Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis

The Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis is the central philanthropic, planning and community relations organization of the Jewish community. The Federation and its agencies, in cooperation with local synagogues, function to promote the general welfare of the Jewish community and to ensure the creative survival and continuity of the Jewish people.

To learn more about the Federation, please go to the Federation's Web site, www.jfgi.org [1].

The Federation creates social, community service and outreach programs for young Indianapolis Jews ages 25 to 45 through its Young Leadership Division. Latest events have included taking underprivileged children to an Indians game; Monday morning coffee hours; Sunday brunches; planting flowers at Hooverwood; and a wine tasting.

According to the United States Census, more than 12,000 people identify themselves as Jewish in Indianapolis. In 2005, the Federation's annual campaign raised more than $5 million toward programs and services in Indianapolis, in Israel and worldwide. About sixty-five percent of the funds raised are allocated to local and regional programs and services. About thirty-one percent of the funds raised are allocated to Israel and overseas programming, while the remaining four percent takes care of administrative costs and scholarships.

The Federation is located in the heart of the Indianapolis Jewish community in the same building as the Jewish Community Center and the Bureau of Jewish Education. Other agencies include the ElderSource Program, which provides programs and services for the elderly and administers the only Naturally Occurring Retirement Community in Indiana; Hooverwood - the Indianapolis Jewish Home, a nationally recognized nursing facility that consistently ranks among the top in the state; the Jewish Community Relations Council, which ensures that the Jewish community has a voice in the legislature and maintains a permanent lobbyist. The Federation works in close collaboration with the Hasten Hebrew Academy of Indianapolis and the five local synagogues, representing a variety of Jewish traditions.

Mission of the Jewish Federation

The Federation community mission is grounded in a pluralistic understanding of the historical, moral and cultural values of Judaism. In an effort to accomplish this mission, the Federation commits itself:

¨ To develop and maintain a communal system of organizations to enhance the quality of life and to assist such organizations through leadership development, communal planning, financial and human resource development;

¨ To promote and encourage a positive Jewish identity that will assure the survival enhancement and continuation of Jewish life;

¨ To promote and celebrate the diversity and unity of the Jewish people;

¨ To cultivate dialogue and understanding between the Jewish community and the broader society;

¨ To promote understanding and positive relationships between our community and the people of the State of Israel, and to support those causes that advance the peace and welfare of the Jewish people around the world;

¨ To enhance the quality of Jewish and civic life; in cooperation with other religious and communal groups and organizations, and

¨ To provide and manage the financial resources to meet and advance the social welfare, cultural, Jewish and general educational, and recreational needs and purposes of the Indianapolis Jewish community.