Particularly acute since the recent global economic downturn decimated the nation’s philanthropic fund base, the Jewish day school movement’s financial crisis has continued to be of concern in major American cities. Over recent years, some schools have been forced to close their doors, or to downscale their programs, while tuition costs have continued to escalate even as families struggle to pay bills.
In Chicago, the success of the Jewish Day School Guaranty Trust Fund has provided a bulwark against such losses for close to a decade. Formed with the goal of providing an endowment to assist a range of the community’s day schools through good and bad economic times, the fund distributed nearly $1.7 million to its network of 16 institutions in 2015. Participating schools include Joan Dachs Bais Yaakov/Yeshivas Tiferes Tzvi Academy, the Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago, and Chicagoland Jewish High School.
In total, since its 2006 revamping, the fund has disbursed close to $14 million to support the quality Jewish educational programs that families need. Each year, the fund makes its distributions based on schools’ enrollment figures. Those monies represent only a part of what the community’s federation-directed Jewish United Fund provides in educational allocations, tuition assistance, personnel training, and guaranties for facilities expansion. Over the years, community leaders in Chicago have praised the creators of the fund for supporting the central Jewish value of a good education, both in secular subjects and in ethics and religious tradition.
In Chicago, the success of the Jewish Day School Guaranty Trust Fund has provided a bulwark against such losses for close to a decade. Formed with the goal of providing an endowment to assist a range of the community’s day schools through good and bad economic times, the fund distributed nearly $1.7 million to its network of 16 institutions in 2015. Participating schools include Joan Dachs Bais Yaakov/Yeshivas Tiferes Tzvi Academy, the Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago, and Chicagoland Jewish High School.
In total, since its 2006 revamping, the fund has disbursed close to $14 million to support the quality Jewish educational programs that families need. Each year, the fund makes its distributions based on schools’ enrollment figures. Those monies represent only a part of what the community’s federation-directed Jewish United Fund provides in educational allocations, tuition assistance, personnel training, and guaranties for facilities expansion. Over the years, community leaders in Chicago have praised the creators of the fund for supporting the central Jewish value of a good education, both in secular subjects and in ethics and religious tradition.