Responding to Jewish Poverty
As an integral part of Federation’s mission to support Jews in need, we recognize our collective responsibility to support those facing hard times. It is imperative that as a cohesive community – one blessed with a multitude of institutions, agencies, schools, and synagogues all united by a common goal – we collaborate to extend a helping hand to those enduring hardship. This can include families struggling to make ends meet, individuals experiencing homelessness, or those impacted by severe mental health issues.
Working Group on Jewish Poverty
No individual should face economic hardship alone. We recognize the importance of a unified approach to combat poverty within our Jewish community. By convening a range of organizations and partners, the Working Group on Jewish Poverty & Stability ensures that those facing economic challenges receive centralized, coordinated aid and support.
The group meets monthly to share what they are seeing, discuss synergies and opportunities to work together, and try new collaborative solutions to problems that cannot be addressed by any one entity alone. Convened by our Federation, participating organizations include Hebrew Free Loan, Hillel of San Diego, Impact Cubed, Jewish Community Foundation, Jewish Family Service of San Diego’s Center for Jewish Care, and Seacrest at Home.
San Diego Jewish Community Studies
For many years, San Diego struggled to address the needs of our most vulnerable Jewish community members due, in part, to a lack of sufficient data. Our Federation is working closely with a number of local partners to better understand the demographics and needs of our community. In 2020, a community demographics study was conducted with a special emphasis on investigating Jews living in poverty.
Then in 2023, Federation and our partners released a comprehensive report, conducted by Brandeis University and NORC at the University of Chicago, detailing the unique needs and insights of San Diego’s 100,700-member Jewish community. Aptly named “A Blueprint for Our Future,” the study is being used by community organizations to design programs and policies that support and enhance the quality of Jewish life. View the full report at sdjewishblueprint.org.
