- Michael Balaban
Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia President and CEO

We have talked often about how our community does not stand alone. This week, we saw that truth come into even sharper focus.

We are part of a global Jewish network, connected by shared responsibility and a commitment to care for one another.

This week, we welcomed the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) to Philadelphia for a sobering and important conversation about the challenges facing Jewish communities worldwide. Eliza Prince, JDC’s global partnership director, shared a clear and urgent view of the realities ahead.

“The needs of the global Jewish community today are unlike any moment we have seen in generations,” Eliza said. “This is a time that calls for partnership at every level.”

What we heard was not about a single crisis, but a global landscape of need.

In Ukraine and across the Former Soviet Union, what began as an emergency has become a prolonged and intensifying crisis. Today, approximately 35,000 Jews rely on JDC support amid continued missile attacks and deteriorating infrastructure. JDC is providing humanitarian aid, operating trauma support centers and delivering financial assistance through debit cards, allowing families to meet their needs with dignity.

At the same time, a major funding challenge is emerging. Support from the Claims Conference, which currently accounts for roughly 30 percent of JDC’s annual budget and sustains HESED welfare centers across the region, is expected to decline within the next five to seven years. The need is growing, even as a core funding source begins to shrink.

Eliza shared the story of Sasha, a young Ukrainian girl evacuated to Poland with her mother, who now receives JDC support, including educational scholarships and community care. Like so many families, they were forced to make impossible decisions, including leaving loved ones behind due to mandatory military conscription for men ages 18 to 65.

In Israel, recovery following the Oct. 7 attacks continues. Even as a ceasefire has brought a measure of temporary relief, it has not resolved the underlying challenges facing individuals and communities. Families are returning to homes that have been damaged or destroyed, navigating ongoing uncertainty, and continuing to live with the emotional and economic toll of the past months.

The work has shifted from immediate emergency response to long-term recovery.

Through its “All the Way Home” program, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee is helping families rebuild after missile attacks have struck their homes. The program pairs each family with a dedicated navigator who stays with them throughout the recovery process, helping secure housing, access government support and navigate complex systems.

Eliza shared the story of a family whose home was destroyed by a direct missile strike and who, with the support of a navigator, has been able to begin rebuilding their lives step by step.

At the same time, new vulnerabilities are emerging across Israeli society. Nearly 60 percent of reservists report job insecurity, and many families are experiencing declines in household income. One in four children is now showing signs of developmental delays, and more than 800,000 Israelis are considered newly vulnerable as a result of the ongoing crisis.

These realities underscore the complexity of recovery. Families are not only rebuilding homes, but also navigating financial strain, emotional trauma and long-term uncertainty.

The program is now expanding to additional communities, including Beit Shemesh, and is expected to serve hundreds more families in the months ahead, with significant additional funding needed to sustain and scale this work.

At the same time, antisemitism is rising across Western Europe, including in France and the Netherlands, requiring renewed engagement in regions where needs are once again increasing.

We are also seeing ripple effects across the globe. Economic and political instability in one region is impacting Jewish life in others. In Morocco, for example, the decline in tourism has led to the closure of kosher businesses and disrupted livelihoods within the local Jewish community.

Across all of this, JDC is also responding to global crises through its disaster response work, deploying Israeli technology and expertise to support vulnerable communities worldwide.

The message is clear. The needs of the global Jewish community are complex, interconnected and growing.

Importantly, this work is not abstract. It is directly connected to our community.

Through our support, Greater Philadelphia has already helped fund vocational training programs in northern Israel, including in the Kiryat Shmona region. These programs are creating pathways to long-term employment through job training and partnerships with local employers, helping individuals rebuild stability and purpose in the aftermath of crisis.

Eliza shared the story of a young woman from the region who has been able to begin rebuilding her future through this work, as well as the story of Omer, a teacher who lost five students on Oct. 7 and was unable to return to the classroom due to trauma. Through JDC’s employment rehabilitation efforts, he found new purpose by opening a gym in his kibbutz.

These are the kinds of outcomes made possible through our collective investment, helping individuals and communities not only recover, but move forward.

Through our partnership with JDC, we are helping meet these needs, connecting our community to meaningful impact around the world and ensuring support reaches those who need it most.

This is what it means to be a global people.

And this is what it means to be Here as One.

At a time when needs are growing and becoming more complex, your support ensures we can respond in this moment while strengthening the global Jewish community for the years ahead.

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