2026-06-06 11:17:AM <br/> Tags: #AmericanJewry #organization #LeftwingJewry #Lobby ![[image-288.png|487x255]] # New Israel Fund (NIF) - New Israel Fund is a U.S.-based Jewish advocacy and grantmaking organization founded in 1979 dedicated to supporting progressive social politics in Israel. - NIF has "provided over $350 million to Israel's progressive civil society organizations."[^1] - NIF boasts that they "improved the lives of tens of thousands of Israelis, opening doors to women, non-Orthodox Jews, Arab Israeli citizens, the LBGT community, immigrants and the disabled."[^1] #### Activities - In 1982, NIF launched Shatil as its "Initiative for Social Change."[^1] - Shatil assists nonprofit grantees of NIF with organizational management, coalition building, program creation, etc. - According to NIF, "More than 1000 organizations are currently receiving assistance from Shatil." - In 2010, NIF's board adopted a set of principles including:[^2] - "Achieve equality for all the citizens of the state regardless of religion, national origin, race, gender or sexual orientation; - Realize the civil and human rights of all individuals and groups through the protection of Palestinian citizens and other marginalized minorities; - Recognize and reinforce the essential pluralism of Israeli society and tolerance for diversity; - Empower civil society in Israel as the fundamental vehicle of an open society; - Build and maintain a just society at peace with itself and its neighbors." - NIF is a member of the [[Jewish Social Justice Roundtable]].[^9] - NIF opposes the global Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS) movement.[^1] - NIF also opposes Israeli settler activity and land annexation in the occupied territories. *Although NIF opposes aggressive expansionist Zionism present in Israel today, it cannot be considered an anti-Zionist or even neutral organization. NIF is a pro-Israel organization that operates from a liberal open society perspective.* #### Grantmaking - Grants distributed by New Israel Fund since 2001 include:[^3] - *Note: most NIF grantees are local left wing social and charitable organizations in Israel. These grants listed below are just the relevant ones to this project.* - *Note: NIF's tax forms from 2008-2018 either omitted or, in some cases, improperly displayed the grants section, so those years are not included.* | Years | Organization | Total $ | Extra | | ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 2019-2024 | [[American Jewish World Service]] | 660,200.00 | | | 2021 | [[American Jewish Committee (AJC)]] | 10,000.00 | | | 2021-2024 | [[Avodah]] | 41,480.00 | | | 2020-2024 | [[Bend the Arc]] | 234,460.00 | | | 2006-2007 | [[Birthright Israel]] | 149,021.00 | | | 2023 | Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston | 8,360.00 | The CJP is Boston's [[Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)\|Jewish Federation]] | | 2021 | [[Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)]] | 5,350.00 | | | 2001-2007 | Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) | 1,656,680 | IRAC is the [[Union for Reform Judaism (URJ)]]'s political advocacy arm in Israel. | | 2021-2024 | [[Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (JALSA)]] | 63,640.00 | | | 2023-2024 | [[JCC Association of North America\|Jewish Community Center]] of San Francisco | 65,000.00 | | | 2024 | [[Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)\|Jewish Federation]] of Greater Los Angeles | 5,500.00 | | | 2019-2023 | [[Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA)]] | 45,000.00 | | | 2003 | Jewish Fund for Justice | 1,000.00 | JFSJ was the precursor to [[Bend the Arc]] | | 2020-2024 | [[Jews United For Justice]] | 45,240.00 | | | 2021-2024 | [[J Street]] Education Fund | 462,450.00 | | | 2001 and 2024 | [[Keshet]] | 31,960 | | | 2004-2007 | [[World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS)]] | 60,000 | | #### Funding and Donors - New Israel Fund is among the most well funded Jewish organizations. - In 2024, NIF reported $55.8 million in revenue.[^3] - [Section C](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/942607722/202503219349326790/IRS990ScheduleC) of NIF's 990 tax forms reveal around $500,000 in annual lobbying expenditures. - NIF Donors include: [^8] - Ford Foundation - The left wing philanthropic giant provided $20 million to form a partnership with NIF in 2003 called "A Fund for Peace," for the purpose of supporting "organizations in Israel working to strengthen the country’s democracy, as well as advance human rights, equality and peace for its citizens."[^4] - [[Jacob Blaustein|Jacob]] and Hilda Blaustein Foundation - $100,000+ in 2024 - [[Nathan Cummings Foundation]] - $100,000+ in 2024 - Joseph and [[Harvey Meyerhoff|Harvey]] Meyerhoff Family Charitable Funds - $100,000+ in 2024 - [[Open Society Foundations]] - $100,000+ in 2024 - The [[Charles Horowitz Ratner|Horowitz Ratner]] Family - $50,000+ in 2024 - [[The Forward]] Association Inc. - $10,000+ in 2024 - Jewish Pride Fund (operated by the [[Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)|Jewish Federation]] of San Francisco) - $10,000+ in 2024 #### Notable Figures - NIF Leadership includes:[^5] - Daniel Sokatch - NIF CEO since 2009. - Sokatch was formerly the founding executive director of the Progressive Jewish alliance which, in 2011, merged with the Jewish Funds for Justice to form [[Bend the Arc]]. - Mickey Gitzin - Acting CEO - Gitzin was a shaliach (emissary) in the [[Jewish Agency]]'s Shlichim program. - David N. Meyers - Immediate Past Board President - Meyers is the Sady and Ludwig Kahn Professor of Jewish History at UCLA. - Meyers has been a teacher for the [[Wexner Foundation]]. - Jim Koshland - Treasurer of the board - Koshland has been a board member of the [[American Jewish World Service]] and the [[American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)]]. - Rachel Liel - Board president - Liel has worked in the Israeli Social Affairs Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office. - Karen Adler - Board member - Adler "was the Chief Executive Officer of Bromor Management LLC, the family office for the Andrea and [[Charles Bronfman]] family. - She is the president of the [[Jewish Communal Fund]].[^6] - Jaron Bernstein - President, NIF Switzerland - Bernstein was an academic officer in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and an aide to the defense attaché in the Israeli Embassy in Germany. - Michael W. Bien - Board member - Bien is a lawyer involved in major civil rights cases. - Bien was co-lead counsel of the legal team in *Plata v. Brown*, a landmark 2011 Supreme Court case that forced California to reduce its prison population by releasing 38,000-46,000 inmates.[^7] - Naomi Chazan - Past board president - Chazan was NIF president from 2009-2012. - She was a three-term member of the Israel Knesset from 1992-2003. - Aaron David Miller - International Board and co-chair of the International Council - Miller is a prominent academic, policy expert, and senior Middle East advisor at the State Department from 1978-2003. - Miller is a member of the [[Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)]]. - Ilana Horowitz Ratner - Board member - She is married to [[Charles Horowitz Ratner]], the former chairman of the board of the [[Jewish Agency]]. - She is a board member of [[J Street]]. - Brian Lurie - Past board president - Lurie was executive vice president of [[United Jewish Appeal (UJA)]]. - Shula Mola - Board member - She has served on the board of [[Michael Steinhardt]]'s Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life. - Jonathan Penkin - Board member - Penkin was co-head of the [[Goldman Sachs]] Financing Group in Asia Pacific Ex-Japan. - Meital Pinto - Board member - Pinto is an Israeli legal academic who was a visiting fellow at the University of Chicago. - According to her NIF bio, she "focuses on the issues of discrimination and minority rights within multicultural societies." - Adene Sacks - Board member - Sacks was the first senior program officer at the [[Jim Joseph Foundation]]. - Talia Sasson - Past board president - According to her NIF bio, Sasson served as a special legal advisor for the government from 2004-2005 "at the request of former prime minister [[Ariel Sharon]]." - Susan Snider - Board member - According to her NIF bio, "Her parents were both very involved with the [[Haganah]] and the establishment of the State of Israel, and her late brother served in the IDF in 1973. She has family in Israel and has made numerous visits since 1959 and she studied in Jerusalem for six months." - Jenna Weinberg - Board member - Weinberg was a board member of [[Hillel International]]. - Jennifer Spitzer - VP of Finance, Operations & Legal Affairs - Spitzer was the recipient of the Landres Courage for Dignity Award by [[Keshet]] for her work with the LGBTQ Jewish community. - Spitzer is an alumna of the [[Wexner Foundation|Wexner]] Heritage Foundation. - Idit Klein - VP for Public Engagement - Klein was the longtime CEO of [[Keshet]]. - Joe Goldman - Director, LA / Southern California Region - Goldman served as the Western Regional Community Engagement Director at [[Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)|HIAS]] for six years. - Jill Katz - Director, Chicago / Midwest Region - Katz is the former Director of Development for the [[Jewish Council on Urban Affairs]]. - She began her career at [[J Street]]. - Shira Ben Sasson - Director at NIF Israel - Ben Sasson is an Israeli who worked at the Knesset research and information center. - She also served as the director of iRep-Israel Religious Expression Platform, at the [[Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA)]]. - [[Avner Azulay]] - International council member - Azulay is a former [[Mossad]] agent and former close personal associate/head of security for [[Marc Rich]]. #### References [^1]: New Israel Fund, “FAQs,” [https://nif.org/about/faqs/](https://nif.org/about/faqs/). [^2]: New Israel Fund, “Values,” [https://nif.org/about/values/](https://nif.org/about/values/). [^3]: New Israel Fund, organization profile, _ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer_, [https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/942607722](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/942607722). [^4]: Ford Foundation, _Ford Foundation: 70 Years_, 2007, 7, [https://www.fordfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2007-ford_foundation_70_years.pdf](https://www.fordfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2007-ford_foundation_70_years.pdf). [^5]: New Israel Fund, “People,” [https://nif.org/about/people/](https://nif.org/about/people/). [^6]: Jewish Communal Fund, “Karen R. Adler,” [https://jcfny.org/board-of-trustees/karen-r-adler/](https://jcfny.org/board-of-trustees/karen-r-adler/). [^7]: _Brown v. Plata_, 563 U.S. 493 (2011), _Oyez_, [https://www.oyez.org/cases/2010/09-1233](https://www.oyez.org/cases/2010/09-1233). [^8]: New Israel Fund, _2024 Annual Report_, [https://nif.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/NIF-2024-Annual-Report-8.5x11-in-Corrected-17022026.pdf](https://nif.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/NIF-2024-Annual-Report-8.5x11-in-Corrected-17022026.pdf). [^9]: Affiliate List,” _Jewish Social Justice Roundtable_, [https://www.jewishsocialjustice.org/affiliate-list](https://www.jewishsocialjustice.org/affiliate-list).