About Federation
The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington is working to strengthen the Jewish community in the District of Columbia, Suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia. We mobilize community builders and organizations to identify and develop solutions to our community’s greatest needs. We serve as a hub to generate the kind of innovation and big thinking needed to guide our community to a vibrant future.
Federation’s unique perspective, reach, and relationships within the community empower us to meet both individual and collective needs, now and for the future. And our vantage point from the nation’s capital gives us the vision to address the concerns of the Jewish people across the country and around the world.
Through 185,240 annual hours of home care, Holocaust survivors in Greater Washington can continue living with dignity and independence.
$161,373 in emergency relief funding in 2018-2019 went directly to support hurricane victims, security funding, and other critical efforts around the world.
$1,270,000+ in increased funding has been invested in Northern Virginia’s Jewish agencies and programs within the past year.
$2,000,000+ is invested annually in our community’s Jewish education.
VISION FOR OUR COMMUNITY
An open, connected, and vibrant Jewish community that cares for each other, fosters Jewish learning and journeys, embraces Jewish peoplehood and Israel, and acts as a force for good in the world.
Greater Washington is home to 300,000 Jewish adults and children in 155,000+ households.*
63% of those in Washington, DC
are between the ages of 18-39.*
41% live in Northern Virginia.*
375
Jewish organizations call Greater Washington home.
37% live in Suburban Maryland.*
22% live in the District of Columbia.*
85% of children in local Jewish households with at least one Jewish parent are being raised Jewish.*
4,700+ Jewish teens in grades 6-12 participate in a Jewish youth group.
FEDERATION’S MISSION
To inspire, build, and sustain vibrant Jewish life in a changing world by mobilizing our community in common purpose, intentional innovation, and effective action.
26% of households belong to a synagogue or another Jewish worship community.*
80% of young adults in Greater Washington have been to Israel.*
67% of children in grades K–8 are enrolled in a Jewish educational activity, including day schools, part-time schools, and private classes/tutoring.*
FEDERATION’S CORE VALUES
We lead with commitment to our community
We work together to create a better world
We respond with care
We respect diverse perspectives
We build trust with transparency
We evolve with a clear sense of purpose
OUR HISTORY
The history of the third largest Jewish community in the country began more than 200 years ago, when the first Jews moved to Washington, D.C. As the Jewish community grew, dozens of charitable social service agencies emerged to support the area’s growing needs. But the social service landscape has changed dramatically over the years. Through many changes in our region and the world, we have remained focused on strengthening Jewish identity and caring for those in need.
1925
Washington’s disparate charitable agencies merged into the Jewish Welfare Association, to direct community resources more effectively.
1939
The United Palestine Appeal and the fundraising arm of the Joint Distribution Committee merged into the national United Jewish Appeal. The Jewish Welfare Association became UJA’s Washington headquarters, focusing primarily on the needs of Jews in Europe and what was then Palestine. Only a small portion of money raised supported local needs.
1976
UJA Washington became UJA Federation of Greater Washington, the formal coordinator of a community-wide campaign for local beneficiary agencies as well as for Israel and overseas.
1999
UJA Federation became The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington to reflect the broad range of global and local fundraising commitments we have established.
HOW TO WORK WITH US
Caring for and connecting our Jewish community has always been and will always be at the Federation’s core. And, as our community evolves at remarkable speed, we are also reimagining how we connect people with one another, with resources, and with organizations to create joint, effective action.
Together, we connect with purpose to build the community we need to live a vibrant and fulfilling Jewish life.
Discover how you can get involved
6,000+ volunteers made a difference for our community on Federation’s Sara & Samuel J. Lessans Good Deeds Day.
10,423 children’s lives are infused with Jewish values thourough Jewish books and programming from PJ Library® and PJ Our Way™.
*Data from the 2017 Greater Washington Jewish Community Demographic Study, funded by The Morningstar Foundation. View the full study at shalomdc.org/communitystudy.