The Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation concentrates its support on Orthodox Jewish religious life, with major gifts to yeshivas, kollels, and Torah education programs. Grants are sizable and targeted, often directed to institutions that provide formal religious schooling, synagogue/kollel operations, and community charity within the Jewish communal ecosystem. The foundation appears to favor a small set of recurrent institutional recipients rather than broad public charities or secular causes.
A $270,000 grant to Yeshiva Meor Eynayim in Brooklyn anchors the Erwin & Ruth Zafir Foundation Inc’s recent record and shows the scale at which it supports Orthodox Jewish education. The foundation’s largest awards go to yeshivas, kollels, and related institutions that carry out full-time study, synagogue-based learning, and communal religious programming. Its grants are not scattered across many sectors; they repeatedly flow to a relatively small circle of Jewish educational and charitable organizations. The pattern includes repeated support for the same institutions over multiple years. Yeshiva Meor Eynayim appears more than once in the recent grants list, as do Bmg in Lakewood, Agudath Israel of America in New York, and The Donors Fund in Lakewood. Other significant gifts have gone to Mir Yerushalayim, Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, and Yeshiva Bais Hillel, reflecting a clear emphasis on formal Torah study and the institutions that sustain it. The foundation also funds Jewish communal infrastructure beyond classroom instruction, including congregations and charity organizations tied to community life. Recent gifts to Kollel Shabbath Kodesh, Cong Shomer Shabbos, Mikvah Yisroel, and Sara Broker Hacnosas Kallah fit that broader religious-communal profile.
Orthodox Jewish education is the clearest center of activity. The foundation gave $180,000 to Keren Olam Hatora for education, $127,500 to Bmg for education, and $96,000 to Yeshiva Mir Yerushalayim for education. Those awards point to support for institutions that teach, house, and organize advanced study. It also backs communal charity and umbrella organizations. In 2024, it gave $146,000 to Agudath Israel of America for charity, and it followed with $115,500 in 2025. The Donors Fund received $75,450 in 2025 after prior grants of $64,000 in 2024 and $63,750 in 2023. Special education appears as a smaller but distinct line of giving. The foundation awarded $50,000 to Yeshiva Livnas Hasapir in 2025 and had already made the same amount of support in 2023, showing repeated attention to that program area.
Grant sizes are relatively concentrated around modest-to-mid-sized institutional awards: the 25th percentile is $3,900, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $26,538. Recent grants can be much larger, but the distribution shows a wide spread rather than a single fixed amount. The foundation gives repeatedly to the same organizations across years. Yeshiva Meor Eynayim, Agudath Israel of America, Bmg, The Donors Fund, and Yeshiva Livnas Hasapir each appear more than once in the recent record. The organization is a private foundation, not a funder of individuals, and it does not make program-related investments.
$1.4M
$14.5M
$1.5M
$1.4M
Most grants fall between $4K and $27K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$27K
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Concentrated giving: a small number of large grants, repeat funding to core grantees (e.g., multiple payments to Yeshiva Meor Eynayim), primarily directed to religious/education institutions rather than many small or diverse recipients.
Notable grantees: Yeshiva Meor Eynayim, Kollel Shabbath Kodesh, Keren Olam HaTora, Agudath Israel of America, BMG
Giving is highly concentrated in New York, which accounts for 82% of grants. Brooklyn appears most often among recipient locations, including grants to Yeshiva Meor Eynayim, Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, and Cong Shomer Shabbos. New York City recipients also include Agudath Israel of America and Sara Broker Hacnosas Kallah. Outside New York, recent grants reached Lakewood, New Jersey, including Keren Olam Hatora and Bmg. All grants in the dataset go to U.S. recipients.
Its recent grants center on Orthodox Jewish education and communal institutions. Yeshivas and kollels appear frequently, along with Jewish charities, congregations, and related infrastructure such as mikvah and kallah-support organizations.
Typical awards are in the low five figures: the 25th percentile is $3,900, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $26,538. Recent grants also include larger six-figure awards to major institutions.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Yeshiva Meor Eynayim, Agudath Israel of America, Bmg, The Donors Fund, and Yeshiva Livnas Hasapir. That pattern suggests recurring institutional support rather than one-time gifts only.
Most grants go to New York recipients, and 82% of grants are in the foundation’s headquarters state. Brooklyn is a frequent recipient city, with other gifts going to New York City and to Lakewood, New Jersey.
No. The foundation’s profile indicates that it does not fund individuals, and the recent grants record shows institutional recipients such as yeshivas, charities, congregations, and related Jewish community organizations.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KEREN OLAM HATORA | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $180,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| YESHIVA MEOR EYNAYIM | BROOKLYN, NY | $146,600 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| AGUDATH ISRAEL OF AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $115,500 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| BMG | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $115,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| YESHIVA MIR YERUSHALAYIM | BROOKLYN, NY | $96,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| THE DONORS FUND | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $75,450 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| MIKVAH YISROEL | BROOKLYN, NY | $68,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| CONG SHOMER SHABBOS | BROOKLYN, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | CONGREGATION |
| SARA BROKER HACNOSAS KALLAH | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| YESHIVA LIVNAS HASAPIR | BROOKLYN, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | SPECIAL EDUCATION |
| YESHIVA TORAH VODAATH | BROOKLYN, NY | $44,330 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| MIR YERUSHALAYIM | BROOKLYN, NY | $43,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| MESIFTA NER MOISHE | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $30,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| VARIOUS DONATIONS (ADDRESS AVAILABLE UPON REQUESTED) | BROOKLYN, NY | $28,392 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| YESHIVA TV | BROOKLYN, NY | $26,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| SAR MIRIAM KALLAH FUND | BROOKLYN, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| RENEWAL | BROOKLYN, NY | $18,900 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| MOSDOS SQUARE | BROOKLYN, NY | $18,000 | 2025 | CONGREGATION |
| SHUVU | BROOKLYN, NY | $18,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| SHEKEL HAKODESH | NEW SQUARE, NY | $18,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| THE OJC FUND | BROOKLYN, NY | $12,500 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| MESAMCHE LEV | BROOKLYN, NY | $10,125 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| YESHIVA BONIM LAMOKOM | BROOKLYN, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | SPECIAL EDUCATION |
| YESHIVA NER MOISHE | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| TOMCHEI SHABBOS OF BP | BROOKLYN, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF REFUAH V'CHAIM | BROOKLYN, NY | $9,600 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| VAAD REFUAH | BROOKLYN, NY | $8,600 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| VARIOUS UNDER 500 | BROOKLYN, NY | $8,567 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| NACHLAS YITZCHOK | FLUSHING, NY | $8,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| TZEDAKA VOCHESED | BROOKLYN, NY | $8,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| PROJECT WITNESS | BROOKLYN, NY | $7,900 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| KOLLEL SHABOS KODESH | BROOKLYN, NY | $7,500 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| KEREN MUGIN MOISHE | BROOKLYN, NY | $7,460 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| CONG KAHAL UNGVAR | BROOKLYN, NY | $6,700 | 2025 | CONGREGATION |
| CONGREGATION SHUTZ | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $6,000 | 2025 | CONGREGATION |
| CHEDER | BROOKLYN, NY | $5,300 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| CONG MOSDOS TOLDOS AHARON | BROOKLYN, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | CONGREGATION |
| YESHIVA TIFFERES MOAV | KEW GARDENS, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| YESHIVA KETANA OF LAKEWOOD | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| BHI | BROOKLYN, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| FRIENDS OF THE TIFERET ZION INC | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| TORAH UTEFILA | BROOKLYN, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| CONG TIFERES ZVI | BROOKLYN, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | CONGREGATION |
| BETH JACOB OF BORO PARK | BROOKLYN, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| YESHVA GEDOLA TIFERETH SHMUEL | BROOKLYN, NY | $4,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| RCCS | BROOKLYN, NY | $3,600 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF CHAIM LAYELED | BROOKLYN, NY | $3,600 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| HATZALAH VOLANTEER AMBULANCE | BROOKLYN, NY | $3,600 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| VAAD L'HACNOSAS ORCHIM | BROOKLYN, NY | $3,160 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| CONG MEFOR HATFILA | BROOKLYN, NY | $2,500 | 2025 | CONGREGATION |
KEREN OLAM HATORA
$180,000EDUCATION
YESHIVA MEOR EYNAYIM
$146,600EDUCATION
YESHIVA MIR YERUSHALAYIM
$96,000EDUCATION
CHARITY
MIKVAH YISROEL
$68,000CHARITY
CONG SHOMER SHABBOS
$50,000CONGREGATION
SARA BROKER HACNOSAS KALLAH
$50,000CHARITY
YESHIVA LIVNAS HASAPIR
$50,000SPECIAL EDUCATION
YESHIVA TORAH VODAATH
$44,330EDUCATION
MIR YERUSHALAYIM
$43,000EDUCATION
MESIFTA NER MOISHE
$30,000EDUCATION
VARIOUS DONATIONS (ADDRESS AVAILABLE UPON REQUESTED)
$28,392CHARITY
YESHIVA TV
$26,000EDUCATION
SAR MIRIAM KALLAH FUND
$20,000CHARITY
RENEWAL
$18,900CHARITY
MOSDOS SQUARE
$18,000CONGREGATION
SHUVU
$18,000CHARITY
SHEKEL HAKODESH
$18,000CHARITY
MESAMCHE LEV
$10,125CHARITY
YESHIVA BONIM LAMOKOM
$10,000SPECIAL EDUCATION
YESHIVA NER MOISHE
$10,000EDUCATION
TOMCHEI SHABBOS OF BP
$10,000CHARITY
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF REFUAH V'CHAIM
$9,600CHARITY
VAAD REFUAH
$8,600CHARITY
VARIOUS UNDER 500
$8,567CHARITY
NACHLAS YITZCHOK
$8,000CHARITY
TZEDAKA VOCHESED
$8,000CHARITY
PROJECT WITNESS
$7,900CHARITY
KOLLEL SHABOS KODESH
$7,500CHARITY
KEREN MUGIN MOISHE
$7,460CHARITY
CONG KAHAL UNGVAR
$6,700CONGREGATION
CONGREGATION SHUTZ
$6,000CONGREGATION
CHEDER
$5,300EDUCATION
CONG MOSDOS TOLDOS AHARON
$5,000CONGREGATION
YESHIVA TIFFERES MOAV
$5,000EDUCATION
YESHIVA KETANA OF LAKEWOOD
$5,000EDUCATION
BHI
$5,000CHARITY
FRIENDS OF THE TIFERET ZION INC
$5,000CHARITY
TORAH UTEFILA
$5,000CHARITY
CONG TIFERES ZVI
$5,000CONGREGATION
BETH JACOB OF BORO PARK
$5,000EDUCATION
YESHVA GEDOLA TIFERETH SHMUEL
$4,000EDUCATION
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF CHAIM LAYELED
$3,600CHARITY
HATZALAH VOLANTEER AMBULANCE
$3,600CHARITY
VAAD L'HACNOSAS ORCHIM
$3,160CHARITY
CONG MEFOR HATFILA
$2,500CONGREGATION