We Cultivate a Jewish Future

Together, we build new generations of leaders capable of taking on tomorrow’s challenges and shaping the future of Jewish life. This means giving Jews from Montevideo to Mumbai pathways to express their Jewish identity and encouraging grassroots efforts that welcome Jews of all ages and backgrounds to claim their stake in — and shape — the Jewish future. We do this by working hand-in-hand with communities around the world, empowering them to realize their own dreams and care for their most vulnerable.

Our global Jewish service program, where young volunteers support their fellow Jews and others in need, is the largest in the world — and growing. We are building new generations of lay and professional leaders who are poised to take on the challenges of tomorrow and inspired to act on the value of global Jewish responsibility.

Living Jewish values is how we sustain Jewish life today and for tomorrow. And these efforts have proven especially crucial during difficult times — like the Ukraine crisis — as a source of hope, care, and community for Jews living through continuing uncertainty. JDC’s ongoing investment in Jewish communities helps strengthen leadership and resilience worldwide.

We cultivate a Jewish future, because the Jewish part of Jewish life is worth fighting for.

Our Impact in Numbers

30,000+

alumni of Szarvas, the JDC-Lauder international Jewish summer camp in Hungary

82,000+

people engaged in Jewish life and community in a given year

4,300+

Jewish youth participated in the Active Jewish Teens (AJT) network across 57 locations and 11 time zones last year

Innovating Jewish Camping

Each year, Jewish summer camp experiences shape the identity and values of countless Jews. Campers go on to become leaders in their communities, and share a love and commitment to Jewish life. Szarvas, our flagship JDC-Lauder international Jewish summer camp in Hungary — along with a network of local camps and retreats in places like Poland, the Baltics, Bulgaria, and Romania, India, and Turkey — have been transformational in catalyzing thousands of grassroots Jewish activists, leaders, and professionals focused on building their communities’ future. In 2023 alone, Szarvas hosted more than 1,400 campers and madrichim (counselors) from 25 countries at its newly-renovated facilities.

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Young Jewish campers gathered in an assembly at Camp Szarvas in Szarvas, Hungary.

Empowering Jewish Leaders

We develop programs fostering Jewish identity and responsibility around the world, including Active Jewish Teens (AJT), a partnership with BBYO, which provides thousands of Jewish teens in the former Soviet Union with a platform to strengthen their identities and serve their communities, as well as AJT Junior, a program for Jewish youth ages 8-12. In Europe, we coordinate Jewish leadership programs like Junction, the JDC pan-European initiative supported by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies that empowers young Jews through networking, training, and creative grants for grassroots initiatives that bolster European Jewish life and community. The Junction Annual — a yearly gathering of rising Jewish leaders from across Europe — is a key part of this mission.

JDC volunteer standing at the head of a table during a workshop.

JDC Entwine

JDC Entwine, JDC’s platform for young Jewish professionals, inspires tens of thousands of young Jews in North America and beyond to embrace global Jewish responsibility. Participants engage in global Jewish service and immersive travel experiences, innovative Jewish educational programs, and tailored leadership development opportunities through which young Jews can explore, find meaning, and take action on Jewish and global issues. Additionally, Entwine’s DIY Toolkits and partnerships enable new paths for celebrating Jewish holidays and Shabbat, and for young Jewish giving to diverse needs.

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JDC Entwine speaker holding a glass of red wine while presenting on Tikkun Olam Ventures (TOV).

Mobilizing Jewish Volunteers

Across the world, our expansive volunteer networks cultivate Jewish life, connect families to lifesaving services, and distribute food, medicine, and other essentials to the people who need it most. We see the spirit of volunteerism in programs in the former Soviet Union that promote community responsibility and a culture of care and commitment to vulnerable elderly Jews and others in need. Since the start of the Ukraine crisis, tens of thousands of Jewish volunteers have mobilized to distribute aid and provide human connection to Jews and others enduring daily uncertainty.

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Two young JDC volunteers in the former Soviet Union light Channukah candles with an elderly client in her living room.

Strengthening Jewish Communities

Strong community is a safeguard against isolation and as a source of knowledge, resources, meaning, and Jewish culture and traditions. Jewish institutions, like JDC-supported Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) are the bedrock of our communities, and they’ve found innovative ways to support and engage members. Equally important are programs like Yesod and the Kaplan Leadership Initiative, which provide seminars and resources, as well as leadership training and Jewish learning, to cultivate the next generation of Jewish professionals. Last year, the Kaplan Leadership Initiative engaged 48 young Jewish leaders from Europe, the former Soviet Union, and Latin America — a global cohort that will strengthen Jewish life around the world.