Annual Reports

JIFA’s New Chapter 

Collaboration and partnership are key to the effectiveness of any mission-driven organization, and they are also values at the heart of Jewish tradition. The ideal format for learning rabbinic teaching is in chevruta, or in a pair–an Aramaic term that stems from the Hebrew root meaning “friend.” In Kohelet/Ecclesiastes, the author writes that two people have a greater reward for their labor and have more capacity to recover when one person needs support–an echo of why one human needed a companion in our Jewish creation narrative. JIFA has collaborated and partnered with a growing number of communities since its inception in 2016 while the number of Jewish organizations committed to teaching Jewish animal and food ethics has remained small.

JIFA and our long-standing partner in this work, Jewish Veg, have come to the exciting determination that we are more effective together in supporting the broader Jewish community in aligning its food practices with its Jewish values: we are thrilled to announce that JIFA and Jewish Veg have decided to pursue a strategic merger that will continue to transform our dining practices and establish more sustainable and humane food sourcing as the norm in our Jewish spaces.

This past year, JIFA and Jewish Veg’s staff began taking important steps toward merging our team, our administration and operations, as well as board leadership. We have set the stage for a new organization to launch with a mission and vision that reflect our shared values and commitment to supporting positive change in Jewish communal life. Our programming will continue to spark inquiry into topics of food justice through the lens of long and evolving Jewish traditions and values while strengthening communities in the process. Crucially, we now operate with an expanded and specialized team to deepen our connections and engagement with community members and leaders.

Like with Torah study and with eating–we do not catalyze change alone. As we embark on this new chapter, it is heartening to have the support, creativity, and leadership of Jewish Veg to craft the next stage of our joint organization.