The government on Sunday approved a NIS 200 million national initiative to strengthen Jewish education in Diaspora communities, in partnership with The Jewish Federations of North America.
The plan, proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli, will be led by their respective ministries, together with the JFNA and Jewish communal partners worldwide.
The drive will focus especially on North America. Notably, some 1.8 million Jewish school-age children live in the United States, while only a small number attend Jewish educational institutions.
The plan aims to increase enrollment in Jewish schools, strengthen Jewish identity, deepen young Jews’ sense of belonging to the Jewish people, and reinforce their connection to the State of Israel.
It will also seek to address some of the central barriers keeping Jewish families out of Jewish schools, such as high tuition costs, geographic accessibility, lack of services for students with learning disabilities, and the need to strengthen educational excellence. Digital tools and new frameworks are also set to be part of the effort.
Making Jewish education accessible for nearly two million American children
Gary Torgow, chair of JFNA’s Board of Trustees, and Eric Fingerhut, JFNA president and CEO, attended the cabinet meeting. Torgow also shared that four years ago, on July 5, 2022 (6 Tammuz), the yahrzeit of Netanyahu’s brother Yoni, he met the prime minister to raise the need for significant Israeli government investment in Diaspora Jewish education. That meeting helped set in motion the partnership announced on Sunday, and it is precisely the kind of Israel-Diaspora partnership that is needed.
For too long, Jewish education in the Diaspora has been treated largely as a local communal concern. Parents, synagogues, philanthropists, federations, foundations, and school boards have shouldered the burden while Israel watched, encouraged, and occasionally helped.
Sunday’s decision recognizes a deeper truth: The Jewish future is a shared responsibility.
Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people. Its responsibilities extend beyond borders, passports, and security cooperation. The strength of Diaspora Jewry is a core strategic interest of the Jewish state, and the strength of Israel is a core part of Jewish identity around the world.
After October 7, 2023, this should be obvious. Jewish communities across the globe have faced a wave of antisemitism that has shaken campuses, schools, workplaces, synagogues, and public life. Many young Jews have been forced to answer questions about Israel, Zionism, Jewish history, and Jewish belonging in hostile environments before they were ever properly taught the language, history, and confidence needed to answer them.
Jewish education gives children that foundation. It will give them Hebrew words, Jewish memory, moral vocabulary, communal belonging, and a relationship with Israel that goes beyond the latest headline. It will allow them to stand tall as Jews.
This initiative addresses a genuine affordability and accessibility crisis
This initiative addresses a real crisis. Jewish day schools are often financially out of reach for middle-class families. Many communities do not have schools nearby. Many children with learning differences cannot get the support they need. Many parents who want a stronger Jewish education for their children find the system too expensive, too distant, or too limited. The Jewish people need serious answers to those problems.
The partnership with JFNA matters. Federations remain among the most important organizing structures of North American Jewish life. They know the communities, schools, donors, families, and local realities. An Israeli government plan without that infrastructure would risk becoming a slogan. A partnership gives it a chance to become policy.
The test now will be implementation. Money must reach the right places. Schools must be strengthened without suffocating local initiatives. New frameworks must serve families outside the existing system. The effort must include a wide range of Jewish communities and denominations. It must be measured by enrollment, access, quality, and impact.
This plan deserves praise. At a time when enemies of the Jewish people seek to frighten young Jews into silence, this is one of the most hopeful decisions Israel has made for the future of the Jewish people in years.
Source:
www.jpost.com
