NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 10: People receive free face masks at a Salvation Army Community Center on August 10, 2020 in New York City. The masks, which are washable and were donated by the company HALO, were given out to individuals during the daily free lunch at the center. Currently, The United States has now surpassed 5 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 as of Sunday. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (JTA) — The Jewish Federations of North America is working to raise $54 million to ensure continued human services for Jewish communities and those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Human Services Relief Fund will offer $18 million in matching funds raised from seven foundations to federations raising a combined total of $36 million. The funds will be used by agencies that provide emergency financial aid, food assistance, trauma counseling and services, and resources for employees of Jewish communal organizations who have been laid off or furloughed.
Many Jewish community federations already have used their endowment funds and held emergency campaigns to support their local Jewish agencies and Jewish life in their communities, Jewish Federations board chair Mark Wilf said.
“Yet the length and depth of this downturn remains unknown. We believe this effort will help alleviate Jewish families, seniors and others who have been hard hit by this pandemic,” he said.
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