This week marked the launch of a new 501(c)(3), World Jewish Relief USA. The organization will support the global projects of World Jewish Relief, the UK Jewish community’s international development and humanitarian agency, enabling them to scale up their lifesaving work.

World Jewish Relief was founded in 1933 to rescue Jewish refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe, assisting over 65,000 Jews to escape, including the 10,000 unaccompanied children who came on the Kindertransport. Most refugees built new lives in the UK, but the organization also helped thousands to resettle onwards to the United States. They latterly assisted Jews fleeing North Africa, Iran, and the Balkans amongst others.

Today, influenced by their heritage, almost 90 years of supporting people in crisis, and their commitment to Jewish values, World Jewish Relief is unyielding in its mission to address Jewish poverty and global suffering worldwide. The organization assists vulnerable and hard to reach communities, within and beyond the Jewish community, with a focus on women and girls.

World Jewish Relief’s projects enable disadvantaged individuals to find sustainable employment, from Genocide survivors in Rwanda, to Jewish single mothers in eastern Europe, and Afghan refugees in the UK. They are the largest provider of employment support to refugees resettled in the UK. They also lead the Jewish response to international disasters, and help communities prepare for, and recover from, the impacts of the climate crisis.

For 30 years they have supported older Jewish people living in poverty in eastern Europe. Last year, their services assisted 13,000 people across Ukraine, through 29 local partners. Since February 2022, their Ukraine Crisis response has reached more than 100,000 vulnerable Ukrainians, both Jewish and not, including their existing clients, with critical, lifesaving humanitarian relief and services.

The launch of World Jewish Relief USA is a marker of the organization’s bold ambition to dramatically expand the scale of their work over the next decade, with a particular focus on Ukraine and eastern Europe, home to the largest cohort of Jews living in poverty.

They have a small but loyal existing supporter base in the US, for whom they have facilitated ways to donate for many years. The $1.8 million US dollars donated to their recent Ukraine Crisis Appeal is a testament to that. They recognise that for the US Jewish community, philanthropic giving and meaningful engagement with local and global causes is deeply embedded in their DNA. Support from the community for World Jewish Relief USA will enable them to meet their bold ambition to save more lives.

Guests celebrated the launch of World Jewish Relief USA with a dinner in partnership with the British Consul General. In a special pre-recorded message from World Jewish Relief’s patron, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales expressed his pride at being part of “a significant new chapter in the story of this remarkable organization”. His Royal Highness said he hoped that the launch of World Jewish Relief USA “will be an opportunity to raise critical funding to expand their work as demand for their services from Jewish clients, those living in poverty, refugees, and victims of disaster all over the world continues to rise”, urging all those present to “become part of the World Jewish Relief family”.

Kevin Sneader, President of World Jewish Relief USA, said:

The work of World Jewish Relief has taken on added urgency and importance over recent months and years. It is with this in mind that the launch of our American organization promises to provide the additional support which these challenging times require.

Learn more about World Jewish Relief USA, and donate today.