On November 30, the St. Paul Jewish Federation Board of Directors approved several motions to broaden support for Jewish education in St. Paul.
Beginning Fiscal Year May 1, 2023 – April 30, 2024, Temple of Aaron, Beth Jacob Congregation, and Mount Zion Temple will be eligible to receive funding from the Federation’s Annual Campaigns to support K-12 grade Jewish education programs.
The decision reflects the recognition that synagogues play a vital role in educating our youth, and the Federation is committed to broadening its support for local Jewish K-12 education.
According to the 2019 Jewish Twin Cities Population study, most families are opting to send their children to supplemental Jewish education programs, which, in St. Paul, are provided primarily by local synagogues and Talmud Torah of St. Paul’s after-school programs.
“Parents are ultimately the primary decision-makers in determining the type of Jewish education they want for their children. We want to respect and honor these families’ decisions by investing in K-12 supplemental Jewish education programs, regardless of where they are offered in St. Paul,” said Ted Flaum, CEO of the St. Paul Jewish Federation.
In addition, the Board approved providing grants to Temple of Aaron, Beth Jacob Congregation, and Mount Zion Temple during Federation’s current fiscal year to support each synagogue’s K-12 Jewish educational programs. This decision demonstrates the Federation’s commitment to broadening its support of K-12 supplemental Jewish education programs.
These decisions come when St. Paul Jewish Federation reimagines its allocation process, including establishing ways more organizations serving our community may apply for funding.
The grants the Federation approved to the synagogues are in addition to the significant funding the Federation already committed to supporting formal Jewish education during the 2022-23 fiscal year, primarily through its funding of Talmud Torah of St. Paul and the Lubavitch Cheder Jewish Day School.
Interviews conducted by a community engagement strategist, Leslie Rosen Stern, key learnings she shared with the Board, and the 2019 Jewish Twin Cities Population Study findings support these decisions. The Board is committed to support Jewish education for ALL parents in our community, regardless of where they choose to send their children. Providing parents with choices for K-12 Jewish education programs makes St. Paul a more attractive community to raise Jewish children.
We value St. Paul synagogues’ critical role in providing Jewish education to our youth. We want to continue to build stronger, mutually beneficial relationships between the St. Paul Jewish Federation and all our community institutions.
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