The Jewish Theological Seminary received a $2.67 million grant from the Avi Chai Foundation to implement its strategic plan at the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education.
The AVI CHAI Foundation awarded nearly $2 million to support the Conservative movement’s Solomon Schechter network of Jewish day schools.
Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, is a somber one. Families and friends visit the graves of deceased loved ones, sad music plays all day on the radio, and special programming replaces regularly scheduled television shows. It doesn’t seem like the kind of day to be animated.
The Andrea and Charles Bronfman and Avi Chai foundations are in the process of spending down their assets. They are working to make sure groups they help stay afloat.
The Schechter Day School Network has dwindling enrollment and schools closing or dropping affiliation. What do these issues say about the Conservative movement?
Non-Orthodox day schools have suffered an enrollment dip of 5 to 6%. It may not be surprising in light of the deep recession and the general decline in Jewish affiliation.
When it comes to funding innovative Jewish organizations and projects, few foundations are more involved than three that are shutting their doors in the next few years — the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies (ACBP), the Avi Chai Foundation and the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund. While observers differ about the impact of their closing, one thing is certain: The funders’ absence is sure to leave the Jewish nonprofit world challenged to find new funders.