trustees of Jewish Federations of North America, told Israel Hayom recently. "I have seen this personally," he continued.
"The pandemic has seen millions lose their job and struggle under various social distancing restrictions, and this can obviously impact the philanthropic activity, but Israel has continued to be the heart and soul of our community, he said.
Wilf, who is well aware of the criticism facing the federations for supposedly not properly addressing various issues in the communities and that the projects are decided by a closely-knit group, says that a birds-eye view tells a different story, especially if you look at the project-specific donations that are given by various family foundations.
"We want to have an impact on the world, and we do so through leading by example," he told Israel Hayom. "At the end of the day, we are evaluated by what we do to be better versions of ourselves, I think of [this] during every activity I take."
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