The Yael Foundation’s third annual conference aims to provide Jewish communal and educational leaders with the tools to overcome challenges while creating a network for them, Chaya Yosovich, the CEO of the organization, told JNS on Sunday in Cyprus.
“We are growing at the fastest pace possible as we feel it is crucial for communities who need help right now to establish a school, maintain a school or have a Sunday school, to provide Jewish kids with access to a Jewish environment,” said Yosovich.
More than 200 Jewish educators and thought leaders from across the globe are converging on Limassol for the Feb. 3-5 event, titled “Education and Beyond,” to focus on advancing Jewish education.
Over the course of three days, attendees from 37 countries spanning four continents will engage key decision-makers, influencers and philanthropists in critical discussions on key issues affecting the Jewish people.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a small community or a big community, a place where there is one option for Jewish education or a lot of options. We must make sure there are top choices for Jewish kids to take part in the experience,” said Yosovich, while emphasizing the foundation’s grassroots approach.
“Usually, organizations would come up with what they think is the solution and provide what in their opinion is right. We are going the opposite way,” she explained.
“We ask those in the field what are their challenges, what do they need; each place could need something different. Some may say they lack good teachers, good buildings and infrastructure or good marketing. Whatever it is, we try to help with it and give them monthly funding,” she added.
Since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, Yosovich said the foundation has focused on ensuring that all Jewish educational institutions have the required security.
“Places which lack security, we fund it fully for them, whatever the costs are. We saw an increase in demand in that sense since Oct. 7, and it’s very important for us to make sure everyone is safe,” she said.
“We build their resilience and teach them ways of dealing with things so that if they ever have to, they will do so from a point of strength,” she added.
At the same time, Yosovich noted a trend of increasing communal connectivity amid a growing global tidal wave of Jew-hatred.
“We see that people, communities, schools, are partnering, there is a feeling of closeness. A lot of Jewish families that were not necessarily connected to the community came together,” she said.
“Some started to send their children to Jewish schools. We don’t want them to send their kids because of antisemitism. We want parents to send them because those schools are great places, as good if not better than the top schools in their surroundings,” she added.
In Limassol, the Yael Foundation has launched its flagship project, a Jewish education campus that will soon welcome 1,500 children.
“While there are a lot of Israeli families and Jewish kids in Limassol, there are limited options, and we want to build a model of excellence. We are investing over € 50 million to create this incredible place and the family are waiting impatiently for it to be ready,” she said.
“Jewish education is key for Jewish identity. It’s important for a child to know who he is, who his crowd is, his family, his friends and the place where he belongs to, it will make him a stronger person. These strong, fine, leaders will help ensure the future of the Jewish nation,” said Yosovich.