GAJE has written in the past about the recent surge in efforts by Jews of all ages and levels of communal affiliations across North America to enhance their knowledge of Judaism and to join in and experience the sense of Jewish peoplehood that might have been lacking to date in their lives.
The surge is directly traceable to the assault on Jews and on the State of Israel that has sprung to sordid life on streets, campuses, union halls and media newsrooms throughout the West. Ironically, in their efforts to do away with the Jewish people and the ancestral/modern Jewish State, the haters are actually driving a campaign of Jewish “growth” and “renewal” in all realms of Jewish life.
Philanthropists, educators and Jewish school administrators in the Jewish world have taken note of the surge and are trying to put in place systems to substantively pivot from and appropriately accommodate the changes occurring in our lives.
One such effort was reported last month in the Jerusalem Post. It told of an initiative by the Yael Foundation aimed at enhancing the skills and abilities principals of Jewish schools around the world to enable them to enrich the learning experience of their respective schools.
According to its website, “the Yael Foundation was created in 2020 by Jewish philanthropists Uri and Yael Poliavich, relying on their vision of the global Jewish community as one family bound by shared values and a commitment to mutual support. Our Foundation is committed to enable a Jewish child in any city and in any community, small or large, to receive prestigious and value-oriented Jewish and general education. As of Summer 2023, Yael Foundation is supporting more than 50 schools, kindergartens, Sunday schools and afterschools, and special educational initiatives in 28 countries on all continents.”
The initiative is based upon the proven notion that investing in school principals is one of the most effective ways to improve education.
“Principals are the directors of their schools; everything derives from their ability to educate and innovate in impactful ways,” said Uri Poliavich, co-founder of the Yael Foundation. “This program is a direct and lasting investment in a strong and enduring future for Jewish education around the world. Jewish students receiving a high-quality Jewish education has always been important, but especially now, with the upsurge of interest in Jewish schools, it is absolutely essential.”
Chaya Yosovich, CEO of the Yael Foundation, places this latest effort to enhance and constantly improve Jewish education in its proper context: “We are seeing a surge of interest in applications for Jewish schools around the world, and we know that much of this interest is driven by anti-Semitic intimidation and fear. The challenge for those involved in Jewish education is ensuring that Jewish schools need to be more than just a haven from threats or abuse; they should be centers of excellence, competing with the best non-Jewish schools in their countries or regions. We want parents and prospective students to run towards our schools and not run away from other schools.”
GAJE agrees with Yosovich’s approach. She has described a key aspiration for all Jewish education. We bring this initiative to the attention of our readers because we deeply believe that knowing more of how Jewish communities worldwide is responding to these difficult days, is important. We can more easily find strength and hope, if not quite optimism, in knowing that Jews throughout the world are standing together, side by side, to resist the haters.
The article about the initiative can be found at:
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In a decision released September 10, a three-member panel of the Divisional Court agreed with the Province of Ontario that GAJE’s lawsuit for fairness in educational funding should be dismissed. GAJE will seek leave to appeal this decision.
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If you wish to contribute to GAJE’s lawsuit for fairness in educational funding, please click here.
For further information, please contact Israel Mida at: imida1818@gmail.com
Charitable receipts for donations for income tax purposes will be issued by Mizrachi Canada. Your donations will be used for the sole purpose of underwriting the costs of the lawsuit.
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Shabbat shalom
Am Yisrael Chai
Grassroots for Affordable Jewish Education (GAJE)
September 20, 2024
Grassroots for Affordable Jewish Education 