CHANTAL ABITBOL

TOUGH economic times have put a dent in the Jewish Communal Appeal’s (JCA) fundraising efforts this year, with the group reporting close to a $1 million shortfall compared to last year’s campaign.

JCA chief executive Ian Sandler told The AJN that this year’s campaign, which ended last month, raised a total of $11.5 million compared to around $12.3 million secured in the last appeal.

The shortfall comes at a time when JCA has reported a surge in requests from Jewish organisations seeking financial relief after the recent economic downturn.

Sandler, however, said it was not entirely unexpected. “Everyone is tightening their belts,” he said.

“Some of our strong supporters have experienced significant financial hardship over the past year and are not able to do as much as they usually do.”

Meanwhile, additional requests for increased donations have gone to certain contributors who have already supported the campaign.

“So far, the response has been positive. But there is still a long way to go,” he said.

With reports that Australia’s economy is looking up, however, the impact may not be as severe.

Sandler said he remains optimistic that JCA will be able to recoup some of the losses from returns on investments this year.

“Hopefully, the investment markets will continue to prosper,” he said.

In the meantime, it is now up to JCA’s allocations committee to determine how the money will be distributed. Generally, JCA allocates more than 30 per cent of funds to education and another 25 per cent to the welfare agency JewishCare. The remainder goes to “security, political and physical” needs.

Given the current situation, Sandler said crisis funding would get the priority.

“We’ve got to make sure people have got roofs over their heads, food in their mouths, and the aged and people with social problems get looked after,” he said.

JCA president David Balkin said: “In our community, it is sometimes hard to comprehend that a family won’t have food on the table or a place to stay. Unfortunately, that has become a reality for some.”

Established in 1967, JCA’s first communal appeal raised more than $340,000 to distribute among community groups. Today, the appeal raises $12 million on average every year for 21 member organisations in the NSW and ACT Jewish communities.