Background
JLens was launched in 2012 to explore investing through a Jewish lens and to increase the Jewish community’s participation in the growing socially responsible investing (SRI) field where other faiths are leaders and young people are exploring values, but also where Israel delegitimization and antisemitism are present.
SRI has grown exponentially, and is projected by Bloomberg News to comprise $53 trillion, or 1/3 of all investment assets globally by 2025. As values-based investors increasingly influence corporate behavior, JLens’ mission is to give the Jewish community a strategic presence in this influential arena to promote Jewish values and interests, and to combat BDS which has become the dominant narrative on Israel within the field. Since 2015, many Jewish institutions have invested in JLens’ Jewish Advocacy Strategy US, the only investment aligned with Jewish values that conducts investor advocacy with 300 powerful US companies on Jewish communal concerns.
In 2022, JLens became a part of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) family.
Accomplishments
Mapped ancient Jewish wisdom to modern values-based investing and developed a six pillar framework for assessing Corporate Social Responsibility
Launched the Jewish Advocacy Strategy US in 2015, as a first step for Jewish institutions interested in values-based investing
Developed ongoing investor advocacy relationships with over 800 CSR executives at the 300 US companies in the Jewish Advocacy Strategy US’ portfolio.
Educated thousands of Jewish professionals and lay leaders about values-based investing through consulting, communications, and JLens' Jewish Impact Investing Summits.
Initiated campaign to combat BDS support at Morningstar. The company initially claimed JLens’ concerns were false, but has now agreed to address anti-Israel bias and promotion of BDS while expressing ‘a debt of gratitude to JLens for pushing Morningstar to be a better company.’
Launched the JLens Jewish Values Global Index, a rules-based index that aims to capture the gross total return performance of the largest global public companies that are relevant to Jewish communal values and advocacy.