The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) is the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organisation. JDC works in more than 70 countries and in Israel to alleviate hunger and hardship, rescue Jews in danger, create lasting connections to Jewish life, and provide immediate relief and long-term development support for victims of natural and man-made disasters.

JDC represents the North American Jewish community’s shared vision of a secure and vibrant state of Israel, fully prepared to respond to the material and social challenges of its most vulnerable citisens—a society that fulfils the promise of being a “light unto the nations” by becoming a model of caring and opportunity for all.

With that vision in mind, JDC—in partnership with the Israeli government and a network of local Israeli agencies and foundations—implemented an array of programmes to benefit the elderly, children and youth at risk, new immigrants having difficulty assimilating into Israeli society, the chronically unemployed, and Israelis with disabilities. Through rigorous attention to best practices and strategies that have the broadest possible impact, these initiatives are designed to improve education, break the cycle of poverty, and create opportunities for Israel’s most vulnerable people in order for them to realise their full potential.