Yemenite Jewish Federation of America

The Yemenite Jewish Federation of America was founded in 1995 by the descendants of Jews who had immigrated to the United States from Yemen, mainly in the late 1940s and early 1950s. This wave of immigration was spurred in large part by hopes of greater opportunities and religious freedom outside of Yemen, particularly in the wake of the increasingly dangerous living situation for Jews in Yemen after the 1947 United Nations partition of Palestine and the 1948 establishment of the State of Israel. In addition, there are members who are Yemenite Jews who first immigrated to Israel and later immigrated to the United States and some who came directly from Yemen in later years. The Federation sponsors educational and cultural activities and provides social services for the children and grandchildren of Yemenite immigrants in an effort to promote an appreciation of the cultural and historical traditions of Yemenite Jews. The Federation also provides educational scholarships and emergency support for Yemenite Jewish families in need in Israel and the New York Metropolitan area. The Yemenite Jewish Federation of America moved into American Sephardi Federation space at the Center for Jewish History in 2000. While the Federation has since moved to a location in Brooklyn, they remain affiliated with both ASF and CJH.