JEWISH CHILD’S DAY
JEWISH CHILD’S DAY (JCD) is a leading grant-giving charity which has been helping Jewish children in need worldwide for almost 75 years. Today, more than 19,000 Jewish children each year rely on JCD to save them from deprivation, disadvantage, abuse and neglect; to nurture them and offer them a better future.
This year, JCD awarded £500,000 in grants, supporting 130 projects, making an impact on the lives of thousands of children in the UK, Israel and smaller Jewish communities around the world.
Many of the projects and organisations it supports rely on grant funding to continue their work and have no other way of raising vital funds.
Jewish Child’s Day grants are awarded on the basis of strict criteria and may be used only to provide equipment or services that are of direct benefit to children under the age of 18. Grants may be used to provide wheelchairs and walking aids, educational and developmental equipment, therapy, support and rehabilitation programmes, hearing stimulus and communication equipment, respite holidays and outings, incubators, respirators, after-school facilities, hot meals, home teaching for housebound children and much, much more.
Over the past 18 months, Jewish Child’s Day has seen a 50 per cent increase in the number of projects applying. For one in five of these applicants, it was the first time they had approached the charity. This is an indicator of the stark reality of the fundraising crisis facing charities everywhere. JCD has also seen, and is continuing to see, a major increase in mental health issues, poverty, trauma and abuse. Sadly, there are thousands of Jewish children on our doorsteps here in the UK and around the world, who are living in incredibly challenging situations — through no fault of their own — and that was the case even before we’d heard about Covid-19.
If the current climate has taught us anything, it’s to not take the simple things in life for granted. Taking your children to school, going to a restaurant, theatre or simchah, or visiting loved ones abroad — as these everyday pleasures have become out of reach, they are what we yearn for more than ever before. Jewish Child’s Day works tirelessly every day to ensure that every Jewish child in need can make their dreams of a brighter future come true. JCD’s grants allow its partners to provide shelter, safety, nourishment, emotional and practical support, suitable education, therapy and most importantly, hope.
As it approaches its landmark 75th Heritage Year, Jewish Child’s Day’s priority is to ensure that a brighter future lies ahead for the children who need it the most.
More than 19,000 Jewish children each year rely on JCD’