Yael Foundation: Empowering Jewish students to choose Jewish education

The Yael Foundation has officially launched a new innovation leadership program for principals of Jewish schools globally after an upsurge in registration due to rising antisemitism since October 7.

Those behind the new International Leadership Program say it is vital that new tools are built to ensure that the recent rise in interest among Jewish students is met with improving standards and innovative educational methods to ensure that Jewish schools become the educational institutions of choice for young Jews and their parents.

“Principals are the directors of their schools; everything derives from their ability to educate and innovate in impactful ways,” said Uri Poliavich, co-founder of the Yael Foundation. “This program is a direct and lasting investment in a strong and enduring future for Jewish education around the world. Jewish students receiving a high-quality Jewish education has always been important, but especially now, with the upsurge of interest in Jewish schools, it is absolutely essential.”

International academic research has shown that investing in school principals is one of the most effective ways to improve education. The Yael Foundation is playing a significant role in leading this field, utilizing innovative concepts and methodologies tailored to the challenges of the current era.

“We are seeing a surge of interest in applications for Jewish schools around the world, and we know that much of this interest is driven by anti-Semitic intimidation and fear,” said Chaya Yosovich, CEO of the Yael Foundation. “The challenge for those involved in Jewish education is ensuring that Jewish schools need to be more than just a haven from threats or abuse; they should be centers of excellence, competing with the best non-Jewish schools in their countries or regions. We want parents and prospective students to run towards our schools and not run away from other schools.”

Ensuring that Jewish schools remain the preferred choice for Jewish students

“To meet this goal, we are building a global cadre of principals who are innovators and leaders, who will challenge their students, help spread excellence, and ensure that Jewish schools remain the preferred choice for Jewish students even when antisemitism does eventually become less of an issue.”

After a successful pilot program, eighteen principals from schools in Argentina, Brazil, Spain, France, Austria and Ukraine, among others,  were selected among dozens of applicants to attend the one-year program run in conjunction with Reichman University, where the participants learned in a special Summer Semester program from top experts in the fields of education and innovation and try and use some of the concepts from the Israeli invention and innovation scene and how they can be utilized in the classroom.

“Our aim is to create a network of ‘Start-Up Classrooms’ so there is no better place than to have our principals come and learn from those who built and are integrated into the ‘Start-Up Nation’,” said Naomi Kovitz, Deputy Director of the Yael Foundation. “The Foundation places a premium on strong leadership for educators as the cornerstone of every vibrant Jewish community. It transcends traditional teachings and demands innovation and a visionary outlook, and that is what this unique program is about.”

While in Israel on the one-week intensive study program, they visited the Peres Center for Innovation and received presentations from senior faculty at the Adelson School of Entrepreneurship at Reichman University, where the principals learned about such disciplines as applied innovation, creative thinking for innovative management and multidisciplinary innovation in action, change and systemic management and entrepreneurship.

Founded by Uri and Yael Poliavich in 2020, the Yael Foundation is now a leading philanthropic initiative currently working in 35 countries impacting 13,000 Jewish students, and leading change to promote excellence in Jewish education. In collaboration with other foundations and philanthropies, it’s many initiatives and grants are having an extremely positive impact on the future of the Jewish people worldwide.

The Yael Foundation’s grantees nurture a strong sense of Jewish identity in their students to help them become tomorrow’s Jewish leaders and are uniquely driven by the conviction that all Jewish children, irrespective of their geographic location or community size, should have access to high-quality Jewish and general education.