The grant in support of the JoCI will be aimed at improving mentorship, collaboration and leadership cultivation opportunities for the Jews of Color community.
“New York City has one of the largest and fastest-growing populations of Jews of Color in the US, including an up-and-coming generation of young innovators and leaders,” says Ilana Kaufman, Executive Director of the Jews of Color Initiative.
“We want to invest in the vibrant JoC community of New York and create meaningful Jewish experiences offerings that reflect their lives and interests,” she added.
The two central pillars of the New York branch of JoCI will be focused on college-aged young adults, fellowships and partnering with non-profits. A second component will be focused on guidance and organizational development for Jews of color, with an eye on the unequal access and lack of representation of the community in Jewish organizations and leadership roles.
The mission of JoCI was established following a study that found that 15% of New York’s Jewish households are multiracial, including Jews of Color.
“For so long, Jews of Color have been on the margins of Jewish communal life or, worse, pushed away—sometimes not engaged at all,” adds Kaufman.
“Thanks to the support of UJA-federation of NY, we can help reverse that trend and ensure that Jews of Color not only are engaged in community, but are leaders and visionaries who help create it,” she concluded.