Jewish Deaf Resource Center

What Jewish Deaf Resource Center does

The Jewish Deaf Resource Center (JDRC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1996 and headquartered by mailing address in Hartsdale, New York, that builds communication bridges between Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Jews and the wider Jewish community throughout North America. Its core service is a freelance Interpreter Registry, supplemented by an Interpreter Request Form that matches qualified Judaic-fluent ASL interpreters with Jewish life cycle events, synagogue services, Hebrew School, and other Jewish settings, with requests typically processed within 24-48 hours. Supporting products include a content library of Jewish prayers and blessings translated into American Sign Language by Deaf lay leaders and rabbis (hosted on Vimeo and YouTube), the ASL Shabbat Coalition (monthly virtual gatherings co-founded with three other Jewish Deaf organizations), a Synagogue Accessibility Directory, interpreter training programs delivered in partnership with the Academy for Jewish Religion, Judaism 101 workshops for captioners delivered with NCRA, a Scholarship Fund for Deaf Jewish students, the NY Interpreter Fund, and the quarterly JDRC Connections newsletter.

The underlying technology stack is modest and content-oriented: a WordPress-based website (redesigned in 2025 and built by Jewish Deaf-owned firm Eyeth Studios), Zoom for virtual programming, calendar subscription integrations (Google Calendar, iCalendar, Outlook), Vimeo and YouTube for video hosting, and Network for Good for donation processing. No proprietary platform, mobile application, or API is documented.

JDRC's revenue model is purely philanthropic and grant-based. The organization does not charge or collect interpreter fees; it facilitates connections and accepts donations through one-time gifts, monthly giving, an Annual Giving program with tiers at $360+ and $1,000+, tribute gifts, estate planning/legacy gifts, and grants from foundations including UJA Federation of New York and the Elias Foundation. Its customer base spans three primary segments: Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Jewish individuals, Jewish organizations and synagogues seeking accessibility services, and ASL interpreters seeking specialization in Jewish settings, with a separate emerging segment of captioners.

Name

Jewish Deaf Resource Center

Legal name

Jewish Deaf Resource Center

Website

https://jdrc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Jewish Deaf Resource Center (JDRC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1996 that connects Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Jews with the wider Jewish community in North America through an Interpreter Registry, ASL prayer video library, monthly virtual Shabbat gatherings, and accessibility training for congregations and interpreters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Deaf and Religious Accessibility Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Translation and Interpretation Services (541930)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Note-Taking, Interpreting & Communication Access Services (EDALAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Accessible Media Production (Alt Formats, Captioning, Audio Description) (EDALAGAC), Faculty/Staff Training & Accessibility Awareness Programs (EDALAGAI), Interpretation, Translation & Language Access Training (Community Interpreting) (EDAAADAJ)

Keywords

• Sign language interpretation
• Deaf community services
• Religious accessibility services
• ASL prayer resources
• Interpreter referral services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hartsdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: One-time and monthly donations from individuals supporting the mission of bridging Deaf and Jewish communities
2. Annual Giving Program: $1000+ or $360+ annual contributions for sustained organizational support
3. Tribute Gifts: Gifts made in honor or memory of loved ones, supporting JDRC while creating lasting legacies
4. Estate Planning/Legacy Gifts: Bequests and planned giving arrangements for long-term sustainability
5. Grant Funding: Support from foundations including UJA Federation of New York and other Jewish communal funders

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Jewish Deaf Resource Center (JDRC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides interpreter referral services, ASL religious video content (prayers, Shabbat materials), and accessibility training to connect Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Jews with the broader Jewish community across North America. The organization maintains a national interpreter registry, fulfills interpreter requests for life-cycle events, and trains organizations in deaf awareness and captioning.

Product overview

The Jewish Deaf Resource Center (JDRC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1996 that serves as a communication access bridge between Jewish Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals and the wider Jewish community throughout North America. JDRC operates a unified service model centered on interpreter referrals and training, providing an Interpreter Registry and Interpreter Request Form to connect qualified interpreters with Jewish organizations for life cycle events, synagogue services, and educational programs. The core product portfolio includes the ASL Prayer Video Library featuring prayers and blessings translated into American Sign Language, the ASL Shabbat Coalition (a monthly virtual spiritual community), and a Synagogue Accessibility Directory listing inclusive congregations. Supporting services include Captioner Training programs, Accessibility Tips resources, a Scholarship Fund for Deaf Jewish students, and the JDRC Connections quarterly newsletter. The organization also facilitates the NY Interpreter Fund and maintains directories of organizations, museums, and synagogues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interpreter Registry and Referral A national referral service that matches Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals with qualified sign language interpreters for Jewish life-cycle events, religious services, and community gatherings.
• Interpreter Request Service Allows individuals and families to submit requests for interpreter support at specific events such as weddings, b'nai mitzvah, funerals, and synagogue services.
• ASL Prayer Videos A library of Jewish prayers presented in American Sign Language on video, allowing Deaf Jews to access liturgy in their primary language.
• ASL Shabbat Coalition A collaborative initiative providing Shabbat and Jewish holiday materials in ASL, including prayers, songs, and resources for Deaf Jews to observe Shabbat.
• Deaf Awareness and Accessibility Training Training programs for Jewish organizations, schools, and synagogues on deaf awareness, deaf culture, and accessibility best practices for serving Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing congregants.
• Captioner Training Program Training program developed in partnership with NCRA to prepare captioners for real-time captioning work in Jewish religious and educational settings.
• Synagogue Accessibility Directory A directory resource listing synagogues and Jewish organizations that have demonstrated accessibility for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing congregants.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trained interpreters for Jewish settings through partnerships with Academy for Jewish Religion
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Academy for Jewish ReligioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide Jewish liturgy courses that enhance ASL interpreter skills for working in Jewish settings. Interpreters receive specialized training in prayer Hebrew and liturgical language.
• UJA Federation of New YorkcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor grant funder supporting JDRC operations, ASL Prayer Translation project, and Jewish Community Deaf Interpreting Fund for interpreter services at synagogues.
• ASL Shabbat CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJDRC is one of four founding organizations of the ASL Shabbat Coalition, an online ASL Jewish Spiritual Community with monthly virtual gatherings. JDRC hosts and maintains resources for the coalition.
• NCRA (National Court Reporters Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for CEU approval for Judaism 101 for Captioners workshop, enabling captioners to earn professional continuing education credits.
• Various Synagogues and Jewish OrganizationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of synagogues and Jewish organizations using JDRC services for interpreter referrals and accessibility guidance, including Congregation Rodeph Sholom, Town & Village Synagogue, and others listed in the directory.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sorenson Communications: One of the largest U.S. providers of video relay services (VRS), on-demand interpreting, and captioned telephone services for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing. Overlaps with JDRC's interpreter-matching and captioning lines, but at much greater scale and with broader commercial focus.
• Purple Communications: Major provider of video relay, on-demand ASL interpreting, and communication access services for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing users. Competes with JDRC's registry indirectly by offering general ASL interpreting at national scale.
• CaptionCall (Sorenson): Provider of captioned telephone service and captioning solutions for people with hearing loss. Overlaps with JDRC's captioner training programs and broader communication-access service line at far greater commercial scale.

Others

• UJA-Federation of New York: Major New York Jewish communal federation and JDRC's primary institutional grant funder. Sits at the funding and ecosystem layer rather than direct services, but its priorities shape JDRC's funding base and reach within the Jewish communal world.
• National Association of the Deaf (NAD): U.S. civil rights advocacy organization for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals. NAD's constituency overlaps directly with JDRC's Deaf Jewish community, and it sets broader policy context in which JDRC's accessibility advocacy operates.
• Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA): National consumer advocacy organization for people with hearing loss, focused on accessibility, communication, and policy. Shares the Hard-of-Hearing portion of JDRC's constituency and operates adjacent education/advocacy programming.
• Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID): National professional association certifying sign language interpreters. Interpreters in JDRC's registry are likely RID-certified, making RID the standards body that underpins JDRC's interpreter pool quality and supply.
• AG Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: National membership and advocacy organization supporting listening, spoken language, and communication access for people with hearing loss. Shares Hard-of-Hearing constituency and education focus with JDRC, though centered on oral/aural approaches rather than ASL.

Direct peers

• Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD): National nonprofit providing interpreting, communication access, employment, and advocacy services for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals. Closely mirrors JDRC's interpreter registry and accessibility mission, but operates at much larger scale and across all communities rather than the Jewish niche.

Regional players

• Jewish Family & Children's Services (JFCS): Network of regional Jewish social-service agencies providing case management, counseling, and disability/accessibility support within Jewish communities. Operates adjacent social-service missions to JDRC, but in broader Jewish communal contexts and on a regional rather than Deaf-specialist basis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ASLShabbatCoalitionhere
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/jewishdeafresourcecenterhere
• Xx.com/jewish_deaf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jewish-deaf-resource-center-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jewish Deaf Resource Center