A Jewish day school education is one of the greatest gifts my parents gave me — a gift I passed on to my children, and they now to theirs.

Like so many yeshiva and day school graduates, it shaped every aspect of my life, grounding me in our texts, history, practices, and language.

There are many gateways to Jewish life and engagement, from summer camps to JCCs to synagogues and more. But studies have shown that day school education is among if not the most enduring.

That alone would be a powerful call to invest in Jewish education. However, in our current climate, there is another compelling reason.

Since October 7, Jewish students have faced a steep rise in antisemitism on college campuses and in public and independent school classrooms. On the other side of this same moment, there has been an outpouring of Jewish pride and connection, as more people seek comfort in the Jewish community.

For that reason, parents who might not have previously considered Jewish day schools for their children are now seeking them out. And yet, as has long been the case, the high cost of day school education remains a major barrier for many families.

That’s why, building on our decades-long investment in Jewish life and education, we’re now launching the UJA Day School Tuition Fund, a $15 million, three-year pilot designed to expand access and affordability.

To start, there are two tracks of scholarship eligibility — ranging from $15,000 to $20,000 per scholarship — for the 2026–27 academic year:

• First-time day school families: Students entering grades 6–12 who transfer from public or secular private schools to an eligible Jewish day school.
• Jewish communal professionals: Children of Jewish communal professionals, entering grades K–12 at an eligible Jewish day school.

Details about participating schools and eligibility requirements can be found here.

Not long ago, at a UJA staff town hall, where “all questions are answered” — a staff member asked me if we could help ease the financial burden of day schools for Jewish communal professionals.

It was a more than reasonable ask.

Our professionals, the backbone of our community, are not motivated by great financial gain, but by a deep sense of mission and purpose. Making it possible for them to educate their children in the Jewish world they work to strengthen every day shouldn’t be a question — it is simply our responsibility.

The initiative is a natural extension of UJA’s longtime commitment to strengthening Jewish education and Jewish life. While our organizational roots are in social service, in the late 1970s, wise leaders — led by the visionary Joseph Gruss — recognized that proud, public, literate Jews are essential to our collective future.

Over the last 45 years, UJA has invested more than $400 million in Jewish day school education, including: 

• The Fund for Jewish Education (FJE) – Ensuring Jewish educators have access to critical benefits such as life insurance and health coverage. UJA has been the largest funder of FJE since its inception and recently assumed full responsibility for its administration and operation. 
• Day School Challenge Fund – Securing new endowment funds for New York Jewish day schools and yeshivot.
• Rose Biller Scholarship Fund – Offering scholarships annually for students demonstrating the highest level of financial need.
• Annual support for The Jewish Education Project – Strengthening nearly 300 Jewish day schools and yeshivot across New York through this key partner.
• Day school advocacy – In partnership with TeachNYS and The Jewish Education Project, helping New York schools secure significant government funding for security, STEM programming, professional development, and student support grants.
• Additional funding – Supporting diverse learners, teacher training, Israel education, and more.

And in moments of crisis — during the pandemic, when refugees arrived in New York at the start of the Ukraine war, and again after October 7, when dislocated Israeli children needed to be placed in local day schools and yeshivot — we stepped in with emergency funds.

Now, we’re piloting this tuition fund, with the hope that it will significantly grow and expand with communal support in the years to come.

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For millennia, Jewish life has been sustained by a charge in the Shema, the foundational prayer and central affirmation of Judaism: V'shinantem levanecha, “And you shall teach them (words of Torah) to your children.”

From exiles to golden ages, from cheders to online resources, from Spain to Vilna to Jerusalem to New York, Jewish learning has shaped who we were and who we are.

So now, it’s our obligation — our blessing, really — to carry these words forward, making Jewish education ever more affordable and accessible. 

Shaping who we will become.

Shabbat shalom