November 13, 2017 (Brooklyn, NY) – The Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island (JCCGCI) has received a $2.4 million contract from the city to sponsor a pilot workforce development program offering culturally sensitive employment initiatives. The pilot is expected to launch by June 1, 2018.

Designed to benefit a diverse group of city residents including the Orthodox Jewish community, the pilot program will serve 1,000 clients a year over its three year trial run.

UJA-Federation of New York, in partnership with the JCCGCI, worked closely with the New York City Human Resources Administration and the Mayor’s Office to ensure investment in this vital program.

This workforce development program is indicative of City Hall’s interest in building workforce programs that better match the needs of individuals and families who meet eligibility criteria which include those on the city’s Cash Assistance program and those receiving food stamps, among others.

Program participants would be able to take advantage of numerous services including financial counseling, mentoring, social support services, internships, education, training and work readiness and placement opportunities.

“UJA-Federation of New York is deeply committed to supporting the haredi community in its desire to find meaningful employment and thrive in the world of work. The resources provided by NYC will help to scale essential interventions and improve employment opportunities in this community,” said Alex Roth-Kahn, managing director, Caring Commission, UJA-Federation of New York.

JCCGCI executive director Rabbi Moshe Wiener said that his agency has long been advocating for a workforce program that “would benefit the Jewish community after a study showed that the city’s career initiatives were not adequately reaching Brooklyn’s vast Jewish population.”

The JCCGCI will be working closely with the United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg, the Boro Park Jewish Community Council, the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, the Sephardic Community Federation, the Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninsula and the Queens Jewish Community Council.

Avi Greenstein, executive director of the Boro Park JCC, said that he is grateful to the mayor’s office for crafting a program that understands the unique needs of the Jewish community:  “There is no greater act of kindness than to help people find a well-paying job. The Boro Park JCC is grateful for the workforce initiative which will help a large number in our community find meaningful employment opportunities.”

About UJA-Federation of New York

For 100 years, UJA-Federation has inspired New Yorkers to act on their values and invest in our community for the biggest impact. Through UJA-Federation, more than 50,000 donors address issues that matter most to them, pooling their resources to care for Jews everywhere and New Yorkers of all backgrounds, respond to crises close to home and far away, and shape our Jewish future. Working with a network of more than 80 core partners and hundreds of other nonprofits, UJA-Federation is the world’s leading local philanthropy; our reach extends from New York to Israel to nearly 70 other countries around the world, touching 4.5 million people each year. For more information on how to donate or volunteer, please visit our website at www.ujafedny.org.