We are a community of Jews inspired by our tradition to make a meaningful difference in the world. Our programs apply the study of Jewish teachings as well as scientific evidence to find the best ways to do good in line with our values.
Ready to make a meaningful impact, guided by Jewish values?
If you’re a Jew passionate about making a real difference who believes your heritage has something profound to say about addressing global challenges, the Jewish Social Impact Network (JSI) is for you. JSI is a global group of people inspired by Jewish tradition to help others as much as they can while deepening our connection to our tradition, our community, and each other. Our vision is to bring about a world where Jews of all backgrounds contribute effectively to solving a range of pressing global problems, such as global poverty, risks from emerging technologies, and animal welfare, while preparing the world to face the challenges of tomorrow.
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How We Make a Difference
You care deeply about the world and want to help others, but it can be challenging to know where to focus your energy for the greatest impact. JSI understands this challenge. Guided by both careful reasoning and our rich Jewish heritage, we empower people to significantly increase their impact. We are committed to combining timeless Jewish wisdom with evidence-based strategies focused on three key areas:
Your career can be one of the most powerful tools for good, potentially creating hundreds of times as much value as other paths. JSI helps you identify roles and pathways where your skills can address major global problems most effectively, fulfilling the Jewish call of tzedakah (justice) and tikkun olam (repairing the world). We offer free career advising, connect you with other members in our network who can serve as mentors as well as resources like 80,000 Hours, a non-profit offering free expert advice and support to help you use your career to solve the world’s most pressing problems.
Our tradition teaches us the importance of helping others through acts of tzedakah (righteousness), such as charitable donations, according to principles such as “the neediest come first.” We believe our charitable giving should make the biggest possible difference, reflecting both Jewish and global priorities. It’s tempting to stop at the decision of whether to donate, without deeply considering where you give, but research indicates that your choice of where to donate can lead to huge differences in impact. Giving to the most effective available opportunities can potentially multiply your impact by 100 times or more. This increase in impact can literally save lives, a moral obligation emphasized under the core Jewish value of pikuach nefesh. For example, a donation of approximately $5,000 could be used to save a child’s life through highly effective health interventions like Helen Keller International’s Vitamin A supplementation program, or double the income of five people living in extreme poverty via direct cash transfers through GiveDirectly. JSI provides the tools to find and support the most cost-effective charities, drawing on the work of established charity evaluators like GiveWell.
Our community is dedicated to connecting, open dialogue, and continuous learning and critical thinking to find the best ways to do good. Through programs like our introductory fellowship and Shabbat dinners we explore social impact in quintessentially Jewish ways, such as chavruta (small group text study) or over a holiday meal. In conversation with Jewish teachings, we explore topics such as evaluating effectiveness, addressing global poverty, animal welfare, pandemic prevention, risks from AI, and more. We encourage a “scout mindset”—seeking the truth and being ready to change one’s views even when it challenges existing ideas or intuitions. Our approach reflects Judaism’s deep commitment to actively combating suffering and injustice, and the belief that “indifference to evil is worse than evil itself.”
Join Our Community
JSI provides a space to learn, connect, and take action. We are building a welcoming and motivating community passionate about applying Jewish, evidence-based approaches to global problems. We welcome everyone, regardless of background or denomination. We invite you to explore our resources, connect with like-minded individuals, and take action to make a tangible, positive difference.
Ready to amplify your impact and live your values more fully? Explore JSI’s initiatives and join our community today!
JSI empowers Jews of all backgrounds to increase their impact on the world’s most pressing problems by (a) developing and sharing impact-focused tools and principles, (b) providing personalized connections and opportunities, and (c) fostering a motivating, welcoming community of altruists motivated by shared Jewish values. The ultimate objective of all our programs is to contribute as much as possible to solving the highest-priority global problems.
We aim to bring about a world where Jews of all backgrounds contribute effectively to solving a range of pressing global problems and help prepare the world to face the challenges of tomorrow, engaging with our tradition and strengthening our connection to the richness of Judaism in the process.
Our primary goal is for each participant in our programs to learn ways that they can use their unique resources, talents, knowledge, and Jewish values to effectively help others and to feel a sense of close connection to our community of Jews working on this project together. We aspire collectively to drive as much social impact as we possibly can.
Executive Director
Board Chair
Sarah Pomeranz – Board Member
David Manheim – Board Member
Carole Bibas-Barkan – Board Member
Hillel Ehrenreich – Director Emeritus
A community of Jews committed to making a difference.
