Address: Kaplan Feldman Complex 12 Millstone Campus Drive St. Louis, Mo. 63146

Phone: 314-432-0020 • Fax: 314-432-1277

Websites: JFedSTL.org and JewishinStLouis.org

Don Hannon, Chief Operating Officer

Mindee Fredman, Vice President, Community Impact

Julie Gibbs, Vice President, Development

Karen Sher, Vice President, Community Engagement

Jewish Federation of St. Louis is the Jewish community’s central community-building, philanthropic, and planning organization. Founded in 1901, it is one of the region’s most respected and effective nonprofit organizations. Jewish Federation of St. Louis supports more than 100 agencies, programs and services in St. Louis and around the world to ensure a thriving Jewish community, care for the needy and respond to emergencies. Funds are raised through the Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ annual campaign, targeted campaigns and planned giving opportunities

Greg Yawitz is Board Chair.

Federation’s Core Commitments

1. Expand and strengthen an engaged, vibrant and flourishing St. Louis Jewish community.

2. Secure the well-being and safety of individuals within the Jewish community.

3. Strengthen our connection to Israel and the Jewish People worldwide.

4. Develop the financial and human resources and infrastructure needed by our community.

What Federation does:

Federation’s mission is to mobilize the Jewish community and its human and financial resources to preserve and enhance Jewish life in St. Louis, in Israel and around the world. We achieve this mission through our Community Impact and Development teams and through our Direct Services to the community.

Community Impact Team

Each year the Jewish Federation of St. Louis works with our volunteer and professional community leadership to assess the needs of our community and establish strategic plans to sustain our vibrant Jewish ecosystem. Through our partnerships with thousands of donors, we then raise over $20 million each year to meet those needs.

Our volunteers then lead a community investment process to get those funds working to fulfill our mission through agencies, congregations, organizations and programs. Our team evaluates those investments based on the impact they are having here in St. Louis, in Israel and wherever there is a need.

Development

The philanthropic team of the Federation builds relationships with donors to raise the funds to support the greatest needs in our community. Two Development affinity groups are:

• Professional Society: The Professional Society convenes, connects and catalyzes individuals committed to the work of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis based on industry, shared interests and involvements through high-level social, networking and educational opportunities.

• Women’s Philanthropy: Engaging women of all ages and backgrounds, Women’s Philanthropy enhances Jewish life through special events like L’Chaim!, community service projects, education, leadership opportunities and philanthropy. Together, we make an impact in our diverse community.

Community Engagement/Direct Services

Federation offers the following programs to engage individuals and support our local Jewish ecosystem:

• Center for Jewish Learning (CJL): A community resource to facilitate and convene the Jewish community around issues pertaining to Jewish education and continued Jewish learning opportunities. The CJL also operates the Saul Brodsky Jewish Community Library, which promotes the exploration of the rich world of Jewish knowledge and culture through convenient access to an evolving collection of Jewish resources and unique programming.

• Holocaust Museum & Learning Center (HMLC):  The HMLC houses a 5,000-square-foot core exhibition that provides a chronological history of the Holocaust with personal accounts of Holocaust survivors who immigrated to St. Louis. More than a half million visitors have toured the museum during its almost 25-year existence. The HMLC also manages the St. Louis Jewish Community Archives, providing a historical record of our St. Louis Jewish history. It is open to area researchers by appointment.

• Israel Center: Inspiring and supporting engagement with travel to Israel by coordinating trips and missions and consulting with individuals, groups and synagogues to create a meaningful Israel experience and offer funding resources.

• Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project: Thanks to the generosity of the Staenberg Family Foundation, the Jewish Federation of St. Louis is continuing its partnership with JWRP to offer women with children under 18 years old a 10-day journey throughout Israel.

• Millstone Institute/JProStl: A communitywide approach to engaging, strengthening and inspiring professionals and volunteer leaders in our community through workshops, seminars, institutional governance training and Jewish learning opportunities.

 • Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC): A non-sectarian program that supports the healthy aging of adults 60+ in their own homes by providing opportunities for meaningful community involvement, increased access to support services and on-site programming.

• One Happy Camper: One Happy Camper grants up to $1,000 to first- through 12th-graders who have never been to Jewish overnight camp. The grant can be applied toward a minimum 19-day session at one of 150+ nonprofit Jewish summer camps.

• PJ Library: Jewish family engagement program designed to strengthen the identities of Jewish families and their relationship to the Jewish community through free Jewish books.

• The Rubin Israel Experience: The Rubin Israel Experience is an incredible opportunity for Jewish St. Louisans ages 35-50 who have never traveled to Israel to do so with their peers at no cost. It is the hope and expectation that this unique Israel experience inspires its participants, upon return, to be full of energy and passion for Jewish community involvement. 

• YPD:  Our Young Adult Initiative, YPD builds and sustains an inspired, thriving community of Jewish, engaged young adults who are empowered and committed to inclusion, leadership, philanthropy and outreach.

Supporting Jewish community organizations

Finally, the Federation also offers the following services to organizations:

• Community Security: Federation supports a Community Services Director to consult with all Jewish organizations. The director facilitates training, security reviews, and incident response. The director also oversees our RAVE/Security Support Platform, an emergency communications platform used to increase situational awareness in case of a natural or human-caused emergency.

• Jewish Community Insurance Pool: The Pool helps organizations by providing cost savings and competitive rates for group insurance.