A unique new ETF has debuted, offering investors an opportunity to align their financial goals with religious values — the JLens 500 Jewish Advocacy U.S. ETF TOV. Interestingly, the ticker symbol “TOV” translates as “good” in Hebrew.

With a net expense ratio of just 18 basis points, the ETF will mirror the performance of the JLens 500 Jewish Advocacy U.S. Index.

Developed by JLens, an affiliate of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the ETF not only seeks financial returns but also aims to hold corporations accountable for their policies and actions. TOV primarily follows a replication strategy to track its index but may occasionally use representative sampling at the discretion of fund advisors.

While the index does not concentrate heavily on any single industry, as of Oct. 31, 2024, it had significant exposure to the information technology sector.

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JLens excludes companies that derive more than 5% of their revenue from industries that conflict with Jewish ethical and social values, such as for-profit prisons, tobacco, oil sands production and thermal coal extraction.

Companies that make the cut are further evaluated based on three core Jewish advocacy principles, namely, combating antisemitism, supporting Israel and improving the world, which includes ethical business practices, labor rights, social responsibility and environmental concerns.

Each company is then assigned a value score, determining its weight in the index. As of Nov. 1, 2024, 496 companies, including major players like Apple Inc AAPL, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. BRK BRK, and Alphabet Inc GOOGLGOOG, were included in the index.

Strong Backing From Jewish Organizations

The ETF launched with over $100 million in seed capital from prominent Jewish organizations, including the ADL Foundation, the Atlanta Jewish Foundation, the Goodman Family Foundation and the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago.

ADL data shows that the U.S. has recorded over 10,000 antisemitic incidents in the year following the October 7 attack. Additionally, JLens research found that more than 75 of the 500 largest U.S. companies were targeted by Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns in the past year, pressuring them to sever economic ties with Israel.

By combining financial performance with faith-based principles, TOV offers investors a unique way to make an impact while staying true to their values. With its launch, the Jewish community has a powerful tool to amplify its voice in corporate boardrooms and ensure that companies uphold ethical standards.

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