From the beginning of Jewish history, education has been inherent to who we are. It has been the beloved glue that has kept us thriving, excelling from generation to generation; a value that never ceases to be close to our hearts.
In Israel, the war continues. Precious lives of soldiers are being taken every week, and many families remain displaced as rockets continue to fire in border towns.
As the world’s only Jewish state remains under attack, and as individuals, governments and countries continue to show us hostility, it has brought to the forefront the question of every Jew around the globe: what does it mean to be Jewish?
For so many Jews around the world, living in countries bereft of strong Jewish presence and connection, with knowledge of events in Israel taken only from foreign media, how can they reconcile their Jewish identity with the world’s harsh eye on Israel and the ever increasing antisemitism arising from it?
It is therefore clear that the horrors of October 7th have highlighted the need for Jewish education like never before. The teachings of Jewish identity and values have never been so pertinent.
Connecting a child with their identity and history is one of the greatest gifts an adult can give. It arms the next generation with knowing their place in the world.
For a child to know who he is, gives him the ability to stand firm and solid in an otherwise unstable and unpredictable existence.
Through long term Jewish education, he will come to know his part in the historical chain that brings us to the present day.
The positive impact of connecting with one’s identity is clearly manifold, but without place, knowledge, and standing, it renders an individual easy to knock down.
We do not want any Jewish child to be left in such a position.
Those who know where they stand, who have attended Jewish programs, have Jewish peers, community, connection, and support, they are the ones that stand straighter, taller and stronger.
To have such definition and grounding is invaluable in today’s current climate and against the backdrop of war and international antagonism.
This is why the Yael Foundation enables organizations to connect Jewish children with their heritage. We go to those remote places, where the numbers are small. We build initiatives from the ground up, and we help schools and programs to thrive.
To present the next generation with tools of strength and resilience, is to nurture their ability to be truly in tune with their identity. The more children we can give this gift to, the more we as a global people can continue to go forth with strength.
Because education is long term, we do not always see the overnight positive effects it has on our children.
CEO of Yael Foundation
However, since October, one consoling factor is that we have had the privilege to see an influx of previously detached Jewish families spurred by the atrocity, to reconnect with their heritage and communities. As a result, a higher demand for accessible Jewish education has naturally come into play.
In the wake of the current war, many are seeking connection to their heritage, to make sense of what it means to be Jewish in a world where attacks like that of October 7th happen.
We are seeing an increase of children, young adults, and families, through the programs we support, connecting on a deeper level with their identity and values. They are attending various educational programs, volunteering, and are going to synagogue.
This is because the events shocked us back to ourselves and forced us to remember who we truly are. October 7th brought the message home.
Almost every Jew around the world has felt a calling in the past several months to learn what it really means, on a personal level, and as part of a nation, to be Jewish.
There are many elements to that and there is no denying that antisemitism is one factor that we have always had to contend with.
In one recent case, a Principal in France felt unable to protect Jewish students from spiraling antisemitism. He asked us to step in, to take the children out of his care.
Without the Yael Foundation, which has set up smaller coordinated education to help these children, there would not have been an option for them. Providing another avenue has allowed them to be defined by their rich and illustrious Jewish heritage in a positive way.
Without that, knowledge of their Jewish identity could have instead been defined by being ostracized from their non Jewish peers and enduring antisemitism.
The Yael Foundation wants to ensure no child grows up that way. We ensure the children in the communities we support have positive Jewish experiences, that they make solid friends, and create memories that will last their lifetime.
Many often mistakenly think that to give a child a Jewish education takes away from their academic growth, but at the Yael Foundation, we do not believe this is so.
We believe Jewish education goes hand-in-hand with the curriculum of maths, science, literature, and so forth.
We ensure not only that Jewish education exists globally, but that it is the best a Jewish child could possibly have.
Throughout the world, many are privileged with ease of access to educational avenues such as Sunday Schools, Youth Movements, Leadership Programs and Summer Camps.
The Yael Foundation reaches those remote places where no such activity is accessible.
Many across the globe are without, not only due to expense, but also because of logistical setbacks. We are there to help bridge these gaps.
Our co-founder, Uri Poliavich, was once a child far removed from his heritage. It was a realization of the lack of knowledge and education he had that gave him the determination to ensure other children have the opportunities he did not.
It is due to he and his wife Yael’s unwavering vision that has seen the success of the foundation go from strength to strength.
In the four years the foundation has been active, we are now proudly supporting 75 school programs across 33 countries, and that number continues to grow. From Ukraine to Argentina, from Estonia to Brazil, the lives of thousands are being enriched as we help educational programs thrive.
We won’t stop working until we give every Jewish child a chance to connect with their heritage, to give them the gift of knowing who they are, how important they are, and their place in a world that can often be so hostile to their proud heritage.
As a people, we have never been defined by the antisemitism we have experienced in the past. Neither will it define us in the present. By together investing in education, we ensure it won’t ever do so in future.
Chaya Yosovich, CEO of Yael Foundation is a contributing writer to Jlife Magazine.
