The Taub Center is funded by a permanent endowment created by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and private donations. By promoting social research and helping policymakers reach decisions that are based on informed opinions, the Center strives to assist Israeli policymakers identify strategic social developments, and formulate and implement viable and effective strategies to improve the well-being of the public in Israel. In addition, the Center also enhances public involvement in policy making by broadening the public debate on social policies that is part of the policy-making process. For the benefit of friends of Israel abroad, the Center presents a clear and unbiased picture of Israel’s social issues.

Operating Principles

The Taub Center’s mission is to assist in developing and promoting social policies that embody the values of social equity and justice. The Center’s work follows several operational principles:

• Integrative, multi-disciplinary perspective – The close link between the social and economic dimensions of government policies is emphasized in the Center’s analyses. The Taub Center deals with social issues relating to health, education, welfare, housing, employment, immigration, and income distribution from a multi-disciplinary perspective, stressing the impact of the economy in the policy analyses of each of these topics. The Center provides policy analysis on issues that are currently or are about to become the focus of widespread concern in public discourse.
  
  
• Independent, non-partisan approach – The Taub Center is an independent and non-governmental organization that enables it to publish findings that are free from political influences. As a result, the government and the opposition regard the Center as a reliable, objective source of information and policy analysis.
  
  
• Senior staff comprising nationally recognized experts from the field and the academia – Due to the high standing of the Taub Center and its flexible structure, it attracts nationally accredited experts from various related fields, experienced in high-level policymaking. The combination of experts from the field and academia allows for a balance between the rigorous academic standards and the practical realities of the policymaking process.
  
  
• Leveraging impact through close contacts with decision makers – As a result of the Center’s non-partisan approach, it maintains strong ties with the political and professional leadership in Israel in relation to issues of national priorities, maximizing the impact of the Center’s findings.
  
  
• Comprehensive policy recommendations – Well aware that decisions made during the first hundred days in office can set the tone for a government’s entire term, Taub Center experts prepare the “100 Days” document on social policy for incoming governments. This plan promotes an integrative approach to policy including the short-term and long-term costs and benefits of various alternatives.
  
  
• International connections – The Taub Center has maintained a close working relationship with various international policy institutes like the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. Through joint conferences, professional meetings, and joint publications, the international perspective offers useful insights into policy problems and possible solutions. Members of the International Monetary Fund annual fact-finding mission to Israel meet with Taub Center experts to gain perspective on the state of the economy and the social situation. Taub Center also maintains close ties with the International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW).