About Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary
To nurture Torah scholarship and rabbinic leadership by providing world-class Talmudic and halachic education, mentoring students in middos (character) and preparing them to serve Jewish communities worldwide.
Focus Areas
Rabbinical educationTalmudHalachaJewish leadershipKollel/fellowship programs
Who They Fund
Orthodox rabbinical studentsKollel fellows / full-time Torah scholarsAspiring and current rabbis / clergyJewish community leadersIndividuals seeking pastoral counseling from clergy-trained professionals
Funding Style
capacity building (leadership development)
About Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary
Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary’s grantmaking is built around training rabbis and sustaining advanced Torah study: its active programs include full scholarships for full-time RIETS students, named fellowships in Kodshim, kollel stipends, and support tied to yearlong study in Jerusalem. The foundation’s own description emphasizes nurturing Torah scholarship and rabbinic leadership through Talmudic and halachic education, mentorship in middos, and preparation for service to Jewish communities worldwide. Recent grants show that this mission extends beyond internal student support. In 2024, it gave $29,000 to Yeshiva University High Schools, one of two identical grants to that recipient across 2023 and 2024. It also made repeated $14,500 grants to educational institutions and Jewish organizations such as Margolin Hebrew Academy, Addlestone Hebrew Academy, Torah Academy of Bergen County, and Machne Israel. Those awards suggest a steady pattern of support for Jewish education and community institutions alongside its seminary-centered programs. The seminary’s portfolio includes both institutional gift aid and fellowship-style support, with some programs tied to specific named funds and others to broader kollel and scholarship structures.
What Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Funds
A central theme is rabbinical formation. The seminary provides full scholarships to all full-time RIETS students, and its Kollel Elyon and other kollel programs pair monthly stipends with advanced Talmud and Halacha study plus professional development. Another clear focus is specialized textual scholarship. The Rabbi Jacob H. Kupietzky Memorial Fellowship supports advanced study of Kodshim, a rarer order of the Talmud, for scholars pursuing mastery of its texts and concepts. The foundation also supports pathways for specific communities and study settings. The Maybaum Sephardic Fellowship assists students of Sephardic heritage preparing for rabbinic careers in Sephardic communal institutions, while the Caroline and Joseph S. Gruss Institute program supports RIETS students spending a year of advanced study in Jerusalem. Its educational grantmaking also reaches schools and Jewish organizations, including support for Yeshiva University High Schools.
How Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Gives
The typical grant size is tightly clustered at $14,500, with the 25th, median, and 75th percentiles all at that amount. Two grants to Yeshiva University High Schools were $29,000 each, indicating a separate higher tier alongside the broader $14,500 pattern. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Yeshiva University High Schools and Machne Israel, which points to repeat support rather than one-off giving alone. The organization is an operating foundation linked to a seminary, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Some program support is unsolicited, but the active grant programs listed for fellowships and scholarships generally do not accept unsolicited requests.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$276K
Total Assets
$136.6M
Total Revenue
$23M
Total Expenses
$18.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $15K and $15K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$15K
Geographic Reach
National10 states funded
About 24% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
RABBI MARC PENNER
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