Yael Foundation increases budget by €15 million to tackle Jewish education needs

By forming strategic partnerships with other foundations, the Yael Foundation supports initiatives and grants that have a profound and lasting impact on the future of the Jewish community.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF FEBRUARY 4, 2025 19:05

(photo credit: Yael Foundation)

At the third annual international education summit, the Yael Foundation welcomed the largest number of attendees with leaders of Jewish communities worldwide traveling from 37 different countries. It was during this occasion that Uri Poliavich, Founder of the Yael Foundation, announced that he is raising the annual budget of the Yael Foundation from 25 million Euros to 40 million Euros.

The growing budget, the foundation explained, was needed to accommodate the global needs of the Jewish community in light of the rising rates of antisemitism.

The conference, titled “Education and Beyond,” drew some 200 Jewish educators, and thought leaders from across the globe, taking place in Limassol, Cyprus. Its main goal was to focus on advancing Jewish education and addressing its most pressing challenges.

"Over the last 15 months since the massacre on October 7th, our enemies have physically targeted the Jewish State on seven fronts,” said Poliavich. “In tandem with those attacks on Israel, our global enemies have relentlessly targeted the global Jewish community with unprecedented antisemitism. This assault directly targets Jews and Jewish heritage resulting in large numbers of Jews who have been forced to hide and disengage from their identity and traditions.”

“The antidote to this is more Jewish education.  This has made our core mission of assuring that no Jewish child is left behind absolutely paramount. We can not let them down. Not those children who can not afford a Jewish education and certainly not those who are seeking the refuge of a Jewish school. Against this backdrop, I am proud to announce that we are doubling last year’s annual giving budget to 40 million Euros because this is such a crucial time and a moment that we dare not shirk."

Saul Blinkoff addressing the crowds at the summit. (credit: Yael Foundation)

October 7 aftermath

Since Hamas’s October 7 attacks on southern Israel, which marked a major turning point for both the Jewish state and the diaspora, the Yael Foundation directed funds for the growing security of Jewish schools and launched a project that will build a holistic response to antisemitic threats in communities beginning in Europe.

The project saw communities mapped and the threat level graded based on intelligence, research, and other capabilities available, and assessed those communities that can immediately implement the project on a holistic communal level. 

Among the many countries represented at the summit were thought leaders from Odesa, Ukraine which has had to deal with numerous challenges from the Russian invasion beyond the struggles of antisemitism.

Notable participants at the Summit include Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combatting Antisemitism Amichai Chikli, Israel Defense Forces Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog, chairman of the executive of the Jewish Agency and Iris Chaim, whose family became known across Israel and the Jewish world when her son, an escaped hostage in Gaza, was mistakenly killed by the IDF.

Founded in 2020 by Uri and Yael Poliavich, the Yael Foundation has rapidly become a leading force in philanthropy. It is dedicated to driving innovation, excellence, and positive change in Jewish education worldwide.

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By forming strategic partnerships with other foundations, the Yael Foundation supports initiatives and grants that have a profound and lasting impact on the future of the Jewish community.

Guided by its motto, “No Jewish Child Left Behind,” the foundation remains committed to nurturing Jewish identity and empowering the next generation of Jewish leaders. Its mission is to ensure that every Jewish child, no matter where they live, has access to both an exceptional Jewish and general education.