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Operation Promise: Helping Jews build new lives in Israel, FSU and worldwide

Our Jewish story begins with a promise, passed from generation to generation like a golden chain, etched in our collective memories and recorded in our books. This promise represents our hope to be a free people, to return to our historic homeland and to create a better future; it represents our dream to be a compassionate people, whose purpose it is to make the world a better place. The federations of North America accept this promise as our legacy and our opportunity. We are responsible for one another’s safety, health and quality of life. And Operation Promise reminds us of our commitment to a rich tradition of generosity and justice that is the hallmark of the Jewish people.


Operation Promise has been launched to continue and expand the already extraordinary achievements of the federation movement: caring for hundreds of thousands of needy elderly and building and supporting the next generation of Jewish life in the FSU; and bringing the Ethiopian Jewish community home to Israel.

Learn more about Operation Promise here.

Goal: $160 million over 3 years

The programs are in place; the urgent needs have been well documented. Now is the time to implement the plan: $160 million in new funding over the next three years.

$23 million for the Jews in Ethiopia: for maintaining the compounds, providing assistance with food, rent and health care;Hebrew-language education and other vital aliyah preparation to help ensure a smoother absorption; and airfare to Israel.

$40 million for the initial absorption of Ethiopian Jews. The absorption centers and the programs and services provided must be expanded.

$37 million toward critical initiatives to improve the educational opportunities for all Ethiopians, who, without these opportunities,are in danger of becoming part of a permanent underclass.

$30 million for needy elderly Jews in the Former Soviet Union who live in poverty, with virtually no government safety net.

$30 million for programs to connect a generation of young Jews in the FSU, with no roots in a Jewish life. Falling short means that we might lose them forever.