For Organizations
Jewish@Work
Investing in Jewish Employee Resource Groups and Their Emerging Leaders
We equip Jewish ERG leaders with the skills, tools, resources, and networks to inspire meaningful Jewish communities in mainstream American workplaces.
Background
The Challenge
Jews experience marginalization at work, yet often face challenges in expressing their Jewish identities at work.
The events of October 7 have made many Jews seek out Jewish community. Additionally, younger workers—who already struggle to connect and belong in traditional Jewish institutions—spend more time in the workplace than anywhere else in their lives, yet are likely to experience loneliness there. Many Jewish workers yearn for ways to share and celebrate their Jewishness in their work setting, with other Jews and allies. Because of this, we are in the midst of a remarkable growth in corporate-based Jewish Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), as hundreds of corporate leaders have begun establishing their own Jewish micro-communities within their workplaces.
In general, ERGs have surged in popularity over the past decade, and particularly since 2020. Over 90% of Fortune 500 companies now have ERGs for some groups considered minorities, underrepresented, or marginalized. These groups often center around culture, ethnicity, or peoplehood. Yet, many companies fail to recognize Jews as one of these groups. Although they experience antisemitism and marginalization at work, many of the Jewish ERG leaders in our network have faced significant challenges in building these networks in their professional settings.
The Solution
Jewish ERG leaders equipped with the skills, tools, and networks to inspire meaningful Jewish communities in mainstream American workplaces.
Clal is activating the full potential of Jewish ERGs to both strengthen Jewish life for diverse Jews across America and also to provide new access points for non-Jews to learn about Judaism and Israel. Clal’s Jewish@Work initiative equips ERG leaders with the skills and resources to facilitate accessible, relevant, and meaningful learning and community-building in corporate America, through:
- Resource Portal: A central place for Jews in the workplace to find and share event inspiration, a speakers bureau, and helpful resources. The goal is to make it easier for Jewish employee resource group (ERG) leaders to learn from each other and have access to great resources at their fingertips.
- Training Jewish ERG leaders: Jewish ERG Leader Toolkit, Bootcamps, Mentoring Program, and Partnership Collaborations prepare people to lead their own groups.
- Jewish ERG Israel Trips: Through these immersive experiences that deepen their connection to Israel, ERG leaders become a) better able to engage in informed conversations about Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with their work colleagues, b) more skillful at fostering diverse community, and c) more ready to counter discrimination and promote education, dialogue, and community action.
- National Jewish ERG Convening: The network and impact of Jewish ERGs are strengthened by convening leaders from diverse industries and regions to foster collaboration, innovation, and the exchange of best practices.
The Outcomes
Looking forward, Clal’s goals in building this field are to:
- Build the confidence of American Jews to participate meaningfully and fully in American civic life, including the ability to lead complex and nuanced discussions and to bridge differences.
- Grow the field of Jewish ERGs by tenfold over the next three years, to create exponentially more access points for authentic and inclusive Jewish engagement in everyday life, the workforce, and in the public square.
- Invest in the leadership capacity of Jewish American life, by providing leadership opportunities for Jews both within their respective workplaces, Jewish institutions, and American civic society more broadly.
The Buzz
Jewish@Work has been featured in these articles:
- Investing in Jewish life at work — eJewish Philanthropy (2026)
- What Your Jewish Employees Need Right Now — Psychology Today (2025)
- New study finds Employee Resource Groups offer untapped potential of young Jewish professionals — eJewish Philanthropy (2025)
- Why ’employee resource groups’ are the next big thing in Jewish life — eJewish Philanthropy (2023)
At a Glance
Jewish@work
Impact on Participants & Communities
growth of Jewish ERG leaders since October 7, 2023
identified the workplace as their primary Jewish affiliation
Want to learn more about Jewish@Work or to discuss forming your own Jewish ERG? Contact Rabbi Elan Babchuck, elan@clal.org, or see Clal’s article in EJewishPhilanthropy.