Welcome to JAR -
Jewish Assistance & Relief Fund
One quarter of Israel’s citizens are suffering from severe poverty on a daily basis. More than one of every three children in Israel goes to sleep hungry. These individuals do not have the ability to provide for even their most basic needs such as food and medicine.
JAR - Jewish Assistance & Relief Fund is the solution. It was established to provide for the needs of Israel’s poor by collecting financial and in-kind contributions from individuals and organizations in the public and private sectors.
JAR - Jewish Assistance & Relief Fund provides a variety of unique, innovative, direct, cost-effective and technologically advanced programs in the two life components most greatly affecting needy Israelis, - food and medications.
Programs range from the national collection and re-distribution of donated surplus foods to providing direct relief and support to Israel’s most needy families with pre-paid food and pharmaceutical debit cards.
Together, we can make a difference! Together, we can significantly reduce and even eradicate this poverty and suffering.
We truly welcome your participation and partnership in our programs.
Let us enable all people to live respectfully.
The Food Card
Food Card is a project founded and managed by the non-profit organization: Jewish Assistance and Relief Fund. The project is aimed at helping the largest number of families in need in the most efficient manner, economically and logistically, and respecting the privacy and dignity of the needy.
Food Card is a monthly rechargeable debit card for the purpose of acquiring essential grocery products from the best chains of supermarkets.
Families are referred to us via welfare departments in their respective municipalities. We also cooperate with other funds and welfare organizations by issuing Food Card for them.
It is not our intention to replace neither the Ministry of Welfare nor the Social Security services; yet, we believe that a contribution of NIS 250-300 could considerable improve each family's well being.
In contrast to other projects, the entire contribution reaches the recipient directly, to be consumed wholly. One hundred percent of the contribution reaches the recipients delineated by the donor.
The common monetary value of the cards issued is roughly NIS 300-500 per month. However, values can also reach up to NIS 2,000 per month. This occurs in cases of exceptional need or when specific families were adopted by donors who choose to grant larger sums.
One of the unique advantages of Food Card is that the donor may define the card recipients by geographic location and parameters such as new immigrants, single mothers, holocaust survivors, etc.
This useful debit card provides the person in need with a degree of autonomy not available by other means. It gives the cardholder a sense of belonging to the typical consuming public, a sensation they may have not experienced.
Food Card cannot be used to purchase tobacco, alcohol or electrical appliances. Each recipient signs a waiver allowing us to verify that the card has not been used to acquire these items.
One of our goals is to reach also the needy in the most remote and isolated areas in Israel.
The most important advantage of this project is preserving the dignity of the recipient.
The current expenses of this project are covered by the discount received from the chain of supermarkets. In case the discount exceeds our current expenses, then the excess money is redirected to increase the volume of contributions of Food Cards issued by us.
The Food Project is managed by one employee only.
The project was launched about 18 years ago and issued cards in excess of NIS 150 Million.
In 2024 we supporting 40,000 families from across the country with food cards and ration cards with financial assets of 12,000,000 NIS.
Efficiency
Full Financial Disclosure
It is the policy of JAR - Jewish Assistance & Relief Fund to disclose all financial information about our activities. We believe that this policy encourages confidence in JAR - Jewish Assistance & Relief Fund and thereby increases our network of supporters for the needy in Israel.
To view the financial statements and more visit us at GuideStar Israel
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Contact Us
Jewish Assistance & Relief Fund
13070 BUSTLETON AVE. PHILADELPHIA, PA 19116
Email: usoffice@jarisrael.org
Jewish Assistance & Relief Fund
PO Box 16497 Tel Aviv, 6116401 Israel
Phone: 03-6224822 Email: office@jarisrael.org