About Our Heritage
Founded in August 2020, the Our Heritage program encourages Jewish day school enrollment, by providing $30,000 matching grants to participating Chabad day schools, who enroll 10 or more students coming from public schools.
Since its founding, Our Heritage has awarded $1,200,000 in matching grants to over 35 Chabad day schools, enabling 703 Jewish students to receive a Jewish education around the world. The schools note an 81% retention rate, and the impact on the children and their families has been immeasurable.
Our Heritage works closely with over 50 Chabad day schools, some of which are award-winning. Our Heritage helps them identify their specific needs and challenges, and arranges collaborative events for Chabad day school leaders to network, and explore best marketing practices, so that each school can recruit new students, uniting them with their Jewish heritage.
Our Heritage Terms of Eligibility Year Five
Is Your School Eligible?
- The Our Heritage program is for Chabad day schools that are elementary, middle schools or high schools.
- Is your Chabad day school able to enroll students who have transferred from public school or non-Jewish private school?
- Can you provide a proof of transfer for each new child that enrolls? (i.e. a report card proving that they attended public school or a non-Jewish private school prior to enrolling at Chabad day school)
- Can you provide a continued proof of enrollment that the student(s) is currently enrolled at your Chabad day school? (i.e. attendance sheet or report card. This is required three times per year)
Our Heritage Grant System:
- Grants start at $3,000 per child coming from public school who is enrolled at your Chabad day school.
- Grant of up to $30,000 is allocated once 10 or more children coming from public schools are enrolled.
- *Checks are issued in two installments: once in the beginning of the school year, and after verifying continued enrollment.
- Proof of matching funds raised is required.
Award Winning Schools
Providing Jewish Students with a Top Notch Education
There are 35 Chabad day schools around the world participating in the fifth year of the Our Heritage program. Included in the Our Heritage schools is the Blue-Ribbon Award winning Mazel Day school in Brooklyn, NY.
Chabad day schools around the world provide a strong foundation in Judaic studies, transmit core Jewish values, and offer high level STEM curricula as well. Chabad day school students graduate with both a general and Jewish studies knowledge base, and a strong sense of pride in their Jewish beliefs.
Our Heritage Schools
- Academy of the Arts, Redondo Beach, CA
- Bader Hillel Academy, Milwaukee, WI
- Bader Hillel High, Milwaukee, WI
- Bais Chomesh High School, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Chabad Early Center & The Academy of the Arts and Sciences, Bayside, NY
- Chabad Hebrew Academy, S. Diego, CA
- Chabad Pico Learning Center, Los Angeles, CA
- Chabad STREAM School, Queens, NY
- Chabad Study Pod/Beis Betzalel Chabad, Los Angeles, CA
- CMCH Elementary INC, Atlanta, GA
- Desert Torah Academy, Las Vegas, NV
- Gan Katan, Brooklyn, NY
- Ganeinu Academy, Fresh Meadows, NY
- Hebrew Academy OC, Huntington Beach, CA
- Hebrew Academy Tampa Bay, Tampa, FL
- Jewish Institute of Queens, Queens, NY
- JNY Day School, Toronto, ON
- Kerem Menahem, Nice, France
- Lubavitch on the Palisades, Tenafly, NJ
- Lubavitch Sparks High School, Brooklyn, NY
- Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy, Springfield MA
- Magen Israel, Great Neck, NY
- Magen Israel Schools, Long Island, NY
- Mazal Jewish Day School, Brooklyn, NY
- Sacramento Jewish Academy, Sacramento, CA
- Shaloh House Jewish Day School, Brighton, MA
- Silverstein Hebrew Academy, Great Neck, NY
- Slater Torah Academy, New Orleans LA
- South Florida Jewish Academy, Coconut Creek, FL
- Stanford Eisenberg Knoxville Jewish Day School, Knoxville, TN
- Tamim Academy, Boca Raton, FL
- Tamim Academy, Burlington, VT
- Tamim Academy York Region, ON
- Tenafly Jewish Academy, Tenafly, NJ
- The Cheder of the Bay Area, Pleasonton, CA
- Academy of the Arts, Redondo Beach, CA
- Bader Hillel Academy, Milwaukee, WI
- Bader Hillel High, Milwaukee, WI
- Chabad Pico Learning Center, Los Angeles, CA
- Chabad STREAM School, Queens, NY
- Chabad Study Pod/Beis Betzalel Chabad, Los Angeles, CA
- CMCH Elementary INC, Atlanta, GA
- Desert Torah Academy, Las Vegas, NV
- Hebrew Academy OC, Huntington Beach, CA
- Hebrew Academy Tampa Bay, Tampa, FL
- Jewish Institute of Queens, Queens, NY
- JNY Day School, Toronto, ON
- Kerem Menahem, Nice, France
- Lubavitch Sparks High School, Brooklyn, NY
- Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy, Springfield MA
- Magen Israel Schools, Long Island, NY
- Mazal Jewish Day School, Brooklyn, NY
- Sacramento Jewish Academy, Sacramento, CA
- Shaloh House Jewish Day School, Brighton, MA
- Silverstein Hebrew Academy, Great Neck, NY
- Slater Torah Academy, New Orleans LA
- South Florida Jewish Academy, Coconut Creek, FL
- Stanford Eisenberg Knoxville Jewish Day School
- Tamim Academy, Burlington, VT
- Tamim Academy York Region, ON
- Tenafly Chabad Academy, Tenafly, NJ
Inspired Students
Hundreds of Lives Transformed
Meet Shelby, one of the 575 students who is attending Chabad day school with the help of Our Heritage.
“Transferring to a Jewish school brought me closer to Yiddishkeit, Hashem and other Jews. It brought me a sense of community and belonging, and my life has truly transformed, and has become so enriched with Torah and Mitzvos.”
TESTIMONIALS
“My eldest daughter, who is nine, has been in public school for 3 years already. She came into the school year with not one piece of knowledge about the Alef Bet. Not more than 9 months later, she is reading Hebrew and learning Chumash. My children have made new friends who understand them. Being at Desert Torah Academy this year has contributed to their self-identity as a Jewish child.”
“For me, as I’ve felt like my world has been falling apart, being able to provide this opportunity for my children through the financial help we’ve received has really allowed me to have something to feel proud about.” – Single mom of three children benefiting from the Our Heritage Grant, Las Vegas Nevada
“The Our Heritage grant has given us the ability to help parents who would not have otherwise been able to take on the financial responsibility of a day school tuition.” – Rabbi Yossi Mintz, Academy of the Arts, Manhattan Beach California, where the student body grew from 33 students to over 80 in the 2020-2021 school year
“Our Heritage provided the necessary funds to widely market our high school to draw in new out-of-town students and increase enrollment at a time when our school board would have otherwise been focused on cutting costs during COVID.” – Rabbi Mendel Shmotkin, Bader Hillel Academy, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
“My whole life has changed. I keep Shabbat, I go to synagogue. I am so happy to feel a part of my people.” Gabriela, Brooklyn, NY, Student at Mazel Day School through Our Heritage.
“Coming to Silverstein Hebrew Academy was the best decision of my life, and now Judaism means so much to me”Leenor Davidov, 7th grade, Great Neck, NY, Student at Silverstein Hebrew Academy through Our Heritage
Global Impact
The power of a Jewish education
“Since joining the Desert Torah Academy we have been able to grow socially, we’ve been able to grow religiously. We belong somewhere now.”
Jessica Abaian, mom of four children in Our Heritage Jewish day school
“These children transformed their families, who have now transformed their homes to Yiddishe homes, with many fathers putting on Tefillin every day. Some of the families brought in other families.
Rabbi Yossi Mintz, Redondo Beach, CA
Our Heritage is dedicated in loving memory of
Reb Shneur Hirsch
Shneur Hirsch, ע”ה, a longtime friend of MEF, believed deeply in the power of Chinuch. Shneur was an early believer in the potential of the Our Heritage project and it was his direct encouragement and generous support that brought the successful program to fruition.
“This is a chance to change the course of a Jewish child’s life,” Shneur shared with MEF in the summer of 2020, when Our Heritage was in its earliest stages. “Instead of going to a public school they can attend a Yeshiva and receive an authentic Jewish education. These children will grow up and lead Jewish homes based on Torah and Mitzvos. There is no greater investment in our future.”
Unfortunately, Shneur did not get to see the full growth and success of the program, with nearly 200 public school students enrolled, as he passed away on כ”ז תשרי after a nearly two-year battle with an illness. In 2021, the Our Heritage Program was renamed in his memory, recognizing the key role Shenur played in the success of the program. With his guiding light as inspiration, Our Heritage will continue to seek out more children to enroll in Jewish education and ensure that Jewish children across the country can access their birthright of Torah.
May the Torah learning of these Jewish children be a Zchus for שניאור זלמן בן יבלחט”א גימפל אברהם.
Shneur Hirsch, ע”ה, a longtime friend of MEF, believed deeply in the power of Chinuch. Shneur was an early believer in the potential of the Our Heritage project and it was his direct encouragement and generous support that brought the successful program to fruition.
“This is a chance to change the course of a Jewish child’s life,” Shneur shared with MEF in the summer of 2020, when Our Heritage was in its earliest stages. “Instead of going to a public school they can attend a Yeshiva and receive an authentic Jewish education. These children will grow up and lead Jewish homes based on Torah and Mitzvos. There is no greater investment in our future.”
Unfortunately, Shneur did not get to see the full growth and success of the program, with nearly 200 public school students enrolled, as he passed away on כ”ז תשרי after a nearly two-year battle with an illness. In 2021, the Our Heritage Program was renamed in his memory, recognizing the key role Shenur played in the success of the program. With his guiding light as inspiration, Our Heritage will continue to seek out more children to enroll in Jewish education and ensure that Jewish children across the country can access their birthright of Torah.
May the Torah learning of these Jewish children be a Zchus for שניאור זלמן בן יבלחט”א גימפל אברהם.
Program Committee
- Mr. Bob Aronson, Chairman
- Mr. Alex Swieca, Vice Chairman
- Mr. John Goodman
- Mrs. Devorah Leah Hirsch
- Mr. Mendel Pinson
- Rabbi Menachem Schmidt
- Rabbi Noach Weinstein
- Mr. Alan Zekelman
Sponsors
Platinum
- Alan & Lori Zekelman
Gold
- Anonymous Foundation in Milwaukee
- Gloria Kaylie
- Mendel and Reut Pinson
- Modway INC ~ Tuvya Greisman
- Shneur OBM & Devorah L. HirscH
Silver
- Bram Family
- Dovid & Malkie Smetana
- Efraim Ahdut
- Noach Weinstein
- Swieca Children’s Foundation
Bronze
- Aronow Foundation
- Avrohom Hayman
- Blavatnik Foundation
- Bobrow Foundation
- Gadi Blizinsky
- George & Pamela Rohr
- Howard Jonas
- Josh & Robyn Goldhirsh
- Leibi and Chanie Marsow
- Sami Dournburush
- Yosef I & Batsheva Popack
