Our Goal
Welcoming New People to Judaism
Unlike virtually every other world religion, Jews traditionally do not proselytize nor does Judaism encourage conversion or even make it an easy process.
However today, with increasing assimilation and intermarriage and many Jewish families delaying having children and having fewer of them, the percentage of people identifying as Jewish is shrinking rapidly. So, for Judaism to survive we believe it must step up efforts to educate non-Jews on how Judaism differs from other religions and how they can benefit from being Jewish. Learn more about our grants.
Judaism will survive only by reaching out to non-Jews and Jews alike, by making every effort to “welcome the stranger into our midst”, and clearly communicating what Judaism has to offer. We need to be willing to “blow our own Shofar!”
Our Grant Funding Goals:
Help people get the tools to build the type of Jewish home that has meaning for them.
Provide the resources for groups to promote their programs to a wider audience.
Enable people who are interested in exploring Judaism find a place in their local Jewish community.
The National Center to Encourage Judaism funds programs worldwide to engage, educate, and connect interfaith couples, people interested in conversion, and others who want to explore becoming part of the Jewish community.
Our Mission
The National Center to Encourage Judaism funds programs worldwide to engage, educate, and connect interfaith couples, people interested in conversion, and others who want to explore becoming part of the Jewish community.
Our primary objective is to help Judaism grow by encouraging conversion and helping those in interfaith marriages see the benefits of raising their children as Jews.
To meet this objective, NCEJ offers grants to synagogues and other Jewish nonprofits for programs geared primarily to those who do not identify as Jewish, such as Judaism 101, conversion classes, and similar courses. Additionally, we want to increase connections to local Jewish communities and give people the tools to help them build vibrant Jewish homes. See examples of marketing materials funded by NCEJ. Recently we have expanded our grant-giving and the types of programs we fund while keeping our mission the same.
"The National Center to Encourage Judaism is committed to creating avenues for people to explore Judaism and find a home in the Jewish community."
Our History
Our foundation began in 1981 as the National Center for Understanding Judaism by Ash and Gloria Gerecht of Silver Spring, MD, later changing its name to NCEJ in 1994. The Gerechts founded the organization to encourage synagogues to grow membership by reaching out to non-Jews in their community. For over 40 years, NCEJ has provided Jewish organizations throughout the U.S. and abroad with hundreds of grants, primarily to offset the cost of advertising “Introduction to Judaism” classes, holiday workshops, and other such programs.
We also sent out the Jewish Proclaimer. This was a quarterly newsletter, to synagogues nationwide, showing how our grants were being used, and highlighting successful programs. The hope was to encourage more synagogues to offer these types of programs, thereby increasing engagement and eventually the number of Jews by Choice.
The foundation has also funded a number of initiatives, including the Gerecht Family Institute for Outreach at Hebrew Union College in New York. This HUC program is designed to help future rabbis and cantors at HUC become more aware of the importance of encouraging both outreach and conversion to Judaism.
A Private Foundation Funding Efforts Worldwide to
Welcome New People to Judaism
The National Center to Encourage Judaism offers grants to synagogues, and regional, national, and international groups sponsoring programs that attract more new people to Judaism from all walks of life and backgrounds.
Our Areas of Emphasis
Grant-Giving at a Glance
Programs We Fund
- Basics of Jewish belief
- Holiday how-to workshops
- Journey to Judaism discussion groups
- Online outreach and engagement
What We Fund
- Marketing
- Program materials
- Some staff support
- Security
Who We Fund
- Local: Synagogues and Consortium (Rabbinic Councils and Other Groups)
- Regional: Individual Federations and JCCs
- National Groups: for Sub-grants to Affiliates in their networks and for Programming promoted throughout the US
- International: Projects located in Israel, Europe, Canada, and many more countries.
"There is no question in my mind that the support of NCEJ has been a key factor in our efforts to introduce folks to the beauty of Judaism and Jewish tradition. It is not just the funds (although quite important), but the recognition that this work is vital for the Jewish community."
Giving Across the United States and Throughout the World
Countries
States
Cities
33% First-time Grantees
40% Synagogues
20% Regional Groups*
* includes rabbinic councils
International
NCEJ began funding programs outside the United States in 2017. We now fund programs in over a dozen countries, including Israel, Germany, Poland, Canada, Brazil, and Ukraine. NCEJ has funded translations in Spanish, French and Portuguese. We give grants to groups of all denominations - Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, Jewish renewal, and Reconstruction.
United States
NCEJ has given grants for programs in over 25 states, ranging from New York and California to Kansas, New Mexico and Maine. We fund a wide variety of Jewish organizations, including small independent synagogues and national non-profit groups. We have given grants to JCCs and federations coast-to-coast, as well as groups such as the Rabbinical Association of Greater Kansas City and the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine.
International
US/National
Regional
Local
Have a Question? Reach Out to Us
Are you thinking of offering a program that will connect new people to Judaism and your organization? Take a look at our program profile pages. Here we showcase a variety of programs, along with practical tips and advice. We can also put you in touch with some of our grantees, who can tell you what's worked for them.
Have an idea but not sure it meets our guidelines? Please reach out to us at 301-802-4254, or contact Ellen Gerecht, Executive Director.
