The Dutch Jewish Humanitarian Fund (JHF) started operating in 2002. The Foundation was established as a result of the negotiations on Jewish war claims in the Netherlands. In the settlement between the Dutch Jewish community, the Dutch Jews in Israel, and the Dutch government, it was agreed to allocate part of the Dutch government’s contribution toward a fund supporting projects dedicated to Jewish life in Central and Eastern Europe.
The award policy of the Dutch Jewish Humanitarian Fund is based on the principles of human rights and tzedakah. Tzedakah is not a privilege but a moral right. The aim of tzedakah is to establish a just society. These principles are embedded in the Jewish tradition. In Leviticus XIX (9) is the admonition "not [to] wholly reap the corners of thy field" but to leave them for the poor. The JHF logo (a rectangle with a corner cut off) symbolizes these values.