The National Center to Encourage Judaism is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit private foundation which encourages conversion to and retention in Judaism. It supports the efforts of synagogues and other Jewish institutions to reach out to Jews and non-Jews, to welcome interest in and learning about Judaism.

All funds go for grants, production of the Proclaimer, and miscellaneous petty expense. No funds are used for salaries or other expenses. The Center is independent and lay-run, not affiliated with any other organization.

Since 1995 the Center has been making grants to synagogues, consortia and other Jewish bodies to reach out to the general community, through these programs:

1. It supports advertising in the general secular (non-Jewish) media for Introduction to Judaism, Taste of Judaism, and other courses open to non-Jews to learn about Judaism.
2. It supports similar advertising for groups of synagogues in a locality to hold an Open House to welcome inquiries about Judaism from non-Jews.
3. It supports similar advertising for Open House Shabbat, a Friday night or Saturday morning learners’ service open to non-Jews, explaining the service and making educational materials available.
4. It has established the Gerecht Family Institute of Outreach at Hebrew Union College (HUC), the seminary of the Reform Jewish movement in the United States. The HUC is holding Outreach weekends for its third-year students at its three campuses.
5. The Center publishes a newsletter, The Jewish Proclaimer, three times yearly, which is sent to more than 3,000 synagogues in the U.S. and some in Canada, disseminating outreach activities of Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist and Orthodox synagogues and bodies, including copies of the advertising. Subscriptions are free, one to a synagogue address; others may obtain a year’s receipt of the Proclaimer with a donation to the Center to cover costs of production and mailing.

Grants at this time are a maximum of $1,000 up to half the cost of the media insertion. Institutions are eligible for two grants a year for programs in two separate quarters. In addition, bonuses are available for out-of-the-ordinary welcoming and integration activities, and availability of literature. For more details, see our application form.