American Jewish philanthropic organizations meeting in Jerusalem this week say the downturn in the economy has affected small charities far more than large ones, reports the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

For example, Atlanta’s Jewish federation’s donations are lagging by $2-million, the federation in Washington is cutting salaries and planning layoffs, and the Las Vegas federation is facing a double hit because of the troubles in both the real-estate market and the gaming industry, the JTA reports.

Larger federations have not fared as badly, says Howard Rieger, chief executive of United Jewish Communities, the umbrella organization of Jewish federations in North America.

“We are cautiously optimistic that it won’t be what people think it might be, which is a total disaster,” Mr. Rieger says. “I don’t think that is what we are confronting.”