82.5 million
country population 
~16,000
Jewish population 
1916
JDC entry date 

Care the Vulnerable

The 2008 financial crisis devastated Turkey and many Jews are still living with the economic hardships it sparked. This crisis, combined with population decline, has made the cultivation of Jewish life and leadership all the more urgent. During these difficult times, JDC remains by the community’s side, working to protect and strengthen the Jewish population.

 

JDC partners with the local welfare organization YAD to provide food, medicine, and other vital care to vulnerable families and elderly Jews throughout Turkey. Working alongside local Jewish leaders, JDC helps to strengthen social services for the community’s most vulnerable members. This assistance includes seed funding and technical expertise to Jewish communal leaders in Istanbul and Izmir, Turkey’s two largest Jewish communities. Both aim to keep the community strong and innovative, engaging young adults in community life and caring for its most vulnerable members. In addition, JDC supported the community in its efforts to open two day centers in Istanbul, which serve more than 100 elderly Jews.

JDC in Turkey: Images Across Time

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1

Kurdish refugees at a JDC-supported refugee center.

Silopi, Turkey. 1991.

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2

A JDC-supported kindergarten.

Izmir, Turkey. 1994.

Photo: Ami Bergman

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3

A student does math at a JDC-supported school.

Adapazari, Turkey. 1990s.

Photo: Zion Ozeri

A Taste of Jewish Turkey

Ukraine

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Dessert

Matilda’s Mogado (Marzipan)

Turkey Earthquake: JDC’s Emergency Response

Partners Together: JDC’s Work in Turkey

The Incredible Story of Jews in Morocco & Turkey

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