The Zionist Movement in the United States (3/10)

Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds (CJFWF)

An American umbrella organization that functions as a central body coordinating fundraising and planning for more than two hundred Jewish federations and welfare funds, serving 800 Jewish communities comprising over 95% of the Jewish population in the United States and Canada. In 1978, the Council of Federations raised approximately 474 million U.S. dollars, which increased to 581 million in 1981, and reached 720 million dollars in 1987.

The Council of Federations was established in 1932 to coordinate the fundraising activities of various local Jewish federations and to allocate the funds to meet the local needs of the community as well as those of distressed Jewish communities abroad (though domestic work remained the primary focus). During the 1940s and 1950s, the Council developed into a central planning agency for the federations, overseeing budgets, fund allocations, and supervision. It provides federations with leadership, advice, and representation, and serves as a forum for exchanging experiences and formulating plans for the general goals, needs, and programs of the federations. Among its important services is the Large City Budgeting Conference, which includes 29 of the largest Jewish federations. This conference allocates funds to the majority of local and national American Jewish organizations (such as the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League), after analyzing and studying their programs and budgets in order to determine allocations for each organization.

From the very beginning, the Council of Jewish Federations was keen to allocate part of the federations’ resources to the Jewish settler community in Palestine, and later to Israel after 1948. Since the 1940s, the Council began coordinating and then unifying fundraising campaigns with the United Jewish Appeal, which came to receive alone between 50% and 60% of the proceeds from the unified fundraising campaigns—most of which went to Israel through the United Israel Appeal and then the Jewish Agency, with some also allocated to other countries through the Joint Distribution Committee. Around 30% of the funds raised were allocated to the domestic needs of Jewish communities in the United States, primarily education and healthcare. Given the Council of Jewish Federations’ role in raising vast sums of money—reaching about 720 million dollars in 1987—it effectively became a partner of the Jewish Agency, a reality that was reinforced after the Agency’s reorganization in 1971, when 50% of the positions in its leadership bodies were allocated to non-Zionist Jewish fundraising organizations.

In addition to being one of the most important financial sources of support for Israel, the Council of Jewish Federations also works to consolidate American support for Israel and to emphasize that it is the only reliable ally of the United States in the region. The Council coordinates its activities in this field primarily with the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council. It also holds meetings with the U.S. administration and members of Congress, attended by the heads of major city federations, to discuss issues related to Israel as well as other foreign affairs.

The General Assembly of the Council of Jewish Federations is considered 'the largest annual gathering of organized Jewish life in America.' It brings together more than two thousand Jewish communities and major Zionist groups in the United States, serving as an important platform for pro-Israel political activity. During the event, seminars are held, and research is presented on Israel, the Middle East, the Arab lobby in the United States, and other related topics. The significance of this event and the weight of the Council within the Jewish community are demonstrated by the consistent attendance of both Israeli and American political leaders, who seek to connect with Jewish leadership through the Assembly.

Like other Jewish organizations and fundraising bodies, the Council of Jewish Federations faces the problem of dwindling financial resources. This was perhaps one of the main reasons behind the Council’s push for representatives of Jewish communities and fundraising organizations to have a greater role in shaping the policy and oversight of the Jewish Agency. The Council strongly criticized the Agency’s performance, and in 1986 issued a resolution calling for the appointment of department heads in the Agency based on competence and expertise rather than political or party affiliations, as well as for rationalizing its performance and reducing politicization. Several years earlier, the Council had established the Jewish Agency Committee as a special forum for leaders of American Jewish Federations to discuss and evaluate the Agency’s activities.

National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council (NJCRAC)

The National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council (NJCRAC) was created in 1944 as a voluntary body to coordinate the activities of different Jewish organizations in the U.S. that were working to defend Jewish interests and fight antisemitism. Before its creation, many Jewish groups were doing similar work, often overlapping, and competing with one another, so there was a need for a central coordinating council.

In 1968, the word “Jewish” was officially added to its name. The council brought together 11 national Jewish organizations and more than 100 local community councils, including major groups like the American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Congress, B’nai B’rith, and Hadassah.

Despite this umbrella role, the council often struggled because the big national groups wanted to keep their independence. At one point in 1952, the American Jewish Committee and B’nai B’rith even withdrew from the council after disputes over who could lead legal and legislative work, but they rejoined in 1965 once their independence was guaranteed.

The council became very influential as a policy-making and advisory body. Each year it published a Joint Program Plan for Jewish Community Relations, which set out priorities for Jewish organizations nationwide. Over time, the plan gave increasing importance to issues related to Israel, and the council aligned closely with Israeli government policies. It also opposed U.S. arms sales to Arab states and was critical of any American alliances with them.

It seeks to consolidate the notion of congruence between American and Israeli interests and works to build American public opinion on this basis. It also strives to confront voices supportive of Arabs and the Palestinian cause, particularly within universities.

After the 1973 war, the Council of Jewish Federations, together with the American Jewish Committee, the American Jewish Congress, and the Anti-Defamation League, established a task force under the Advisory Council to support programs related to Israel within Jewish community relations agencies, particularly those connected to the media.

The Council warns against the danger of openly disclosing differences of opinion regarding Israeli policies, as this poses a risk to the ability to effectively influence official policy. It calls for confining such disagreements within the forum of the Advisory Council.

The Advisory Council holds conferences to develop joint program plans, and these conferences are considered a platform for both Israeli and American politicians.

The eleven national Jewish organizations that are members of the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council are: the American Jewish Committee, the American Jewish Congress, the Anti-Defamation League, Hadassah, the Jewish Labor Committee, the Jewish War Veterans, the National Council of Jewish Women, the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, the United Synagogue of America, the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, and the National Council of Jewish Women’s Rehabilitation Through Training program.

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Source: The Encyclopedia of Jews, Judaism, and Zionism

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