Jewish Educational Media
Brooklyn archive and media producer of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement
| Jewish Educational Media, Inc.
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Public charity (files Form 990) |
| Founded | 1980 (own account); IRS ruling June 2000 |
| Registration ID | EIN 11-3518767 |
| Location | 784 Eastern Parkway, Suite 403, Brooklyn, NY 11213 |
| Services | Recording, restoring and publishing audio-visual records of the Rebbe |
| Key people | Elkanah Shmotkin (executive director/president); Dovid Krinsky (chairman); Uriel Laber (director 2016–19) |
| Website | jemcentral.org |
Jewish Educational Media (JEM) is a Brooklyn-based production house and archive of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. It records, restores and distributes the audio-visual record of the Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson.[1] Uriel Laber sat on its board from 2016 to 2019.[2] The Laber Foundation and the Korf Family Foundation reported grants of $1,388,812 to JEM between 2006 and 2015.[3][4]
History and activities
JEM's own account (Chabad-side) says it "was founded in 1980 as a not-for-profit organization", with the purpose of broadcasting "live via satellite, the public addresses of the Rebbe". In 2004 it began the Living Archive Restoration and Preservation Project to gather, restore and preserve "the motion-picture, audio, and photographic records of the Rebbe".[1] Its staff list names Rabbi Elkanah Shmotkin as executive director and a separate "My Encounter with the Rebbe" oral-history division.[5]
The present corporation's IRS ruling dates from June 2000. The Business Master File lists it at 784 Eastern Parkway, Suite 403, Brooklyn, care of Alex Ellinson, as a public charity.[6] Its returns list Dovid Krinsky (also filed as David Krinsky) as chairman of the board from 2016.[2]
Property
New York City records show that JEM bought 287 Kingston Avenue, Brooklyn, in June 2011 for $435,000[7] and deeded it to 285 Kingston NFP LLC in March 2015.[8]
Laber as director
JEM's e-filed returns list "Uri Laber" as a director, unpaid, in each year from 2016 to 2019.[2] The Forward (critical) noted in 2020 that JEM did "not appear to have any direct ties to Korf's family, but Laber has served as a director". The New York Post (critical) also reported that Laber was "listed as a board member".[9][10] JEM did not reply to either paper.
Funding from the Korf and Laber foundations
Status: allegation. In 2020 the US Department of Justice filed civil forfeiture complaints alleging that Ihor Kolomoisky and Gennadiy Bogolyubov defrauded PrivatBank in Ukraine, and that their associates Mordechai Korf and Uriel Laber "created a web of entities, usually under some variation of the name 'Optima,' to further launder the misappropriated funds".[11] Korf and Laber are claimants in those cases, not defendants. They deny any wrongdoing, and no criminal charge against either man has been found. The Forward reported in 2020 that "there is no evidence that any of the recipients were aware of the two men's connection to the laundering".[9] This page has found no authority that accuses Jewish Educational Media of wrongdoing, and no source that traces any of the alleged proceeds to it. The grants below are lawful grants as the Korf Family Foundation and the Laber Foundation reported them to the Internal Revenue Service. They are not evidence of tracing. The full account is on Chabad and Ukraine.
Every grant to Jewish Educational Media listed on the 990-PF returns of the two foundations is set out below, year by year. Tax years end on 30 November. The figures for the tax year ending November 2006 are those on the amended returns, which the foundation pages cite; the original returns gave slightly different amounts.[12][13] The New York Post reported that the two men gave "a total of more than $1.4 million" to JEM.[10] The grants to JEM itself total $1,388,812. The Post's figure is reached only if the Laber Foundation's grants of $43,400 to the separate Jewish Educational Trade School (2016–2020) are added, which would make $1,432,212.[14][15]
| Tax year ending | Korf Family Foundation | Laber Foundation | Year total | Payee name(s) and place as filed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2006 | $133,000 | $130,000 | $263,000 | Jewish Eductional Media (Brooklyn, NY); Jewish Educational Media (Brooklyn, NY) | [3][16] |
| Nov 2007 | — | $118,170 | $118,170 | Jewish Educational Media (Brooklyn, NY) | [17] |
| Nov 2008 | — | $100,142 | $100,142 | Jewish Educational Media (Brooklyn, NY) | [18] |
| Nov 2009 | — | $174,000 | $174,000 | Jewish Educational Media (Brooklyn, NY) | [19] |
| Nov 2010 | $50,000 | $251,000 | $301,000 | Jewish Educational Media (New York, NY); Jewish Educational Media (Brooklyn, NY) | [20][21] |
| Nov 2011 | $75,000 | $136,000 | $211,000 | Jewish Educational Media (New York, NY); Jewish Educational Media (Brooklyn, NY) | [22][23] |
| Nov 2012 | — | $120,000 | $120,000 | Jewish Educational Media (Brooklyn, NY) | [24] |
| Nov 2013 | — | $97,000 | $97,000 | Jewish Educational Media (Brooklyn, NY) | [25] |
| Nov 2015 | — | $4,500 | $4,500 | Jewish Educational Media (Brooklyn, NY) | [4] |
| Total | $258,000 | $1,130,812 | $1,388,812 |
Revenue and expenses as filed
Basis column: e-file = IRS e-file XML; summary = ProPublica's summary of IRS Statistics of Income data (the return itself not held); scan = figures read by eye from the return's page images on ProPublica (not yet second-checked). Schedule B: a public charity must attach its list of large donors, but the names are not open to public inspection; a private foundation's are.
| Year ending | Form | Contributions | Programme service revenue | Total revenue | Grants paid | Total expenses | Net assets at year end | Schedule B | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2000 | 990 | $44,318 | $67,336 | $171,892 | — | $150,625 | — | — | scan |
| Oct 2001 | 990 | $224,618 | $159,539 | $384,499 | — | $438,532 | $29,956 | — | scan |
| Oct 2003 | 990 | $159,829 | $745,736 | $905,845 | — | $850,131 | $158,464 | — | scan |
| Oct 2004 | 990 | $288,328 | $514,016 | $809,395 | — | $929,318 | $38,541 | — | scan |
| Oct 2005 | 990 | $303,869 | $954,765 | $1,259,687 | — | $1,249,221 | $49,007 | — | scan |
| Oct 2006 | 990 | $1,024,603 | $638,114 | $1,665,661 | — | $1,352,545 | $362,123 | — | scan |
| Oct 2007 | 990 | $1,432,914 | $633,542 | $2,069,936 | — | $1,528,574 | $903,485 | — | scan |
| Oct 2008 | 990 | $1,124,581 | $564,844 | $1,694,442 | — | $1,563,737 | $1,034,190 | — | scan |
| Oct 2009 | 990 | $612,881 | $810,998 | $1,424,458 | — | $1,676,630 | $750,598 | — | scan |
| Oct 2010 | 990 | $1,194,663 | $753,368 | $1,948,339 | — | $1,905,827 | $342,764 | — | scan |
| Oct 2011 | 990 | $1,512,362 | $705,301 | $2,217,663 | — | $2,192,756 | $407,671 | — | summary |
| Dec 2011 | 990 | $169,984 | $272,664 | $442,648 | — | $407,130 | $443,189 | — | summary |
| Dec 2012 | 990 | $1,692,189 | $773,117 | $2,465,306 | — | $2,318,366 | $590,129 | — | summary |
| Dec 2013 | 990 | $1,433,700 | $752,100 | $2,185,800 | — | $2,195,905 | $580,024 | — | summary |
| Dec 2014 | 990 | $1,857,987 | $940,159 | $2,858,813 | — | $2,410,883 | $1,027,954 | — | summary |
| Dec 2015 | 990 | $1,655,487 | $822,547 | $2,550,968 | — | $2,619,309 | $959,613 | — | summary |
| Dec 2016 | 990 | $1,764,970 | $815,385 | $2,635,089 | $0 | $2,946,865 | $647,837 | attached (names not public) | e-file |
| Dec 2017 | 990 | $2,009,356 | $1,052,003 | $3,119,072 | $0 | $3,071,745 | $814,563 | attached (names not public) | e-file |
| Dec 2018 | 990 | $2,187,105 | $731,880 | $3,007,571 | $0 | $3,320,179 | $501,955 | attached (names not public) | e-file |
| Dec 2019 | 990 | $2,061,130 | $896,264 | $2,975,987 | $0 | $2,906,082 | $560,640 | attached (names not public) | e-file |
| Dec 2020 | 990 | $1,918,217 | $726,204 | $2,689,191 | $0 | $2,970,517 | $779,314 | attached (names not public) | e-file |
| Dec 2021 | 990 | $4,339,820 | $895,664 | $5,249,829 | $0 | $4,589,548 | $1,283,794 | attached (names not public) | e-file |
| Dec 2022 | 990 | $3,410,272 | $1,262,889 | $4,708,175 | $0 | $3,794,223 | $2,177,582 | attached (names not public) | e-file |
| Dec 2023 | 990 | $2,439,079 | $1,100,862 | $3,602,769 | $0 | $3,714,830 | $2,145,921 | attached (names not public) | e-file |
| Dec 2024 | 990 | $2,932,432 | $1,395,363 | $4,347,832 | $0 | $4,516,478 | $1,977,275 | attached (names not public) | e-file |
Officers and directors
Names and titles as filed in Part VII of the e-filed returns (spellings as filed; one person may appear under more than one spelling).
| Name as filed | Title as filed | First e-filed year listed | Last e-filed year listed | Highest reported compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Ellinson | Treasurer | 2016 | 2019 | $23,835 |
| Chaim Shaul Brook | Director | 2016 | 2024 | $0 |
| David Krinsky | Chairman Of The Board | 2016 | 2020 | $0 |
| Elkanah Shmotkin | President | 2016 | 2024 | $255,697 |
| Joseph Friedman | Director | 2016 | 2020 | $0 |
| Uri Laber | Director | 2016 | 2019 | $0 |
| Mendel Tenenbaum | Treasurer | 2020 | 2020 | $0 |
| Yoel Gancz | Director | 2020 | 2024 | $0 |
| Yossi Deren | Director | 2020 | 2024 | $0 |
| Dovid Krinsky | Chairman Of The Board | 2021 | 2024 | $0 |
| Yosef B Friedman | Director | 2021 | 2024 | $0 |
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jewish Educational Media, "About Us", jemcentral.org, checked 20 October 2026. Chabad-side.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Jewish Educational Media Inc (EIN 11-3518767), Form 990 series returns e-filed with the IRS for the years ending October 2000 to 2024 (scanned returns to 2015, e-filed from 2016), XML as published in the IRS e-file data and mirrored by the GivingTuesday 990 data lake; also viewable as full filings on ProPublica. Figures as filed. Primary source (filed by the organisation).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Korf Family Foundation Inc (EIN 20-3942766), Form 990-PF for the tax year ending 30 November 2006 (2005 form), paper or printed return as scanned for the IRS public-inspection set, PDF via ProPublica. Read from the page images. Primary source (filed by the foundation).
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Laber Foundation Inc (EIN 20-3925774), Form 990-PF for the tax year ending 30 November 2015 (2014 form), e-filed 2016-07-14, IRS e-file object ID 201601969349100120, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, full filing, PDF via ProPublica. Primary source (filed by the foundation).
- ↑ Jewish Educational Media, "Our Team", jemcentral.org, checked 20 October 2026. Chabad-side.
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, Exempt Organizations Business Master File extract for New York (eo_ny.csv), irs.gov, downloaded 20 October 2026, row for EIN 11-3518767 (care of Alex Ellinson; subsection 03; foundation code 15 (public charity)). Primary source (IRS).
- ↑ New York City Department of Finance, ACRIS, document 2011060600528001 (deed, 287 Kingston Avenue, Brooklyn, 287 Holding LLC to Jewish Educational Media, Inc., $435,000, dated 6 June 2011), document, via the NYC Open Data ACRIS datasets, retrieved 20 October 2026. Primary source (city record).
- ↑ New York City Department of Finance, ACRIS, document 2015032600277001 (deed, 287 Kingston Avenue, Jewish Educational Media, Inc. to 285 Kingston NFP LLC, dated 24 March 2015), document, via the NYC Open Data ACRIS datasets, retrieved 20 October 2026. Primary source (city record).
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Molly Boigon, "Two Florida Chabad donors implicated in Optima schemes", The Forward, 21 February 2020 (with later corrections). Critical.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Isabel Vincent and Kathianne Boniello, "Businessmen accused of Ukraine money laundering gave millions to New York charities", New York Post, 6 March 2021. Critical.
- ↑ "Justice Department Seeks Forfeiture of Two Commercial Properties Purchased with Funds Misappropriated from PrivatBank in Ukraine", US Department of Justice, 6 August 2020. Primary source (allegations).
- ↑ The Korf Family Foundation Inc (EIN 20-3942766), original Form 990-PF for the tax year ending 30 November 2006 (2005 form), received by the IRS in October 2007 and later superseded by the amended return, PDF via ProPublica. Read from the page images. Primary source (filed by the foundation).
- ↑ The Laber Foundation Inc (EIN 20-3925774), original Form 990-PF for the tax year ending 30 November 2006 (2005 form), received by the IRS in October 2007 and later superseded by the amended return, PDF via ProPublica. Read from the page images. Primary source (filed by the foundation).
- ↑ The Laber Foundation Inc (EIN 20-3925774), Form 990-PF for the tax year ending 30 November 2016 (2015 form), e-filed 2017-10-15, IRS e-file object ID 201702889349100605, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, full filing, PDF via ProPublica. Primary source (filed by the foundation).
- ↑ The Laber Foundation Inc (EIN 20-3925774), Form 990-PF for the tax year ending 30 November 2020 (2019 form), e-filed 2021-12-13, IRS e-file object ID 202143479349100414, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, full filing (final return). Primary source (filed by the foundation).
- ↑ The Laber Foundation Inc (EIN 20-3925774), Form 990-PF for the tax year ending 30 November 2006 (2005 form), paper or printed return as scanned for the IRS public-inspection set, PDF via ProPublica. Read from the page images. Primary source (filed by the foundation).
- ↑ The Laber Foundation Inc (EIN 20-3925774), Form 990-PF for the tax year ending 30 November 2007 (2006 form), paper or printed return as scanned for the IRS public-inspection set, PDF via ProPublica. Read from the page images. Primary source (filed by the foundation).
- ↑ The Laber Foundation Inc (EIN 20-3925774), Form 990-PF for the tax year ending 30 November 2008 (2007 form), paper or printed return as scanned for the IRS public-inspection set, PDF via ProPublica. Read from the page images. Primary source (filed by the foundation).
- ↑ The Laber Foundation Inc (EIN 20-3925774), Form 990-PF for the tax year ending 30 November 2009 (2008 form), paper or printed return as scanned for the IRS public-inspection set, PDF via ProPublica. Read from the page images. Primary source (filed by the foundation).
- ↑ The Korf Family Foundation Inc (EIN 20-3942766), Form 990-PF for the tax year ending 30 November 2010 (2009 form), e-filed 2011-07-15, IRS e-file object ID 201111969349100601, PDF via ProPublica, XML from the IRS e-file data mirrored by the GivingTuesday 990 data lake. Primary source (filed by the foundation).
- ↑ The Laber Foundation Inc (EIN 20-3925774), Form 990-PF for the tax year ending 30 November 2010 (2009 form), e-filed 2011-03-17, IRS e-file object ID 201130769349100003, PDF via ProPublica, XML from the IRS e-file data mirrored by the GivingTuesday 990 data lake. Primary source (filed by the foundation).
- ↑ The Korf Family Foundation Inc (EIN 20-3942766), Form 990-PF for the tax year ending 30 November 2011 (2010 form), e-filed 2012-09-05, IRS e-file object ID 201212499349100511, PDF via ProPublica, XML from the IRS e-file data mirrored by the GivingTuesday 990 data lake. Primary source (filed by the foundation).
- ↑ The Laber Foundation Inc (EIN 20-3925774), Form 990-PF for the tax year ending 30 November 2011 (2010 form), e-filed 2012-09-05, IRS e-file object ID 201222499349100512, PDF via ProPublica, XML from the IRS e-file data mirrored by the GivingTuesday 990 data lake. Primary source (filed by the foundation).
- ↑ The Laber Foundation Inc (EIN 20-3925774), Form 990-PF for the tax year ending 30 November 2012 (2011 form), e-filed 2013-04-23, IRS e-file object ID 201321139349100017, PDF via ProPublica, XML from the IRS e-file data mirrored by the GivingTuesday 990 data lake. Primary source (filed by the foundation).
- ↑ The Laber Foundation Inc (EIN 20-3925774), Form 990-PF for the tax year ending 30 November 2013 (2012 form), e-filed 2014-06-20, IRS e-file object ID 201431719349100303, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, full filing, PDF via ProPublica. Primary source (filed by the foundation).