Major Funders, Organizations Join Forces to Transform Jewish Day School Education

At the Jewish Funders Network International Conference 2025 last week, the Mayberg Foundation collaborated with other leading philanthropists and communal organizations to highlight urgent issues facing Jewish day schools. The discussion featured two key leaders: Paul Bernstein, who heads Prizmah (the Center for Jewish Day Schools), kicked off the conversation, while Eric Fingerhut of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) wrapped up with a powerful message. He urged the nearly 100 attendees to back JFNA's efforts to boost both funding and student enrollment in Jewish day schools.

Other notable speakers included Mayberg Foundation Trustee Manette Mayberg and Executive Director Todd Sukol, who presented on the foundation's collaborative work with JEIC and Prizmah to develop talented Jewish educators, alongside leaders from the Ronald S. Lauder Impact Initiative, Samis Foundation, and UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.

"The strongest lever for fostering Jewish continuity and combating antisemitism is doubling down in Jewish education investment – not just Israel education, Jewish education," Manette emphasized during the conference. This focus comes at a crucial time, as Jewish communities nationwide face growing demand for robust educational environments in the wake of both the COVID-19 pandemic and the October 7th Hamas attacks.

Strategic Partnerships: Building Educational Excellence

Through collaboration with major funders including the Jim Joseph Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, and UnitEd, the Mayberg Foundation is addressing four critical areas: educational excellence, teacher recruitment and retention, enrollment growth, and affordability. This comprehensive approach aims to strengthen Jewish day school education while meeting the evolving needs of Jewish families seeking strong educational foundations for their children.

"In communities around the country, talented day school leaders and educators are elevating the field at this critical moment to meet the needs of more families," said Jenna Hanauer, Senior Program Officer at the Jim Joseph Foundation. "There are opportunities and challenges ahead--and we're grateful to dive into them with Prizmah, JFNA, peer funders, and other committed leaders who care deeply about meaningful Jewish education."

The landmark session was made possible through the support of the following co-sponsors: Lisa Popik Coll & Arieh Coll, Crown Family Philanthropies, Jim Joseph Foundation, The Naomi Foundation, UnitEd – a Partnership with the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, and Arnee R. & Walter A. Winshall.