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July 03, 2008

Some Jewish Nonprofit Groups Lay Off Employees and Trim Programs

In these tough economic times, some Jewish nonprofit organizations are reducing the size of their staffs and programs, reports The Jewish Week, in New York.

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, an international relief agency, and the Jewish federation umbrella group United Jewish Communities recently cut dozens of jobs, and several Jewish groups and programs have closed.

The bad economy has caused some donors to pull back, leaders of Jewish charities said.

“It hasn’t been easy fund raising in the last 90 days. People are feeling like each dollar has to go further in their charitable giving,” says Simon Greer, chief executive of the Jewish Funds for Justice, in New York.

At least one observer said the cutbacks are not so much the result of the economic slump as other factors.

“I don’t think the fact that some number of Jewish organizations are having financial problems is a function of the economy, hard times, or some general wave in Jewish organizational life. It’s about those organizations.” says Gary Tobin, president of the Institute for Jewish & Community Research, in San Francisco.

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