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St. Louis Jewish Community
Alphabet Soup

YPD, USY, NCSY, NIFTY and BBYO. There's JF&CS in the NORC... over by Cov/CHAI, HMLC and the "J." 
Here's just a partial list of acronyms and some shorthand.

Find out more about organizations and congregations spelled out below in our
Community Directory

  • ADL - Anti-Defamation League: fights anti-semitism, bigotry.
  • AIPAC -  America Israel Public Affairs Committee: pro-Israel lobby.
  • AJC - Amer. Jewish Committee. National organization working on human rights, community relations and international relations.
  • AJC -  American Jewish Congress. Works on human rights, religious freedom and social policy.
  • BBYO - B’nai B’rith Youth Organization: non-denominational
  • BSKI - Brith Sholom Knesset Israel congregation: Conservative
  • CAJE - Central Agency for Jewish Education
  • CRC - Central Reform Congregation - Reform
  • HMLC - Holocaust Museum & Learning Center
  • JAFI -  Jewish Agency for Israel. Quasi governmental organization responsible for aliyah and service to new immigrants.
  • JCC / J - Jewish Community Center - The "J"
  • JCCA - Jewish Community Centers Association
  • JCPA Jewish Council for Public Affairs. Umbrella organization for Jewish community relations agencies. Annual Plenum establishes consensus policy positions.
  • JDC -  American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Rescue, relief and rehabilitation services to Jews worldwide.
  • JESNA -  Jewish Education Service of North America. Provides leadership, research, consultation and service in the field of Jewish education.
  • JNF-  Jewish National Fund.  Israeli organization charged with land reclamation, water resources and conservation.
  • JCRC - Jewish Community Relations Council
  • JFCS (JF&CS) - Jewish Family & Children's Service
  • JFed - Jewish Federation
  • JINES - Jewish, Islamic & Near Eastern Studies Program at Wash. U.
  • JPPPI - Jewish People’s Policy Planning Institute. Jerusalem based think tank on the strategic position of the Jewish people.
  • JSU (Hillel) / JSU (NCSY)  Jewish Student Union, undergrad group at Washington U. advised by Hillel. Jewish Student Union: Culture clubs in local high schools
  • JTA - Jewish Telegraph Agency (Jewish news wire service)
  • JTS Jewish Theological Seminary. Conservative rabbinic seminary.
  • NCJW - National Council of Jewish Women. Volunteer organization that works to improve the quality of life for women, children, and families and to ensure individual rights.
  • NCSY - National Council of Synagogue Youth - Othodox youth organization
  • NFTY National Federation of Temple Youth. Reform youth group.
  • NORC - Naturally Occurring Retirement Community
  • NHBZ - Nusach Hari B'nai Zion - orthodox congregation
  • OU - The Orthodox Union. Umbrella organization of Orthodox congregations. Kashruth certification.
  • P&A - Planning and allocations
  • SMDS-RJA ( - or - RJA) - Saul Mirowitz Day School Reform Jewish Academy
  • SSDS - Solomon Schechter Day School
  • TI - Temple Israel - reform congregation
  • TICK - Tpheris Israel Chevra Kadisha: orthodox congregation
  • UH - United Hebrew - reform congregation
  • UJC - United Jewish Communities, the umbrella body of Jewish Federations.
  • RA - Rabbinical Assembly. Conservative.
  • SLIC - St. Louis Israel Connection
  • UJC United Jewish Communities. Umbrella organization of Jewish Federations.
  • URJ Union for Reform Judaism. Umbrella organization of Reform congregations.
  • USCJ United Synagogue of Conservative Jewry. Umbrella organization of Conservative congregations.
  • USY United Synagogue Youth. Conservative youth group.
  • YABA -  Young Adults @ Bais Abraham congregation (a.k.a. "Bais Abe")
  • YPD - Young Professionals Division of the Jewish Federation (JFed)