The money trail behind JCC Association — from the Israeli government's $7.2 million to the Arabella Advisors dark money network.
OLAM JCC ASSOCIATION RESEARCH PROJECT
Read the full series: Who Runs JCC Association? | JCC Association's $22 Million Machine
The money trail behind JCC Association of North America — from the Israeli government's $7.2 million to the Arabella Advisors dark money network. Who writes the checks that shape programming for 170+ JCCs serving 1.5 million weekly visitors.
$16.8 Million in Contributions, Two Funding Ecosystems, One Organization
$16.8 million in contributions (FY2024) — 76.2% of JCCA's total revenue. Whoever writes the checks shapes the programming.
Two competing funding ecosystems finance two parallel programming tracks. The post-October 7 response track is funded by the Israeli government ($7.2M) and Brandeis University. The broader-policy track is funded through the Arabella Advisors dark money network.
Sandy Cardin (JCCA Board Director-at-Large) served for 25 years as president of the Schusterman Family Philanthropies — a named SRE Network donor. Board member → funder → programming: a documentable chain.
Seth Klarman's Klarman Family Foundation gave $50M+ to the New Venture Fund. The NVF incubated the SRE Network. Klarman was New England's largest Republican donor in 2014; post-2016, Democratic mega-donor at $18-20M per cycle.
Two Funding Ecosystems: Israeli Government Money vs. Arabella Network Money
| Ecosystem 1: Israel + Academia | Ecosystem 2: Progressive Philanthropy | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Israel Ministry of Diaspora Affairs ($7.2M). Brandeis University. UJA-Federation. | SRE Network → New Venture Fund → Arabella Advisors. Donors: Klarman, Schusterman, Dobkin, Weinberg, Lippman Kanfer. |
| Programs | Mit-Habrim ($7.2M). Brandeis/Boundless seminars (100+ leaders). Teen Summit. Israel Academy. | JCulture Intensive (workplace equity). SRE membership (160+ orgs, DEI, intersectionality). |
| Mission | 'Solidarity with Israel.' Antisemitism response. Jewish education. | 'Gender equity and inclusive workplaces.' Organizational culture change. |
| Board Link | Leah Garber (SVP, Israel). Uria Roth (Mit-Habrim Dir.). | Sandy Cardin (Director-at-Large): former Schusterman president. Thomas Mandel (Vice Chair, Akron): shares city with Lippman Kanfer. |
The Arabella → SRE → JCulture Chain: $1.35 Billion in Dark Money, 5 Links to Your Local JCC
This chain was documented in full in Who Runs JCC Association? and is repeated here as the central finding.
| Link | Entity | What It Is |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arabella Advisors | $1.35 billion raised in 2023. Described as 'dark money' by NYT (Jan 2022), OpenSecrets, Axios. |
| 2 | New Venture Fund | $669M revenue in 2023. SRE Network founded 2018 as NVF project. |
| 3 | SRE Network | 160+ Jewish orgs. Advocates DEI, intersectionality in Jewish workplaces. |
| 4 | JCulture Intensive | JCCA's SRE-funded program, launched Sep 2025 — 11 months after Oct 7. |
| 5 | 170+ JCCs | 1.5 million weekly visitors. |
The 5 Named SRE Network Donors: Political Profiles and JCCA Board Connections
1. Klarman Family Foundation — $50M+ to New Venture Fund, Republican-to-Democratic Mega-Donor
Founded by Seth Klarman (Baupost Group, ~$28B AUM). Was New England's largest Republican donor in 2014 (90%+ to GOP). Post-2016: switched to Democratic mega-donor, $18-20M per cycle. $3.6M to House and Senate Majority PACs in 2018. Capital Research Center: 'more than $50 million to NVF, nearly all of it for election-related pop-ups.' JCCA board connection: None identified — indirect through NVF → SRE → JCulture.
2. Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies — $900M+ in Grants, Board Member Sandy Cardin
Tulsa, OK. $900M+ in total grants. Funds Hillel, BBYO, Moishe House, Israel on Campus Coalition, Brandeis. JCCA board connection: Direct. Sandy Cardin (25-year president) now sits on the JCCA board as Director-at-Large (Queenstown, MD).
3. Dobkin Family Foundation — Jewish Education, New York
New York-based. Jewish education and cultural initiatives. JCCA board connection: None identified.
4. Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation — $700M+ in Assets, Baltimore
One of the largest private foundations in the U.S. $700M+ assets. JCCA board connection: CEO Barak Hermann led JCC of Greater Baltimore for 13 years.
5. Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah — Akron, OH
Applied Jewish wisdom. JCCA board connection: Vice Chair Thomas Mandel also based in Akron — relationship TBD.
Israel Ministry of Diaspora Affairs: $7.2 Million for Mit-Habrim
The single largest identified program-specific funding stream in JCCA's portfolio.
• Amount: $7.2 million. • Original purpose (2021): Holiday-specific Israel engagement. • Expanded purpose (post-Oct 7): Full Israel solidarity initiative. • Named staff: Uria Roth (Project Director), Yonah Vogelman (Grant Manager).
The question: Does the Israeli government money come with programming requirements? JCCA has not published the agreement.
The Board: 60+ Directors, 12 JCC CEOs, and the Professional/Lay Boundary
Officers — Who Governs JCCA
| Name | Role | Location | Background |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisie Gottdenker | Chair (May 2026) | Miami, FL | Syracuse grad. 12 years Macy's/Coach. JCC movement 25+ years. Bender JCC board chair. Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. |
| Thomas A. Mandel | Vice Chair | Akron, OH | Shares city with Lippman Kanfer Foundation (SRE donor). |
| David S. Wax | Past Chair | San Diego, CA | UCLA/MBA. EVP WAXIE Sanitary Supply. JCC movement lifer. Board president 2006-08. |
12 Professional JCC CEOs on the Board — The Porous Boundary
Twelve JCC CEOs serve on the JCCA board alongside lay directors — the professionals who implement JCCA's programming also help govern the organization that sets their standards.
The Symmetry Test: Searching for Republican-Aligned Infrastructure
• Republican-aligned programming: No JCCA program aligns with the 2024 Republican platform across five test categories: school choice, religious liberty, Second Amendment, immigration enforcement, or pro-life advocacy.
• Republican-aligned donors: No current major Republican donor identified among SRE Network funders. Board FEC analysis pending.
• Conservative/Orthodox infrastructure: No Orthodox-ordained rabbi on national staff. No national Sephardic/Mizrachi programming. See Who Runs JCC Association? for the seminary pipeline analysis.
The symmetry test documents what is present and what is absent. The absence of identifiable Republican-aligned donors, programming, or denominational infrastructure at the organization that coordinates 170+ JCCs is a finding.
4 Findings: Follow the Checks, Follow the Chain, Follow the Board
76% Contribution-Dependent — Donors Shape the Programming. When three-quarters of your revenue comes from donors, the donor base's priorities shape institutional priorities.
The Arabella Chain Is 5 Links Long — Each Documented. Arabella Advisors → New Venture Fund → SRE Network → JCulture Intensive → 170+ JCCs. Each link is public record.
Sandy Cardin Sits Where the Funding and Governance Intersect. Board seat → Schusterman Foundation → SRE Network → JCulture → JCCA.
Israeli Government Money and Arabella Money Coexist — Neither Displaced the Other. $7.2M Israeli government funds the response track. Arabella network funds the DEI track. Both active. Both staffed. Both survived the CEO transition.
Sources
IRS Form 990 (EIN 13-5599486) • jcca.org (archived Aug 2026) • InfluenceWatch.org • Wikipedia (citing NYT, OpenSecrets, Axios) • Capital Research Center • eJewishPhilanthropy • JNS • San Diego Jewish World • Global Jewry • JWI • Israel Ministry of Diaspora Affairs • SRE Network website • FEC.gov (pending)
Read the full Olam JCC Association Research Project: Who Runs JCC Association? | JCC Association's $22 Million Machine
How we report: Olam stories draw on public filings, company disclosures and named sources, checked by our editors. Read our methodology · Corrections
