As the fund-raising arm of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ, the United Jewish Appeal campaign helps to support 20 major beneficiary agencies in MetroWest, as well as social service programs in Israel and 60 other countries throughout the world. It raises close to $24 million annually.

Enlisting thousands of volunteers, the campaign reaches out to MetroWest residents in their synagogues, work places and hometowns. A full calendar of campaign events, including fundraising and educational programs, provides many opportunities for Jewish involvement in a variety of areas:

• Commerce & Professions (professional affinity groups)
• Community Campaign (including phonathons and Super Sunday)
• Major Gifts (annual gifts of $10,000 or more)
• Women's Department
• Young Leadership Division (community members ages 25-45)

The UJA is sustained by contributions from nearly 20,000 donors annually. About 60 percent of the funds raised remains in the local community, making possible a network of services and programs that include Jewish schools, community centers, senior care institutions and social service agencies. These UJA funds provide the means to care for our elderly, help individuals and families in crisis, teach our children to understand and take pride in Jewish values, enable teens to participate in educational experiences in Israel, assist victims of domestic violence, provide adoption services, aid individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS and offer Jewish educational, social, cultural and recreational programs to people of all ages.

UJA MetroWest also allocates funds to support humanitarian programs in Israel and other overseas Jewish communities. Most of this money goes to The Jewish Agency, which each month brings thousands of Jews to Israel and helps them build new lives. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee is also a major beneficiary of UJA MetroWest funds, which are used to help sustain and revitalize Jewish communities throughout the world.

In Israel, MetroWest has entered The Jewish Agency's Partnership 2000, offering new life to the underdeveloped region of Ofakim/Merchavim in the Negev in a partnership of MetroWest, the UJA/Federation of Bergen and North Hudson and the local community leadership of Ofakim/Merchavim. In addition, MetroWest maintains a special relationship with its twinned communities of Ra'anana and the Project Renewal neighborhood of Ramat Eliahu.

In cooperation with the JDC, MetroWest created the Hesed Dorot Center in Cherkassy, Ukraine, to provide home care, hot meals, medical equipment and medicine to those in need. Recently, MetroWest also entered into a partnership with Tucuman, Argentina, helping address the needs of that struggling South American Jewish community.

Contributors have opportunities to visit UJA-funded projects and programs through UJA MetroWest missions to Israel and other countries.