David Berg Foundation

The David Berg Foundation supports a wide variety of program areas: law, ethics, legal education, public policy, museums, Jewish history, religion and art. The Foundation works to improve the quality of life for the indigent and elderly and to ensure the safety of Jewish communities, cultural and religious institutions, and landmarks in the United States, Israel and Europe.

Legal services support is focused on law school clinics and non-profit organizations that provide free civil legal services to low-income and underserved communities, with priority to those serving Jewish communities. Grants have been made to projects that help elder abuse victims secure benefits and entitlements as well as support victims of domestic violence.

The David Berg Foundation supports the conservation of Jewish artifacts, manuscripts, texts and art; exhibitions about Jewish culture and heritage; and the advancement of Jewish museums and libraries. It promotes initiatives that combat the rise of antisemitism through security programs for synagogues and educating the public about the Holocaust and the history of the Jewish people.

The Foundation remains committed to programs that focus on services for the elderly that include legal advance directives, palliative care, hospice care, funerals and burials, and emergency medical services. A fellowship was created for improved geriatric medicine and palliative care to support older adults at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

The David Berg Foundation prioritizes the needs of the Jewish community worldwide. In response to recent global events, it distributed emergency funds to assist the Ukrainian Jewish Community in 2022 and emergency response and long-term relief support in Israel after October 7, 2023.

Since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, the Foundation pivoted some of its grantmaking. Several emergency grants were awarded for trauma response services in Israel. The Foundation has made new investments to combat antisemitism on college campuses. Legal services grantmaking has shifted away from the U.S. but continues in Israel with free services for the poor, elderly, and Holocaust survivors. Combating antisemitism initiatives and ensuring the safety and security of the Jewish community in the United States, Europe, and Israel remain a top priority for the Foundation.