The JFNA Hurricane Relief Fund Receives $100,000 Gift from Genesis Philanthropy Group

News provided by

Oct 20, 2017, 16:55 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Genesis Philanthropy Group (GPG) made a $100,000 gift to The Jewish Federations of North America's Hurricane Relief Fund to assist communities devastated by hurricanes this season.

Working with a network of local and international partners, JFNA has effectively provided immediate relief to people and communities to help meet their basic needs – but the work is far from over. It could take years for these communities to rebuild and restore vibrant Jewish life.

In Houston, for example, nearly three-quarters of the city's Jewish population live in areas that received extensive flooding, and nearly every Jewish-owned business and institution has felt the impact in some way. For many, this is the third time in as many years that they have had to recover after a hurricane. Immediately, Federations were able to provide food, medicine, cleaning supplies, and trauma counseling, and are now helping to rebuild.

"Genesis Philanthropy Group is honored to be able to support the Jewish Federations of North America at a very difficult time for so many U.S. Jewish families impacted by the recent hurricanes," said Ilia Salita, president and CEO of Genesis Philanthropy Group. "This grant falls outside of our foundation's core scope, but given the scale of the challenge and the unprecedented demand for resources in the areas devastated by Harvey and Irma, GPG and its founders could not stand by."

Genesis Philanthropy Group, which was co-founded by Mikhail Fridman, focuses its philanthropic support on developing and enhancing Jewish identity among Russian-speaking Jews in the United States and worldwide, and has recently expanded its work to the United Kingdom and Germany.

"This year, hurricanes wreaked havoc," said JFNA President and CEO Jerry Silverman. "In Houston, countless people lost their homes, and the entire infrastructure of Jewish communal life was devastated. Throughout the Caribbean, tens of thousands of people continue to lack power and are unable to meet their basic needs.

"We know it will take years for these communities to rebound, and we are committed to doing whatever we can to help. On behalf of Jewish Federations throughout the continent, I thank Mikhail Fridman and the Genesis Philanthropy Group for their leadership. This gift will go a long way toward ensuring that these communities remain stellar examples of vibrant Jewish life."

ABOUT JFNA
The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) represents 148 Jewish Federations and over 300 Network communities, which raise and distribute more than $2 billion annually and through planned giving and endowment programs to support social welfare, social services and educational needs. The Federation movement, collectively among the top 10 charities on the continent, protects and enhances the well-being of Jews worldwide through the values of tikkun olam (repairing the world), tzedakah (charity and social justice) and Torah (Jewish learning). To learn more, visit www.jewishfederations.org.

ABOUT GENESIS PHILANTHROPY GROUP
Genesis Philanthropy Group is a global foundation, co-founded by Mikhail Fridman and his business partners, that focuses its philanthropic support on developing and enhancing Jewish identity among Russian-speaking Jews worldwide. To learn more, visit www.gpg.org.

SOURCE Jewish Federations of North America