Joint Distribution Committee - ISRAEL (JDC-Israel)

JDC Israel is the Israeli arm of the Global JDC. JDC Israel deals with the advancement of quality of life, equality of opportunities, and reduction of gaps in Israeli society. The organization works among populations regardless of religious, national or political identity. JDC Israel is the focus of the work of the world Joint organization, which has been operating for 100 years on behalf of Jews in another 70 countries throughout the world.

JDC Israel is the biggest services provider in the Arab society besides the Israeli governement. It develops and operates its services through its various departments:

• TEVET (Hebrew initials for Tnufa BeTa’asuka  - “Momentum in Employment”) was established in 2006, as a collaborative between JDC-Israel and the Israeli government, aimed specifically at developing new employment models for uninvolved or “weakened” populations, in which Arab citizens are a major focus. 

• Division for Disabilities and Rehabilitation - The Division was established to meet the needs of Israelis with disabilities (ages 21-65).  This population includes people with physical disabilities, those with sensory disabilities (blind and vision-impaired, deaf and hearing-impaired) and those with cognitive or mental disabilities. JDC-Israel partners with national and municipal entities, the volunteers and academia to develop and implement solutions to meet specific needs. 

•  Ashalim was established in 1998 as a strategic partnership between JDC-Israel, the Israeli government, and the UJA - Federation of New York. Ashalim develops solutions and services for young at risk populations, starting from birth to age 25, in order to improve their quality of life and enable them to integrate successfully into Israeli society. Ashalim works on personal, familial, and social levels to expand the range of available opportunities for children, youth, and young adults at risk, and their families.

• The Myers-JDC-Brookdale (MJB) Institute is a center for applied social research in Israel, serving Israel, the Jewish world and the international community. Its mission is to increase the effectiveness with which a society addresses critical social challenges to enhance the well-being of, and expand opportunities for, its most vulnerable members. MJB has been a pioneer in bringing the issues of Arab-Israelis into the mainstream of applied social research in Israel. It plays a central role in evaluating innovative initiatives of the government, JDC-Israel, and other organizations to address the many challenges of the Arab-Israeli community.  Equally important is its role in ensuring that the needs and sensitivities of Arab-Israelis are addressed in major national policy initiatives.