The Iranian American Jewish Federation was unanimously approved to join the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the umbrella group announced yesterday. This is the second organization to join the conference since March, after roughly a decade without any new additions.

The IAJF, which was created in 2001, operates mainly in New York and Los Angeles. It represents the tens of thousands of Persian Jews in the United States, who mostly immigrated in the wake of the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, and serves as a fundraising body for the causes that the community supports. 

“IAJF represents a vibrant community, deeply rooted in its heritage and dedicated to building a dynamic Jewish future,” Joanna Eshaghoff, president of IAJF New York, said in a statement. “Our admission reflects the growing leadership of Iranian-American Jews and our shared commitment to education, empowerment and Zionist values.”

The group says it has raised some $100 million over the past 24 years, which it has distributed to more than 230 organizations in Israel and the United States, including those connected to health care, education, IDF soldier support, social services and aid for victims of terror.

“The Iranian American Jewish community transformed exile and adversity into a remarkable chapter of American Jewish life,” William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents, said in a statement. “By joining the Conference of Presidents, they bring valuable perspective and strengthen our shared pursuit of Jewish unity and purpose in these challenging times.”

The conference said that IAJF was added following a “comprehensive review process” and in light of the group’s “longstanding impact on Iranian-American Jewish life and its vital contributions to U.S.-Israel relations.”

“IAJF has long stood at the heart of Iranian Jewish life in America, and we look forward to the energy and outlook they will bring to our shared mission,” Harriet P. Schleifer, chair of the Conference of Presidents, said in a statement. 

In March, the conference unanimously voted to accept the Israeli-American Council as a new member. Before that, the most recent addition to the umbrella group was the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, which joined in 2014. That same year, the Conference of Presidents rejected the application of the progressive group J Street.

“This milestone is a testament to the strength, commitment, and enduring contributions of the Iranian-American Jewish community to Jewish life in the United States, Israel and beyond. We look forward to contributing our voice, values and vision to the Conference’s work during this pivotal moment,” Shahram Yaghoubzadeh, chair of the board of IAJF New York, said in a statement.