Zichron Chaim Inc. is a Monsey-based Orthodox Jewish funder that overwhelmingly supports religious education and synagogue/kollel institutions. The foundation concentrates very large awards to a handful of core yeshivot and girls' schools while also making smaller operational or program gifts to congregations and community aid organizations in Orthodox population centers. Its giving reflects an emphasis on sustaining traditional Torah learning and communal infrastructure within the Orthodox Jewish world.
Zichron Chaim Inc. centers its giving on Orthodox Jewish education, with the largest recent awards going to Moreshes Bais Yaakov for $711,497 in 2024 and Tiferes Chaim for $621,000 in 2023. Those two grants, both in Lakewood, set the tone for a portfolio that favors schools and institutions tied to Torah study, girls’ education, and communal religious life. The foundation also made a $166,000 grant to Shiras Chaim in 2024, showing that its support extends beyond one institution and into a small set of closely related educational organizations. Across its recent grants, Zichron Chaim Inc. shows a pattern of backing established faith-based infrastructure rather than broad, open-ended philanthropy. The recipient mix includes yeshivot, Bais Yaakov schools, kollels, congregations, and Jewish community aid groups, with several awards going to Lakewood recipients and others reaching Orthodox communities in New York, Massachusetts, and Florida. Leadership is listed under Tzvi Y Perlstein, and the foundation’s assets and annual grants indicate a sizable private giving vehicle focused on sustaining traditional religious education.
In girls’ Torah education, Zichron Chaim Inc. gave $711,497 to Moreshes Bais Yaakov in 2024 and $21,000 to the same school in 2023, indicating repeated support for that institution. In boys’ yeshiva education, it made a $25,000 grant to Cheder Toras Zev and a $19,650 grant to Mesivta of Long Beach, both in 2023. Adult Torah learning is also part of the portfolio: Freehold Kollel received $19,804 in 2024, and Yeshiva Toras Menachem received $11,750 in 2023. Beyond schools and kollels, the foundation supported community religious organizations such as Congregation Ay in Edison with $20,000 in 2024 and Cong Khal Michas Chinuch in Brooklyn with $18,000 in 2023. This mix shows a strong emphasis on formal Jewish education alongside synagogue and communal support.
Typical grant size is relatively modest compared with a few outliers: the 25th percentile is $7,762, the median is $11,750, and the 75th percentile is $20,500. The recent record also includes a much larger cluster of education grants, which suggests a portfolio with a few major institutional awards and many smaller operating or support grants. Some recipients appear more than once, including Moreshes Bais Yaakov, The Donors Fund, and others across 2023 and 2024, which points to recurring support for selected organizations rather than one-time giving only. The foundation’s structure appears to be a private foundation making direct grants; it does not fund individuals and is not listed as making program-related investments.
$954K
$22.3M
$6.2M
$5.5M
Most grants fall between $8K and $21K, with a median of $12K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$12K
75th Percentile
$21K
About 21% of grants go to recipients in NJ.
TZVI Y PERLSTEIN
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Highly concentrated: a few very large grants (two recipients account for the majority of dollars) combined with numerous smaller awards. Mix of repeat major commitments to core religious schools and one-off or modest operational gifts to synagogues, kollels, and community aid organizations, focused geographically in Orthodox communities (NY/NJ/FL).
Notable grantees: Moreshes Bais Yaakov, Tiferes Chaim, Shiras Chaim, Freehold Kollel, Congregation AY
Zichron Chaim Inc. gives most often in New Jersey, especially in Lakewood, which appears repeatedly in the recent grants list. Other New Jersey recipients include Edison and Freehold, while New York recipients include Long Beach, Brooklyn, and Monsey. Outside the Tri-State area, grants also went to Brookline, Massachusetts, and North Miami Beach, Florida. All recent grants in the data were made to U.S. recipients.
Its recent grants focus on Orthodox Jewish educational and communal institutions: girls’ yeshivot and Bais Yaakov schools, boys’ yeshivot and mesivtas, kollels, congregations, and Jewish aid or chesed funds. Named recipients include Moreshes Bais Yaakov, Freehold Kollel, Congregation Ay, and Agudas Tov Vchesed.
Typical awards cluster in the low five figures. The grant-size distribution shows a 25th percentile of $7,762, a median of $11,750, and a 75th percentile of $20,500. The recent record also includes several much larger education grants, including a $711,497 award to Moreshes Bais Yaakov.
Yes. Moreshes Bais Yaakov appears in both 2023 and 2024, and The Donors Fund also appears in both years. That pattern suggests the foundation often renews support for selected institutions rather than making only one-time grants.
The top state by grant count is New Jersey, with Lakewood appearing repeatedly among recipients. New York also receives a meaningful share, including Brooklyn, Long Beach, and Monsey, while Massachusetts and Florida appear in the recent grants list as well.
No. The foundation is listed as not funding individuals and not making program-related investments. Its recent activity is entirely grant-based and directed to institutions rather than people.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MORESHES BAIS YAAKOV | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $711,497 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| SHIRAS CHAIM | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $166,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| CONGREGATION AY | EDISON, NJ | $20,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| FREEHOLD KOLLEL | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $19,804 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| CKCY | BROOKLYN, NY | $11,500 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| CHAZEIK AID FUND | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $7,500 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| THE DONORS FUND | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $6,250 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| CONGREGATION AHAVAS CHESED | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $6,250 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| YESHIVA TORAS YISROEL | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $5,100 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| TIFERES CHAIM | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $621,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| CHEDER TORAS ZEV | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $25,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| MORESHES BAIS YAAKOV | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $21,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| MESIVTA OF LONG BEACH | LONG BEACH, NY | $19,650 | 2023 | — |
| CONG KHAL MICHAS CHINUCH | BROOKLYN, NY | $18,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| BETH PINCHAS | BROOKLINE, MA | $11,750 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| YESHIVA TORAS MENACHEM | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $11,750 | 2023 | — |
| AGUDAS TOV VCHESED | MONSEY, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| YESHIVA OF MIAMI | N MIAMI BEACH, FL | $8,025 | 2023 | — |
| THE DONORS FUND | LAKEWOOD, NJ | $6,250 | 2023 | — |
MORESHES BAIS YAAKOV
$711,497EDUCATION
SHIRAS CHAIM
$166,000EDUCATION
CONGREGATION AY
$20,000EDUCATION
FREEHOLD KOLLEL
$19,804EDUCATION
CKCY
$11,500EDUCATION
CHAZEIK AID FUND
$7,500EDUCATION
THE DONORS FUND
EDUCATION
CONGREGATION AHAVAS CHESED
$6,250EDUCATION
YESHIVA TORAS YISROEL
$5,100EDUCATION
TIFERES CHAIM
$621,000EDUCATION
CHEDER TORAS ZEV
$25,000EDUCATION
MORESHES BAIS YAAKOV
$21,000EDUCATION
MESIVTA OF LONG BEACH
$19,650CONG KHAL MICHAS CHINUCH
$18,000EDUCATION
BETH PINCHAS
$11,750EDUCATION
YESHIVA TORAS MENACHEM
$11,750AGUDAS TOV VCHESED
$10,000EDUCATION
YESHIVA OF MIAMI
$8,025THE DONORS FUND
$6,250