College Students and Young Adults
Needs
Campus
In a July report, Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) wrote:
Despite the major disruptions to higher education during the spring and summer, Hillel has actively supported its student communities during this time, rapidly scaling successful virtual program offerings, preserving the financial stability of the Hillel movement, addressing the health and well-being of Hillel staff and preparing for the complex scenarios for campus life in the fall. Hillels secured more than $20M in new resources this spring in order to maintain student programming and retain key field staff through a combination of PPP loans, restructured talent grants and strong results from an inaugural “Hillel Global Giving Week” campaign. On a programmatic level, Hillels swiftly pivoted online through a new “Hillel@Home” platform and a range of other digital engagement approaches. In just the past three months, Hillels have hosted thousands of online meetings and events, resulting in more than 170,000 total virtual engagements. Hillel is also taking an active role in the new “Serve the Moment” campaign to address the urgent needs of our communities through meaningful service and is ramping up its signature MitzVote campaign to promote civic engagement during the 2020 election season. As we approach the new academic year, Hillel is engaging in intensive planning to prepare for the broad range of conditions Hillels and students will face. The hybrid and varied nature of academic approaches will require substantial new investments to support continued growth in digital programming; operational safety and sanitation upgrades to Hillel facilities; new approaches to smaller group programming for Shabbat, holidays and all other programs; and targeted resources to address acute student needs – economic, emotional and pastoral. In the face of these many challenges, Hillel is pursuing opportunities to reimagine student engagement and to expand programming and education, including through a new “Hillel Higher Holidays” initiative. At the financial level, Hillels are beginning fundraising for the more than $75M that will need to be raised during fiscal year 2021 to maintain Hillel support for students during this critical and challenging period. Given the growing uncertainties related to individual giving, Hillels will be especially reliant on continued core support from Federation and foundation partners.
Moishe Houses
According to JFNA’s July report:
Moishe House entered the crisis with a reasonably strong financial position but with great uncertainty about how its core business model of engaging young adults informally through its network of homes would operate amidst the pandemic. The combination of its existing financial base and the PPP loan it received pushed off its financial uncertainty to 2021. However, it reports two unresolved challenges looking at the year ahead: 1. It needs to invest funding to provide additional support for residents and staff, for customized training focused on operating within the crisis and to respond to newly dynamic racial justice issues. In the past, it would have gone out to raise additional funds, but it is unclear whether it can do that in this environment. 2. Looking ahead to 2021, it projects a $1.5M deficit owing to losing nine months of basic organizational work, particularly around fundraising efforts to identify and cultivate new donors. Uncertainty around travel inhibits the ability to engage other partners and donors, and there has been resistance to meeting for fundraising online. The travel concern also means there is no ability to do site visits, which usually generate fundraising opportunities that are not happening. The virtual alternative does not meet the need. Moishe House has been encouraged by the amount of participation in online programming and, with the coming of summer, is also creating outdoor program models. There is greater in-person programming possible in other countries, where the virus has been more effectively contained. Jewish learning has increased as a percentage of the overall programming content. This is a function both of new people being attracted to these programs and of existing participants being more available. Expanding Jewish content will be a priority for national programming. Nonetheless, overall programming is down 60% among local programs and by 100% in its regional and national programs.
Responses
On April 20, the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) launched the more than $80 million Jewish Community Response and Impact Fund (JCRIF), supported by a seven foundations, including the Aviv Foundation, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, the Jim Joseph Foundation, Maimonides Fund, the Paul E. Singer Foundation, and the Wilf Family Foundation, which will operate in coordination with the JFNA. The invite-only program will be divided in two, with a loan program based at the Nonprofit Finance Fund, providing payroll and basic operational assistance for non-profits in the coming months.In July, JCRIF announced it had made $10 million in grants to more than 20 Jewish organizations, including Hillel International and Moishe House, as well as $20 million in no-interest loans, with $20 million more in loans under consideration. More details about JCRIF, including a JFN webinar, here.
JDC Entwine, JDC’s young adult initiative, reports that it is offering an online platform where young Jewish adults can connect virtually with their peers, engage in global Jewish causes, and build Jewish community. The organization is also developing customized content for young adults with disabilities
Watch JFN’s webinar on how the pandemic is impacting Jewish college students and young adults below:
Resources
Jewish Philanthropists Have Increased Their Giving During the Pandemic — but Prioritizing Causes Has Never Been More Difficult
Description - News Article
Source - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
January 5
Study Reveals COVID-19 Hardships on Palm Beach Jewish Community
Description - News Article
Source - South Florida Sun Sentinel
December 23
Facing the Future: Mapping the Marketplace of Jewish Education During Covid-19
Description - Report
Source - Consortium for Applied Studies in Jewish Education
November 2020
Jewish Young Adults Need the Support of the Jewish Community Now More than Ever
Description - Op-Ed
Source - eJewish Philanthropy
December 9
COVID-19 Impact Studies: Building Resilient Jewish Communities
Description - Research
Source - Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies
Fall 2020
JCC Staff, Funding and Facility Status Survey Highlights
Description - Report/Survey Results
Source - JCCA
November 18
New Program Will Engage Thousands of Jewish College Students in Volunteer Service
Description - Article
Source - eJewish Philanthropy
November 12

Collaboration and Creativity in a Time of Crisis: An Update on the Jewish Community Response and Impact Fund
Source - JFN webinar
October 28

“Broke: The Game.” What Would You Do?
Source - JFN/Natl Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty webinar
October 22
New Help for the 20,000 Jewish Communal Professionals Who Lost Jobs During Pandemic
Description - News Article
Source - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
October 8
Nearly 3 out of 4 Millennials Have Donated Money During the Pandemic
Description - News Article
Source - CNBC
September 30
How We Are Preparing for Moishe House’s Future
Description - Article
Source - eJewish Philanthropy
October 1
Among Jews, the Young and Highly Educated Bear COVID’s Emotional and Economic Toll
Description - Op-Ed from Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies
Source - The Forward
Amid Layoffs and Funder Bailouts, the Jewish Nonprofit World Is Fearing 2021
Description - News Article
Source - Jewish Insider
September 9
Emotion Before Content: Evidence-Based Recommendations for Designing Virtual Jewish Engagement for Young People
Description - Research study/report
Source - Schusterman Foundation and Jim Joseph Foundation
August 2020
The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Been Buffeting American Jewry for Months. What Lies Ahead?
Description - News Article
Source - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
September 1
‘It’s Not the Same and Everybody Knows It’: Jewish Campus Life Goes Virtual
Description - News Article
Source - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
August 27
Synagogues Once Saved Judaism, Now They are Needed to Save Jews
Description - Op-Ed
Source - eJewish Philanthropy
August 26
What’s Going on in Jewish Education? Answers from Leaders in the Field
Description - Report
Source - eJewish Philanthropy
August 13
How are Jewish Teens and Young Adults Coping Through this Pandemic?
Description - Article
Source - eJewish Philanthropy
August 18

National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty Briefing: Focus on Higher Education
Date and time - Tuesday, August 4
12-1 pm ET
Source - JFN/Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty webinar
August 4
As Colleges Go Virtual, Students Go to Israel
Description - News Article
Source - NY Jewish Week
July 21

Next Year (We Hope!) in Jerusalem: How the Israel Experience Field Has Responded to Covid
Source - JFN webinar
July 23
An Enduring Feature of the Pandemic So Far: Jews Are Flocking to Online Classes
Description - News Article
Source - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
July 22
Jewish Community Response and Impact Fund (JCRIF) Awards $10 Million to 20+ Jewish Organizations
Description - Announcement
Source - Jewish Community Response & Impact Fund
July 20
A Time to Act: Concrete Steps to Support the Unemployed in the Jewish Community
Description - Op-Ed
Source - eJewish Philanthropy
July 17
Jewish Nonprofits Launch Nationwide Volunteer Drive to Respond to Pandemic, Social-Justice Needs
Description - News Article
Source - Chronicle of Philanthropy
July 6
The Coronavirus Is Killing Off American Jewish Institutional Life
Description - Article
Source - Tablet
June 7
What Covid Is Teaching Us About Jewish Education
Description - Op-Ed
Source - New York Jewish Week
June 29
For Young Adults with Disabilities the Loss of Specialized Birthright Trips is Particularly Poignant
Description - Article
Source - eJewish Philanthropy
June 25

Service for a Strong Future
Date and time - Tuesday, June 23
1:30-2:30 p.m. Eastern
Source - JFN webinar
June 23
New Jewish Service Alliance Launches “Serve the Moment” with Plans for 100,000 Acts of Jewish Service
Description - Press Release/Announcemen
Source - eJewish Philanthropy
June 18
Will Our Post-Corona Vision Include Engaged Interfaith Families?
Description - Op-Ed
Source - eJewish Philanthropy
June 4
Unlocking the Future of Jewish Engagement: Study of Jewish Young Adults
Description - Report
Source - Berman Jewish Policy Archive
Spring 2020
A ‘Super Fund’ Aims to Keep Jewish Nonprofit World From Sinking
Description - News article
Source - New York Jewish Week
June 2
In the Post-Covid Crisis Universe: Israel Opportunities Await
Description - Op-Ed
Source - eJewish Philanthropy
May 27
As Colleges Go Virtual, Students Instead Are Heading to Israel on Gap Year Programs
Description - News article
Source - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
May 21
As Pandemic Set In, Orthodox Union Furloughed 125 Staffers — a Quarter of its Workforce
Description - News article
Source - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
May 19
The Biggest Jewish Coronavirus Relief Fund Will Soon Start Giving Out Loans
Description - News article
Source - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
May 12
Hillel International Lays Off or Furloughs 20 Percent of Staff Amid Coronavirus Uncertainty
Description - News Article
Source - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
April 27
Nonprofit Funding Proposals