Jewish Agency for Israel

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The Jewish Agency for Israel

הסוכנות היהודית לארץ ישראל‎
Founded	1929; 95 years ago (1929)
Tax ID no.	23-7254561
Legal status	501(c)(3)
Purpose	To ensure that every Jewish person feels an unbreakable bond to one another and to Israel no matter where they are in the world, so that they can continue to play their critical role in the ongoing Jewish story, by: 1. Connecting young Jews to Israel and their Jewish identity 2. Connecting young Israelis to the Jewish people and their Jewish identity 3. Aliyah and absorption 4. Supporting vulnerable populations in Israel.[1]
Headquarters	Jerusalem
Coordinates	31°46′37″N 35°12′58″E / 31.777°N 35.216°E / 31.777; 35.216
Chairman of the Executive	Doron Almog
Chairman of the Board of Governors	Mark Wilf
Director-General	Amira Ahronoviz[2]
Deputy Chair of the Executive	Yaron Shavit[3]
Revenue (2016)	$381,438,000[4]
Expenses (2016)	$333,228,000[4]
Endowment	$1,345,000 (2016)[4]
Employees (2016)	1,140[4]
Volunteers (2016)	25,000[4]
Website	www.jewishagency.org

The Jewish Agency for Israel (Hebrew: הסוכנות היהודית לארץ ישראל, romanized: HaSochnut HaYehudit L'Eretz Yisra'el), formerly known as the Jewish Agency for Palestine,^[5] is the largest Jewish non-profit organization in the world. It was established in 1929 as the operative branch of the World Zionist Organization (WZO).^[6]

As an organization, it encourages immigration of Jews in diaspora to the Land of Israel, and oversees their integration with the State of Israel.^[7] Since 1948, the Jewish Agency claims to have brought 3 million immigrants to Israel,^[8] where it offers them transitional housing in "absorption centers" throughout the country.^[9] David Ben-Gurion served as its chairman of the executive committee from 1935, and in this capacity on 14 May 1948, he proclaimed Israel's independence,^[10] following which he served as the first Israeli prime minister. In the years preceding the founding of Israel, the Jewish Agency oversaw the establishment of about 1,000 towns and villages in the British Mandate of Palestine. The organization serves as the main link between Israel and Jewish communities around the world.^[11][12]

By law, the Jewish Agency is a parastatal organization, but does not receive core funding from the Israeli government.^[13] The Jewish Agency is funded by the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), Keren Hayesod, major Jewish communities and federations, and foundations and donors from Israel and around the world.^[14][15] In 2008, the Jewish Agency won the Israel Prize for its historical contribution to Israel and to the Jewish community worldwide.^[16]