The Holocaust Museum Los Angeles is one of the recipients of the Jewish Community Foundation’s grants. (Beverly Press/Park Labrea News file photo)

The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles has awarded $2.5 million in Cutting Edge Grants 2.0 – a record amount for the institutional grant initiative – to 10 organizations focused on seeding and growing innovative programs in the Los Angeles Jewish community.

The programs receiving funding will support people of different ages and in different stages of life, and will address antisemitism, Israel and Holocaust education, mental health, Jewish teen engagement and partnerships with diverse communities and vulnerable populations. Revamped earlier this year to place greater emphasis on leadership, collaboration and pressing needs in the community, CEG 2.0 builds upon its namesake predecessor which, since its creation in 2006, has awarded $21 million in funding to support more than 100 innovative Jewish causes and programs in Los Angeles. The multi-year awards of up to $300,000 are directed to innovative local and national organizations.

The recipients are the Holocaust Museum Los Angeles, for its Augmented Reality App; BaMidbar, for its L.A. Regional Programming Hub; the Foundation for Jewish Camp, for the DEI Coaching Project; Hillel at UCLA in collaboration with USC Hillel and Hillel 818, for L.A. Campuses United Against Antisemitism; and the Jews of Color Initiative for its L.A. Incubator. Also receiving grants are OpenDor Media, for the Collaborative School Program: Empowering L.A. Jewish Educators in Israel Education; Our Big Kitchen L.A., for the Community Youth Initiative; Sacred Spaces for its Spark Program; Tzedek America, for Mitzvah Project Central; and Valley Beth Shalom in collaboration with Temple Ramat Zion and Temple Judea, for Sayva: A New Approach to Positive Aging.

“Our team conducted rigorous research, including extensive conversations with nonprofit leaders and key stakeholders, that underscored these pressing needs – to lend support in addressing the mental health crisis, combat antisemitism, support vulnerable populations and reach out to the myriad constituents who comprise a diverse Jewish L.A.,” foundation president and CEO Marvin I. Schotland said. “The grants reflect the foundation’s commitment to identifying both needs and gaps in our community and partnering with forward-thinking leaders and organizations. Findings in the Jewish Federation’s recently released study of Jewish Los Angeles, which was proudly supported by the foundation, further confirm these pressing issues identified by our staff and being addressed by our grant recipients. These 10 organizations are true social innovators, and we are proud to support their vital work in solving the community’s ever-evolving needs.”

Established in 1954, the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles manages charitable assets of more than $1.5 billion entrusted to it by 1,400 families. For information, visit jewishfoundationla.org.