About the JFR

During the Holocaust there were thousands of non-Jews who refused to be passive in the face of the evil they witnessed, rescuing Jews, often at risk to their own lives and the lives of their families. In 1986, Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis z”l established The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous (JFR) to fulfill the traditional Jewish commitment to hakarat hatov, the searching out and recognition of goodness. To this end, the JFR is committed to assisting those Righteous Gentiles who are in need. They are often reluctant to ask for help; they acted without expecting reward then or now. However, as Rabbi Schulweis realized, it is our duty to honor and support them.

The JFR started out funding eight rescuers, and that number quickly grew. Over the years, the JFR has provided monthly financial support to more than 3,600 Righteous Gentiles living in 34 countries. As the rescuers age and pass on, the number of rescuers receiving our support is declining; however, the JFR is committed to providing financial support until the rescuer passes away. The rescuers serve as moral and ethical exemplars for each of us.

The JFR preserves the memory and legacy of the rescuers through its national Holocaust education program. The goal of the program is to educate middle and high school teachers about the history of the Holocaust and to provide them with the resources to integrate this knowledge into their classrooms. As the rescuers pass away, as well as the Jewish Holocaust survivors they saved, the JFR’s Holocaust teacher education program takes on new urgency. Within a few years, there will not be any living eye witnesses left to what some consider to be one of the seminal events of the last century. The focus of the JFR will be on education and providing teachers with the tools and resources to address this complex and sensitive subject.

Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis passed away on December 18, 2014. May his memory be a blessing. Click here to view a sermon by Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove, Park Avenue Synagogue, New York City.‍