The Rabbinical Assembly is proud to be the recipient of a special grant from the Keren Kayemet L'Yisrael (KKL), supporting our congregational and community efforts this year. This grant will allow us to financially support efforts to nurture and nuance a strong relationship with Israel, chiefly by assisting you to bring your community to Israel, or to bring some aspect of Israel to your community! Applications from Masorti nonprofit organizations legally able to receive funding from the RA, including but not limited to synagogues, will be accepted on a rolling basis until all the funds for this grant have been promised, so apply ASAP!
There are two ways your community can benefit from this grant:
[1] Organize a mission to Israel and earn up to $5,000* in grant money toward your trip!
To qualify, the mission should include:
- At least one JNF (KKL) program in Israel
- At least one activity with the Masorti movement in Israel (spiritual time at the egalitarian Kotel, visit a Kehilla, study with a member of Knesset HaRabanim, etc.)
[2] Organize Israel programming in your community and earn up to $2,500* in grant money towards your Israel event!
Some ideas for an Israel program:
- Bring an Israeli speaker to your community and host an evening conversation
- Bring an Israeli artist for a performance, workshop, or educational program
- Create a special ceremony/program in recognition of October 7th
- Launch a new joint programming effort with a "twinned" Masorti community in Israel
- Start a "special interest" programming series (e.g. on environmentalism) that utilizes Israeli scholars, documentarians, activists, and other people and work to engage your community with Israeli approaches to the subject
*Through the Rabbinical Assembly office, you will be able to apply for funding and receive up to 50% reimbursement on eligible costs, with upward limits as indicated above, once your project has been approved.
To inquire about this grant or to learn more about the application process, please email No'a L. bat Miri
Helpful things to keep in mind:
- While we use the language of "synagogue" and "community," other legally recognized nonprofit organizations serving the Masorti community are also included in this category
- In your uploaded documents, please include as much detail as is reasonable; if you are applying for funding for a mission trip, please upload an itinerary in the appropriate field with requisite activities (i.e. a KKL activity and a Masorti movement activity) clearly labeled as such; if you are applying for funding for a local program, please provide a thorough description of the proposed activity
- This funding must be spent prior to the end of 2024
- Applications will be approved on a rolling basis; when all of the funds for this grant have been promised, we will no longer accept new applications, so apply ASAP!
- Try to simplify your accounting, for your sake and our own. For example, if you intend to take a mission trip, plan on having the cost of an individual staff member's ticket reimbursed and submitting proof of purchase for that one ticket, rather than submitting tickets for every participant to have a partial amount of each reimbursed
- Proposals should represent programs that would, in theory, in ideal times, take at least a few weeks or longer to adequately plan and execute, though we acknowledge that you might already be part of the way through the process; events should be discrete and happening in the future
- Proposals can be part of a larger effort in your community, so long as the portion addressed to this grant is otherwise qualified for the funds (e.g. if your congregation or organization is undertaking a youth programming overhaul and part of that includes local Israel-related programming)