Jewish Care

In 1848, visionaries in our community established the foundations of Jewish Care with the establishment of the Melbourne Jewish Philanthropic Society to provide assistance to those in need. The entire Jewish population of Victoria numbered only 200. As wave after wave of migrants established their home here, Jewish Care, together with the community, continued to grow and to evolve, responding to the changing needs and aspirations of those it served with the founding of the Australian Jewish Welfare Society in 1936. The merger of Montefiore Homes and Jewish Welfare in 2001 sought to create a larger, more sophisticated single-care entity which could more comprehensively service the entire Jewish community. In 2018, Jewish Care celebrates its 170th anniversary. Jewish Care continues to touch more than 6,000 lives each year, helping individuals and families in the Victorian Jewish community receive the support they need to meet their challenges. A lot has changed over the decades, but Jewish Care has evolved with the times to deliver services that are relevant and important to the Melbourne Jewish community today and tomorrow.