2025-06-19 14:40 <br/> Tags: #AmericanJewry #organization #KeyOrganizations #WorldJewry ![[image-99.png|285x355]] # American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee(JDC) - The JDC is a major US based global Jewish organization. - The JDC is involved in fundraising and humanitarian assistance for world Jewry. #### Early History - The JDC was founded in 1914 after U.S Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire [[Henry Morgenthau Sr.]] sent a letter to American Jewish financier [[Jacob Schiff]] urging Schiff to send money to the struggling Jews in Ottoman Palestine (Israel today). - Ambassador Morgenthau had initially been contacted by [[Arthur Ruppin]], head of the [[World Zionist Organization]]'s Palestine office. - Schiff and his associate [[Louis Marshall]] sent $50,000 ($1.6 million today) - Morgenthau was the US Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. *Jewish organizations work with Jews in government who work with Jews in private business to aid Jews as a collective.* - The Join Distribution Committee was founded as a "joint" venture of the: - American Jewish Relief Committee - [[Jacob Schiff]], [[Louis Marshall]], [[Felix Warburg]] - Central Relief Committee - [[Leon Kamaiky]] - People's Relief Committee - [[Meyer London]] - The [[American Jewish Committee (AJC)]] was also involved in the JDC's founding. - *The AJC has worked closely with the JDC for over 100 years*. - The JDC is noted as a merger of the various factions of Jewry - Zionists, Orthodox, Reform, German, Eastern European. - Beginning during WWI the JDC funneled millions of dollars into Eastern Europe and Palestine. - Much of the JDC's activity was based in Ukraine, Russia, and Crimea working with the Bolsheviks. - The JDC set up over 300 Jewish credit unions in Eastern Europe supplying [[Hebrew Free Loan Society|low and no interest loans to Jews]]. - Stalin expelled the JDC from Russia in 1938. #### JDC and the Nazis - The JDC was involved in covert negotiations with the Nazis in 1944. - The JDC's Saly Mayer negotiated with SS officer Adolf Eichmann and SS commander Kurt Becher. - The Nazis were willing to give 1 million Jews for 10,000 winter trucks. - The JDC stalled negotiations as they couldn't convince the US government for the trade. - Ultimately the negotiations failed yet ~2,900 Jews were still released by the Nazis. #RedPill *If the Nazis wanted to kill all Jews, and were undertaking the "systematic extermination of six million Jews," why would they be willing to make such a trade? Why would the Nazis be negotiating with Jews? Why would they release 3,000? If the Nazis were not hellbent on killing all Jews, why are we told they were? Why would I be called a holocaust denier for the prior four questions?* - 15 years later, the [[Mossad]] captured Adolf Eichmann in Argentina. He was brought to Israel, tried, and executed in 1962. #### Post War - After WWII the JDC operated many of Europe's displaced persons camps. - The US government, after aggressive pressure from Jewish lobbyists and groups, gave the JDC (among other Jewish groups) significant leeway in post war Europe. - These were camps largely full of Jews. - The JDC worked with the [[Haganah]] (Mossad/IDF precursor), the [[Jewish Agency]], and local officials to illegally smuggle Jews out of displaced persons camps to Palestine. - Many of these Jews did not want to go. Many were children taken from their homes and sent to Jewish orphanages from which they were shipped to Palestine. #### JDC in the United States - In 1938 the JDC partnered with [[United Jewish Appeal (UJA)]] to reconstitute United Palestine Appeal to form [[United Israel Appeal]]. - In this partnership the JDC moved towards Zionist Jewry as the UIA was built to funnel diaspora money to Israel via the [[Jewish Agency]]. - During the Cold War the JDC became close with the US government. *The JDC was a tool of US soft power.* - In a 1953 JDC meeting, sitting US Senator and first Jewish governor of New York, [[Herbert Lehman]] declared the need for the JDC to fight future Jewish persecution in the USSR. - Lehman was an early Treasurer of the JDC in 1916. - In that same speech Lehman spoke on the newly enacted McCarran-Walter Immigration Act of 1952, which he deemed antisemitic. - "The racial and national prejudice with which our immigration laws are permeated must be eradicated" - Herbert Lehman. - In 1954 the JDC migration department merged with the United Service for New Americans, and the [[Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)]] to form the United HIAS Service. - The United HIAS Service was involved in the facilitation of Jewish refugees to the US and Israel. - *The JDC and HIAS have always worked closely together on refugee matters.* - The JDC runs a program in the Unites States called *Entwine*. - *Entwine* is a young adult program which aims to involve American Jews in collective world Jewry. - *Entwine* sponsors Jewish volunteer trips abroad. - *Entwine* searches for future Jewish leader through its Ralph I. Goldman (RIG) Fellowship. - *Entwine* is led by Andrew Belinfante, a hyper left wing homosexual Jew. #RedPill *Look up Belinfante's Instagram and let yourself be redpilled. Remember this guy is involved in filtering for future Jewish leaders.* - During the Syrian civil war and the ensuing refugee crisis the JDC was involved in lobbying the US government to maintain refugee admissions. (Guttman, _Forward_) #RedPill *While the JDC kept our doors open, Israel took 0 Syrian refugees.* #### JDC in Israel and Israeli Intel connections *For the following actions the JDC was awarded the Israel Prize in 2007. The Israel Prize is the highest state honor in Israel.* - During the postwar period the JDC was involved in Jewish illegal immigration to Palestine called *Aliyah Bet*. - The JDC, working with the [[Haganah]], facilitated the smuggling of mostly European Jews against the laws of the British Authorities in Palestine. - In 1949 the JDC and [[United Jewish Appeal (UJA)]] partnered with the Israeli government to form MALBEN - a network of hospitals and services in Israel for old and disabled immigrants. - *Since Israel was created the United Jewish Appeal has operated in Israel through the JDC and the Jewish Agency.* - In the first decades of Israel's history, the JDC essentially built the welfare apparatus of the state. - The JDC funded Operation Magic Carpet in 1949-50. - The operation was a partnership of the JFC, the [[Jewish Agency]], and the Israeli government. - Magic Carpet was the covert evacuation of ~50,000 mostly Yemeni Jews to Israel. - The JDC financed the 1951-52 Operation Ezra and Nehemiah. - Operation Ezra and Nehemiah was similar to Magic Carpet; the operation evacuated ~120,000 Iraqi Jews to Israel. - The [[Mossad]] working with the Zionist underground in Baghdad, planted bombs on Jewish targets after they refused to come to Israel. - The Jews in Israel used terrorism against the Jews in Iraq to pressure them (mostly Orthodox Jews) to emigrate. - The JDC was also involved in the covert 1984 airlift of ~8,000 Ethiopian Jews called Operation Moses. - The JDC was also involved in a similar operation called Operation Solomon in 1991 which evacuated ~14,000 Ethiopian Jews. - In 1974 the JDC partnered with the Israeli government to found the Brookdale Institute. - The Brookdale Institute is involved in social policy and research within Israeli society. - Especially useful in the mid 20th century, the JDC maintained offices in what the [[Mossad]] calls "target countries." - Target countries are countries that are outwardly hostile to Israel. These countries are much harder for Mossad to operate in, and much more dangerous for agents when caught. - The JDC's offices in countries like Morocco, Iran (pre revolution), and Eastern Europe, would act as a point of contact for Israeli intel. - In 2009 the JDC partnered with [[Jay Ruderman]] and the Israeli government to create the *Israel Unlimited initiative*. - *Israel Unlimited* is a program providing services and aid for the disabled. - More important is the figure Jay Ruderman. Ruderman was born in the US, held leadership roles at [[AIPAC]], joined the IDF, and became an Israeli. - Ruderman still primarily lives in Boston with his Israeli wife. *This is a snapshot of the problem, more said on Ruderman's page.* #### JDC in Europe - During the Cold War the JDC was expelled from the Soviet countries. - The USSR viewed the JDC as a Jewish/American spying front. - The JDC rushed into Eastern Europe after the collapse of the USSR. - In 1993 the JDC partnered with the [[International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ)]], and the [[World Jewish Relief]] to form Hesed. - Hesed is a network of Jewish welfare centers in the territory of the former USSR. - The JDC works with [[Chabad Lubavitch]] groups in Europe. #### Notable JDC figures - [[Jacob Schiff]] - Founder - [[Louis Marshall]] - First chairman - [[Felix Warburg]] - Founder and early leader - [[Herbert Lehman]] - Treasurer beginning in 1916 - [[David Bressler]] - First JDC secretary, very impactful in the early years - [[Paul Baerwald]] - Early member and chairman in the 30s and 40s - [[Edward M.M Warburg]] - JDC leader in the 40s and honorary chairman afterwards - [[Jack Weiler]] - Held various leadership roles from the 50s-1995 - [[Ralph Goldman]] - longtime JDC leader 60s-2010s - [[Michael Schneider]] - Executive VP and longtime JDC leader 80s-2000s - [[Sylvia Hassenfeld]] - President 1988-92 - [[David Schizer]] - Executive VP and CEO from 2017-2019 (also dean of Columbia Law School) *Among the JDC's hundreds if not thousands of leaders, a good number have been Israeli military veterans, or have connections to Israeli intel.* *Example: The current Executive Director of JDC-Israel is Hadas Minka Brand. Brand is an IDF Brigadier General, 25 year IDF veteran, and advisor to AMAN (Israeli military intel).* #### Funding and Notable Donors - The JDC is one of the most well funded Jewish organizations, with ~$412 million in revenue in 2024.[^1] - Recently the JDC has been averaging ~$400 million in annual revenue. - Top JDC donors include: - [[Jacob Schiff]] - [[Julius Rosenwald]] - [[Felix Warburg]] - [[Benjamin Winter]] - [[Edmond de Rothschild]] - [[Samuel Bronfman]] - [[Charles Bronfman]] - [[Les Wexner]] - The [[United Jewish Appeal (UJA)]] and its representation today as the [[Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)]] have long been the main source of JDC funding. - The Federations are funded by a mix of large donors, organizations, and the general Jewish population. Through its national federations system ~60% of locally raised Jewish money from all over the US goes to the UJA. Much of that money makes its way to Israel via the JDC. - The [[Claims Conference]], a group extorting Germany for holocaust reparations, channels money through the JDC - The Israeli government, USAID, and different government bodies within Europe have provided grants or fund-matching for the JDC. #### References - Geller, Michael. 2024. “Brigadier General (Res.) Hadas Minka‑Brand, Ph.D., Appointed New Executive Director of JDC Israel.” _Press release_, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, August 14, 2024. Accessed August 24, 2025. [https://www.jdc.org/press-releases/brigadier-general-res-hadas-minka-brand-ph-d-appointednew-executive-director-of-jdc-israel/](https://www.jdc.org/press-releases/brigadier-general-res-hadas-minka-brand-ph-d-appointednew-executive-director-of-jdc-israel/). - “Hesed (organization),” _Wikipedia,_ [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesed_(organization)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesed_\(organization\)) - Guttman, Nathan. “Jewish Groups Lead Push To Crack Open Doors to Syria Refugees.” _Forward_, June 25, 2015. Accessed August 26, 2025. (https://forward.com/news/310825/jewish-groups-lead-push-to-open-doors-to-syrian-refugees) - American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). “History Timeline.” JDC Archives. https://archives.jdc.org/timeline-interactive/history-timeline/ (accessed August 23, 2025). - “JDC in the Displaced Persons (DP) Camps (1945–1957).” Topic Guide. https://archives.jdc.org/topic-guides/jdc-in-the-displaced-persons-dp-camps-1945-1957/ (accessed August 23, 2025). - “Israel.” JDC. https://www.jdc.org/learn/countries/israel/ (accessed August 23, 2025). - “Executive Team.” JDC. https://www.jdc.org/executive-team/ (accessed August 23, 2025). - “Financial & Legal Documents.” JDC. https://www.jdc.org/financial-legal-documents/ (accessed August 23, 2025). - “The Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute: Celebrating 40 Years.” JDC Stories, July 8, 2014. https://www.jdc.org/stories/the-myers-jdc-brookdale-institute-celebrating-40-years/ (accessed August 23, 2025). - “Founding Funders.” JDC (In the News). https://www.jdc.org/in-the-news/founding-funders/ (accessed August 23, 2025). - U.S. Department of State. “Historical Documents: FRUS, 1952–1954, vol. 8, Document 577.” Office of the Historian. https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1952-54v08/d577 (accessed August 23, 2025). - Sachar, Howard M. _A History of Israel: From the Rise of Zionism to Our Time._ 2nd ed. New York: A.A. Knopf, 1996. Google Books: https://books.google.com/books/about/A_History_of_Israel.html?id=7qS0aRI5omwC - Bauer, Yehuda. _My Brother’s Keeper: A History of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, 1929–1939._ Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1974. Google Books preview: https://books.google.com/books/about/My_Brother_s_Keeper.html?id=2Pm7AAAAIAAJ - “Israel Prizes Awarded,” March 26, 2007. https://www.jta.org/2007/03/26/default/israel-prizes-awarded (accessed August 23, 2025). - Shaviv, Amir. “Ralph Goldman Glided Through Century of Jewish History With Wit Intact,” *The Forward*, October 9, 2014. https://forward.com/israel/207089/ralph-goldman-glided-through-century-of-jewish-his/ - Jewish Virtual Library. “Malben.” https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/malben - “Joint Distribution Committee (JDC).” https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/joint-distribution-committee-jdc (accessed August 23, 2025). - Wikipedia “American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee,” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Jewish_Joint_Distribution_Committee] - JDC Entwine. “JDC-ESHEL (Israel).” https://www.jdcentwine.org/project/israel-jerusalem-ishel/ - Center for Israel Education. “Operation Magic Carpet (On Wings of Eagles).” https://israeled.org/operation-magic-carpet/ - Jewish Virtual Library. “Operation Ezra and Nehemiah: 1950–1951.” https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/operation-ezra-nehemiah-1950-1951 - JDC Archives. “Rescue” (Operation Solomon coordination with Israeli military), caption. https://archives.jdc.org/our-stories/rescue/ - JTA Archive. “Warburg Reelected Chairman of J.D.C.” December 21, 1941. https://www.jta.org/archive/warburg-reelected-chairman-of-j-d-c-baerwald-mrs-warburg-are-honorary-chairmen (accessed August 23, 2025). - ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. “American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Inc.” https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131656634 - Cause IQ. “The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee – Form 990s.” https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/the-american-jewish-joint-distribution-committee%2C131656634/ - “Lehman Warns of Possible ‘Liquidation’ of Jews in Soviet Sphere,” _Jewish Telegraphic Agency_, January 12, 1953, accessed August 27, 2025, https://www.jta.org/archive/lehman-warns-of-possible-liquidation-of-jews-in-soviet-sphere - Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “Lehman Mourned by Jewish Agency, U. J. A. and Other Groups He Aided.” December 6, 1963. [https://www.jta.org/archive/lehman-mourned-by-jewish-agency-u-j-a-and-other-groups-he-aided](https://www.jta.org/archive/lehman-mourned-by-jewish-agency-u-j-a-and-other-groups-he-aided). [^1]: “American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Inc.” _ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer_. [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131656634](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/131656634).