By Micah Greenland

ith research indicating that very real one. Even as the Orthodox sacrifices must contend with incredible is the key Union’s wildly successful youth group, financial stress. And as so many of these Wto Jewish survival, one NCSY (National Conference of families are confronted with tuition would hope that the majority of Jewish Synagogue Youth), fights every day to bills larger than their mortgages, often- children are enrolled in Jewish day involve these kids in Jewish activities times tremendous shalom bayit prob- school. Unfortunately, this is far from and excite them about their , it lems ensue. the case. Take Chicago for example. is an uphill battle. NCSY chapters in Whose responsibility is it to Chicago’s Jewish community is the respond to this predicament? In short, fourth largest in North America, with it is everyone’s. If Jewish day schools are almost 275,000 (in the city and As so many families are con- to compete with public schools on an suburbs). Sixteen percent of that popu- fronted with tuition bills even playing field, there is one funda- lation—some 44,000 people—are in larger than their mortgages, mental change that must take place. the nursery school through high school Just as public schools do not rely on age range. Yet, all of the city’s Jewish oftentimes tremendous parents to absorb the cost of educating day schools combined service only shalom bayit problems ensue. their children (but rather the expense is 4,400 students. In other words, only assumed by the entire tax-paying com- one out of every ten youngsters who munity), the Jewish community must could be attending a Jewish day school the Chicago area reach 1,000 of the collectively shoulder the burden of edu- actually is. 39,600 kids who do not attend day cating its children. Halachic authorities The 90 percent of Jewish kids in school. throughout the ages have acknowledged Chicago not attending day school stand Many of these youths are not in the collective responsibility to provide a little chance of maintaining their Jewish Jewish schools for one reason: tuition education to Jewish children, yet identity. Assimilation and intermarriage cost. Public schools offer a quality secu- the practice in North America has been are constantly on the rise, and the lar education at no cost. True, Chicago’s to leave the responsibility primarily to threat of losing these kids altogether is a day schools have made incredible strides the parents. Short of levying a “Jewish over the last decades to improve the education tax” on all , quality of the secular education they there are a number of variations on that Rabbi Greenland is regional director of the offer. Yet, most parents weighing the concept that could achieve the same Greater Midwest Mesorah Region of NCSY. costs verses the benefits of a day school results. A musmach of University, Rabbi education rarely get past the costs. Chicago is one city that is taking Greenland taught and Tanach in Those, on the other hand, who the notion of communal responsibility Jewish day schools before pursuing NCSY are committed to paying for the chin- seriously. Three different initiatives have work full time. He lives in Chicago with his uch of their children regardless of the been introduced in recent years, and, wife and four children. 28 JEWISH ACTION Fall 5766/2005 according to Rabbi Harvey A. Well, Advancement), a local organization that the of Metropolitan superintendent of the ATT (Associated promotes Torah and mitzvot. The con- Chicago launched two endowment pro- Talmud of Chicago), the cept behind the Kehilla Fund is simple: grams in 2000: a general fund and a umbrella organization that oversees Every person in the community makes school-specific fund. In order to effec- the city’s twelve Orthodox day schools monthly contributions to support tively promote planned giving to Jewish (grades K-12), the combination of the Jewish education, even if that individ- schools, the Federation also offered an various programs has already had a seri- ual doesn’t have school-age children. initial match of 10 percent of all gifts ous impact. Ultimately, Rabbi Well Initiated over a year ago, the Kehilla and pledges. While the match for the believes that these programs can help Fund distributes $36,000 each month, general fund expired, the match for the attain two important goals for collected from 214 families, to school-specific fund is in effect until Chicago’s Jewish community—lower Chicago’s eight Orthodox elementary June 30, 2006. Clearly, once this tuition and a higher percentage of schools. (Allocations are based upon expires, the Federation must do more Jewish students enrolled in Jewish day enrollment.) The Kehilla Fund is fur- to promote planned giving to day school. ther augmented by a 10 percent match schools over the dozens of other George Hanus, a local attorney from Hanus’s Superfund. By the end of planned giving opportunities. So far, and real estate developer, was among 2005, AFTA Chairman Rabbi Nesanel the Federation day school endowments the first to advocate locally and nation- Siegal hopes to have 1,000 families have collected over $1.1 million in gifts ally on behalf of the day school cause. contributing close to $1 million and another $6 million in pledges. As He pioneered the Superfund for Jewish annually. of this writing, the schools have Education and Continuity, a fund that received two disbursements—each of supports fourteen day schools in Just as public schools do approximately $70,000, just from the Chicago (the twelve ATT schools and interest of the general endowment two Conservative schools) through an not rely on parents to absorb alone. Certainly, this effort is a wonder- annual campaign as well as through the cost of educating their ful attempt at jumpstarting planned planned giving. Established nearly a children, the Jewish commu- giving for day school education. decade ago, the planned giving compo- nity must collectively shoul- These three approaches—the nent of the Superfund, known in Superfund, the Kehilla Fund and the Chicago and around the country as der the burden of educating Federation endowments—are already “Operation Jewish Education/The 5 its children. helping schools improve the quality of Percent Answer,” asks all American Jews their education. As these programs to bequeath 5 percent of their estates to Rabbi Siegal plans to use the mature, Chicago parents will, hopefully, Jewish day schools. Donors to the Fund to offer educators opportunities see tuition reductions as well. Superfund can contribute to a general for professional development and con- All of these local efforts can and fund or earmark their gifts for a specific tinuing education. He also envisions should be replicated in other cities. school. reducing the cost of tuition by one- Each community must create a central Hanus is unambiguous in his third (from an average of $7,500 to address specifically for contributions to goal: to raise enough money to provide $5,000) while improving teachers’ day schools so that it has a vehicle a free day school education for all salaries and the quality of Jewish through which to assume collective American Jewish children. In Hanus’s education. responsibility. The establishment of view, this requires the creation of a cen- The Superfund and the Kehilla long-term solutions (such as the tral fundraising body or bodies in each Fund have somewhat different appr- Federation endowments and “The 5 community to distribute the funds to oaches. As mentioned earlier, the Percent Answer”) along with more the schools. The Superfund has raised Kehilla Fund supports only the eight immediate remedies such as the several million dollars in gifts and Orthodox elementary schools while the Superfund and the Kehilla Fund, repre- pledges for the local schools. However, Superfund supports all fourteen day sents the dual approach necessary in much work remains to be done; the schools, Orthodox and not. Nonethe- order to effect change. amount raised is not even enough to less, both approaches are major depar- Chicago is proud of the leader- cover the collective day schools’ budgets tures from the way day schools in ship role it continues to take on these for one year. North America usually raise funds. issues, and we hope that some of these Another local visionary, Dr. Yosef The third initiative is the creation efforts, along with those made by other Walder, a scientist and entrepreneur, of federation-sponsored endowment communities, can bring us closer to the created the Kehilla Jewish Education programs for day schools. In addition goal of making day school education Fund, which is administered through to its annual allocation to day schools more readily available to all Jewish AFTA (Association for Torah (totaling approximately $2.7 million), children. JA

Fall 5766/2005 JEWISH ACTION 29