JLens Launches Jewish Advocacy ETF to Combat Antisemitism and Promote Jewish Values

A new exchange-traded fund (ETF) designed to promote Jewish values and advocate against antisemitism launched Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange.

The JLens 500 Jewish Advocacy U.S. ETF (NYSE:TOV), developed by JLens, an affiliate of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), provides investors with a way to align their financial goals with Jewish principles while engaging in shareholder advocacy.

The fund, backed by more than $100 million in seed capital from various Jewish organizations, will track the JLens 500 Jewish Advocacy U.S. Index. This index includes the largest 500 publicly traded U.S. companies, screening out those that do not align with Jewish values. Companies that remain are assessed on Jewish values scorecards, and JLens engages in shareholder advocacy through board engagement, proxy voting, and other corporate influence strategies.

The launch comes amid rising concerns about antisemitism, with ADL reporting more than 10,000 incidents in the U.S. in the year following the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 — the highest number recorded since ADL began tracking in 1979. In addition, U.S. corporations have increasingly faced pressure from Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement campaigns, which JLens research indicates have targeted over 75 of the 500 largest U.S. public companies in the past year.

ADL CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt emphasized the importance of leveraging financial tools to counter antisemitism.

“The launch of TOV reflects the need for a strong, deliberate, and innovative response to the unprecedented spike in antisemitism,” Greenblatt said in a statement. “New challenges call for new tools and strategies, and thanks to JLens, TOV will allow us to stand up to hate using a wide array of shareholder advocacy tools.”

JLens Managing Director Ari Hoffnung noted the growing influence of corporations on societal issues.

“Given their profound influence on society — now rivaling that of governments — corporations have an obligation to ensure their products, platforms, and workplaces remain free from antisemitism and all forms of hate,” Hoffnung said. “TOV provides a new investment vehicle for the Jewish community to hold corporations accountable while allowing investors to invest Jewishly.”

Empowered Funds, operating as ETF Architect, LLC, serves as the funds advisor. More information about the JLens 500 Jewish Advocacy U.S. ETF is available at investjewishly.org.