WEST HARTFORD – Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford and Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford have distributed more than $600,000 in grants to individuals, agencies, and synagogues in the Greater Hartford Jewish community experiencing financial hardship due to the pandemic.

The grants were made through the Jewish Hartford Rapid Relief and Recovery Fund (RRR Fund), a joint initiative created in March 2020 in response to the pandemic. The Federation and Foundation provided $150,000 in seed funding and nearly 500 community members contributed close to $1 million to the RRR Fund, including $300,000 in grants recommended by fund holders at the Jewish Community Foundation.

“Thanks to the generous support of so many, this Fund is providing humanitarian relief and bolstering the financial capacity of Jewish agencies and synagogues so they can continue providing important programs and services to our community throughout this crisis,” says Jacob Schreiber, the Foundation’s president and CEO.

To date, the RRR Fund has provided the following grants:

$285,000 to 11 local Jewish agencies for emergency operating support, PPE, and need-based day school scholarships related to COVID-19

$227,000 to 17 local synagogues for unanticipated COVID-19 related High Holy Day expenses, operating support, and PPE

$88,280 for local humanitarian assistance in the form of emergency food assistance, individual and family financial assistance, and PPE

Of the remaining resources, the RRR Fund’s Grants Committee has earmarked $40,000 for unanticipated community needs and $137,000 for future humanitarian needs. $175,000 was designated by major donors to establish the Jewish Free Loan Fund of Greater Hartford. The Federation and Foundation recruited a group of seasoned community leaders to govern the RRR Fund, including a Development Committee chaired by Bruce Fischman and Dana Keller and a Grants Committee chaired by David Rosenthal and Sid Ulreich. All grants from the RRR Fund were approved by the Federation and Foundation Boards.

“The Fund is an apt example of the Jewish value of tzedakah: ensuring that every person’s basic needs are met,” says David Waren, Federation’s president and CEO. “These are unparalleled times, and our community continues to demonstrate extraordinary courage, empathy, and resilience.”

For a comprehensive look at the RRR Fund, visit bit.ly/RRRFundImpactReport.

Main Photo: Elana MacGilpin, development officer for the Jewish Community Foundation, left, and Carrie Berman, coordinator, Educational Services and Young Emissary Program of the Jewish Federation, help prepare food deliveries for 125 households in 19 Greater Hartford towns, as part of the Jewish Hartford Rapid Relief and Recovery Fund to help those impacted by COVID-19.