More than 200 Jewish educators and thought leaders from across the globe are set to converge on Limassol, Cyprus next week for the third annual International Yael Foundation Conference.
The Feb. 3-5 event, titled “Education and Beyond,” will focus on advancing Jewish education and addressing its most pressing challenges.
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, including:
• Ensuring equitable access to high-quality Jewish and general education for every Jewish child, regardless of geographic location or community size;
• Combating rising antisemitic threats around the world;
• Exploring the evolving trends within the Jewish world post-Oct. 7, 2023.
The highlight will be a gala dinner during which the Yael Foundation Awards of Excellence will recognize outstanding achievements in promoting Jewish identity, educational innovation, community, continuity and resilience.
Notable participants will include Israel Defense Forces Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog, chairman of the executive of the Jewish Agency, and Michal Cotler-Wunsh, a former Israeli lawmaker currently serving as the Jewish state’s antisemitism envoy.
A number of educators attending the summit come from schools that have been targeted by antisemitism in the past year, with some participants representing a school in Odessa, Ukraine, that has opened its doors to Jewish refugees fleeing the ongoing conflict.
Founded in 2020 by Cyprus-based Uri and Yael Poliavich, the foundation, whose motto is “No Jewish Child Left Behind”, is a leading philanthropic initiative currently working in 35 countries and impacting 13,000 Jewish students.
The foundation is building a new school in Limassol, at the cost of 50 million euros ($55.9 million), which aims to provide access to Jewish learning and ensure the highest standards of education.
The organization currently provides grants to 55 day schools, 18 Sunday schools, 10 kindergartens and 17 after-school educational programs.
In September, the Yael Foundation and the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation launched a partnership to remodel the Jewish educational landscape across Europe.
The first fruits of the partnership will be allocated to the renovation and expansion of a prominent Jewish school in Rome; the 100-year-old Scuole Ebraiche di Roma. With a €25 million ($25.9 million) total investment goal, €14 million ($14.5 million) of which will be contributed by the Yael Foundation and Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, the project aims to further Jewish education at a time of increased interest, in large part because of rising antisemitism.
Last month, the Yael Foundation spearheaded an initiative that brought together Jewish children from across the globe during Chanukah to raise awareness of the Israeli hostages being held by Palestinian terrorists in Gaza.
Children in Latin America, Europe and Asia learned about the hostages’ plight and lit Chanukah candles arranged in the shape of the yellow ribbon that has come to symbolize the captives.
