The Yael Foundation and the Lauder Foundation have launched a mega-philanthropic partnership that will completely remodel the Jewish educational landscape across Europe.
Uri Poliavich, Founder of the Yael Foundation, and Ronald Lauder, President of the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, met recently to agree on working together to revitalize Jewish education across the continent with philanthropic gifts expected to total tens of millions of dollars.
The first fruits of this significant philanthropic partnership are being put toward the renovation and expansion of a prominent Jewish school in Rome, the 100-year-old Scuole Ebraiche di Roma. With a €25 million total investment goal and €14 million contributed by the Yael Foundation and The Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, the project represents a collaboration to further Jewish education at a time of increased interest, in large part because of rising antisemitism.
“I have been waiting decades to partner with people like Uri and Yael, and this partnership represents the best news for Jewish schools in Europe over the past 20 years,” said Ronald Lauder, whose foundation has been supporting the school for many years as part of their longstanding investment in the operations of excellent Jewish community schools going back to 1987. “As an organization deeply committed to advancing Jewish day schools across Europe, we believe this renovation is the project of a century, and are incredibly honored to be part of it.”
The Jewish school in Rome, which has around 1,000 students, runs from kindergarten to 12th grade, has faced significant challenges, including limited space and outdated facilities. The philanthropic investment will address these issues, ensuring students have access to a larger, more secure, modern, and conducive learning environment. The renovation project will prioritize critical infrastructure needs, provide enhanced educational resources and foster an optimal learning environment for students, allowing the school to accept more students and continue to innovate.
“We established Yael Foundation out of a deep passion for providing access to high-quality Jewish education and making it universally accessible for children all over the world,” said Uri Poliavich, who founded the Yael Foundation with his wife Yael Poliavich. “Growing up in an area that lacked such educational opportunities, I feel personally compelled to ensure Jewish children have access to exceptional Jewish learning. Together with our partner, the Lauder Foundation, this project represents just one of the many we’re going to embark on to support Jewish education across Europe.”
“We both feel that this partnership is especially vital as parents and children are seeking out Jewish educational alternatives due to rising Antisemitism. Jewish schools need to become centers of excellence, competing with the best non-Jewish schools in their countries or regions, to attract students who will become tomorrow’s Jewish leaders.”
Rome, with its historical status as one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world, makes it the ideal location to put down the first practical roots of this historic philanthropic partnership.
“We successfully engaged and convinced two of the largest Jewish philanthropic foundations globally to invest significantly—formalizing their contribution at €14 million—for the enhancement of school buildings in Rome. This initiative represents growth and hope for our entire community,” said Victor Fadlun, President of the Jewish Community of Rome.
Poliavich and Lauder have already potentially identified a few more projects involving the building of new Jewish schools in locations where none had previously existed and expanding existing prominent Jewish educational institutions in Europe.
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, its 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.
The Ronald S. Lauder Foundation underwrites the future of Jewish life in Europe through supporting excellent Jewish schools. With flagship projects in European capital cities, including Athens, Berlin, Budapest, Prague, Rome, Sofia and Vienna, the Foundation provides financial, educational, and strategic support to Jewish communities to better enable their schools to prepare young Jews for personal and professional success, and active participation in Jewish life. Since its founding in 1987, the Foundation has reached tens of thousands of Jewish children across Europe.
