About Kehillah Jewish Education Fund
Through the power of achdus, we strengthen Torah education for Chicago's Orthodox community. We unite our kehillah's resources to ensure every Jewish child can access an excellent Torah-based education.
Focus Areas
K-12 Jewish educationTuition assistanceSchool support and operationsSpecialized learning supportCommunity building and outreach
Who They Fund
Chicago Orthodox Jewish communityJewish children (preschool through high school)Families requiring tuition supportWomen leaders within the kehillah
Funding Style
direct tuition assistance / scholarshipscapacity building for schools (school strengthening & program support)
About Kehillah Jewish Education Fund
Kehillah Jewish Education Fund centers its giving on one clear purpose: strengthening Torah education for Chicago’s Orthodox community. Its largest recent grants go to Orthodox day schools across Chicagoland, with support that reaches tuition assistance, operating needs, specialized learning support, and school program development. The pattern is consistent across multiple years, with major awards going to schools such as Joan Dachs Bais Yaakov Hebrew Day School, Cheder Lubavitch Hebrew Day School, and Arie Crown Hebrew Day School. The fund also supports schools serving different parts of the Orthodox educational landscape, including Hillel Torah North Suburban Day School and Yeshiva Ohr Boruchthe Veitzner Cheder. Beyond core school support, the fund’s structure reflects a community-wide approach to access. It backs partner schools through pooled philanthropic support and also directs dedicated tuition-gap assistance so that Jewish children can remain enrolled in day school. The result is a grantmaker that operates within a defined local network rather than across broad geographies, using its resources to sustain both school operations and family affordability. Leadership is listed under Elizabeth Walder, and the fund’s work is tightly connected to the Chicago-area Orthodox Jewish community.
What Kehillah Jewish Education Fund Funds
A major strand of giving is direct support for K-12 Jewish education. The fund gave $110,822 to Bais Yaakov High School of Chicago for charitable support, reflecting attention to secondary-school education within the network. Tuition assistance is another recurring theme. The Dr. Yosef Walder Legacy Achdus Fund is designed to help bridge unpaid tuition gaps so no Jewish child in Chicagoland is turned away from day school, and it supports families through the partner schools. The fund also backs specialized school communities and program support. For example, it granted $19,511 to Netivot Pathways Academy, showing support for a named school serving a distinct educational pathway. In addition, the active program list includes school support for operational needs, specialized learning support, and educational excellence in Judaic and general studies across 11 Orthodox day schools.
How Kehillah Jewish Education Fund Gives
Grant sizes are uneven, with a typical award around the six-figure range: p25 is $12,162, median grant size is $98,476, and p75 is $113,928. The recent record shows both very large school awards and smaller operating or program grants. Grants recur across years to the same schools, which points to ongoing partner-school funding rather than one-time support. The fund is organized as a local community education fund that raises and distributes collective contributions; it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Unsolicited applications are not accepted for the partner-school support programs listed.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.2M
Total Assets
$341K
Total Revenue
$3.2M
Total Expenses
$3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $12K and $114K, with a median of $98K.
25th Percentile
$12K
Median
$98K
75th Percentile
$114K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
ELIZABETH WALDER
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