Following is a brief description of the high priority projects responding to the needs of students at the eighteen secondary schools and boarding schools as well as national projects that are operated by the Society for Advancement of Education, Jerusalem (SAE). A detailed project proposal will be shared with prospective partners. For further information contact AKF Executive Director Janis Oolie.
Join us in the effort to ensure that children from economically disadvantaged families are given an opportunity to gain quality education, pursue a successful career and contribute to a stronger Israel.
Student Academic & Financial Assistance and Other Current Needs
Sindiana High School and Residential Campus for Israeli Arab Youth
Sindiana (meaning “Oak” in Arabic) which opened in September 2017 is a high school utilizing an educational framework designed to develop a cohort of young leaders for the Israeli Arab community. The school campus is in Givat Haviva, which is centrally located, easily reached by students from around the Triangle Region and Wadi Ara. The Campus is an educational center that cultivates the values of excellence, leadership and identity among Arab youth with the goal of opening paths to success in academia, employment and society. The school will serve Arab students in grades 7 through 12 and includes residential facilities. The educational residence on campus enables the school to accept Arab students from around the country, allowing them to maximize their inherent academic and social potential.
Project’s timetable: School year 2018/19
Budget: $2,750,000 Secured Funding: $2,050,000
Secured funders: Ministry of Education, SAE, Matanel Foundation, The Lautman Foundation, Private Donors
Balance to be raised: $700,000
Funding opportunities:
- $50,000 towards the renovations for the school building
- $40,000 towards the renovations of the residential campus
- $40,000 towards the scholarships
- $20,000 towards informal education programs
- $20,000 towards rent
The Jafra Leadership Program
There are a large number of Arab students who complete high school and do not immediately register for university. These students are at the start of their adult lives and are not yet well- integrated into the work force. There is a lack of frameworks and informal educational programs that can provide guidance to help these young adults move forward toward college education and career paths. Young adults need to build personal skills to cope with university and with adult living.
Participants will benefit by gaining knowledge and skills in a variety of areas such as public speaking, questions of identity, philosophy, sociology, formulating a vision, group work and challenges, tours, involvement in community life, mediation, familiarization with Israeli society, etc. In addition to these skills, emphasis is placed on scholastic achievement, preparation for improving matriculation and psychometric exams, preparation for university life, academic and professional guidance, visits to institutions of higher learning, etc. They will receive personal guidance for applying to college and planning their future.
The Jafra Leadership program seeks to address these needs by providing a leadership development program for youth in three Arab towns. The program for 2018-2019 is geared to Arab youth (age 18-19) from three communities: Sakhnin (where the program is entering its third year), Turan, and Abu Snan. In each community, a cohort of 15-25 recent high school graduates will be chosen for the program.
Project’s timetable: School year 2018/19
Budget: $185,000 Secured Funding: $75,000
Secured funders: SAE, Bank Leumi, Private Donors
Balance to be raised: $110,000
Funding opportunities:
- $30,000 towards each Jafra group (3 groups per year)
The Shoshanim Science High School for Haredi Girls
Currently, the Haredi educational system limits the fields of study for girls and does not encourage critical and independent thinking. Most of the large seminaries also operate according to a business model that is more like a family business, and lack sufficient academic standards to prepare girls for college and university. Analysis of the situation of Haredi women and girls and the Haredi educational system shows two central needs: 1. Studies that are relevant to the labor market; 2. Expressive Arts Education;
In September 2018, the SAE is opening the first four-year high school in Israel for Haredi girls that focuses on teaching sciences and arts and providing the necessary education for optimum matriculation certificates, preparing girls to continue on to academic study and to be well-positioned to enter the labor market.
The goals of the school include:
Establishing a school that creates conditions in which students can strengthen and cultivate their personal and religious identity with commitment to ultra-orthodox Halacha as a clear boundary and educational framework; providing a national, systematic, pedagogic response that will create a respectful climate that fosters dialogue and deep clarification of the values of Judaism alongside attention to and responsiveness to the needs of every student; preparing girls for full matriculation exams, including advanced studies in mathematics and sciences; providing an arts curriculum that offers opportunities for self-expression, intellectual and creative development. The school will be diligent in cultivating the general academic talents of each student, alongside an emphasis on each student’s unique talents, and will educate for communal and social involvement.
Project’s timetable: School year 2018/19 (Sept. 2018-June 2019)
Budget: $450,000 Secured Funding: $230,000
Secured funders: Ministry of Education, SAE, JCF Southern Arizona, Private Donors
Balance to be raised: $ 220,000
Funding opportunities:
- $70,000 towards rent
- $40,000 towards the renovations and equipment
- $50,000 towards special Shoshanim programs including Empowerment programs
- $50,000 towards the scholarships
- $20,000 towards proficiency groups
Tutoring Assistance for Residential Students
In order to enter university in Israel, students must receive a matriculation certificate, with high marks in both English and mathematics. Unfortunately, even some academically talented students require private tutoring to improve their grades but cannot afford the cost. SAE seeks to provide 510 economically disadvantaged students with tutoring in English, math, and science, as well as special assistance for those students with learning disabilities. This additional tutoring will not only help students improve their grades – and their chances to attend university, but will reduce the educational disparity separating the more fortunate students from those who are less economically well-off, thus reducing the social inequality already felt by many teens at this point in their young lives. Your gift will help ensure all students receive the academic help they need to successfully enter university.
Project’s timetable: School year 2018/19 (Sept. 2018-June 2019)
Budget: $248,000 Secured Funding: $115,000
Secured funders: Glencore Society for Education and Welfare, Ministry of Education, Private Donors
Balance to be raised: $133,000
Funding opportunities:
- Provide additional tutoring for 180 students in seven SAE residences for $60,000
- Provide additional tutoring for 20 Ultra-Orthodox students at Hachmey Lev for $5,000;
- Provide additional tutoring for 14 study groups at the Steinberg Residence for $10,000;
- Provide additional tutoring for students of the Sindiana Residence for $15,000.
- Provide additional tutoring for students at the Boyar Residence for $20,000.
Project Talya: Scholarships and Educational and Emotional Support
With Israel’s high poverty rate and the gender bias women face in the Israeli job market, girls from economically disadvantaged families face a double hurdle in breaking the cycle of poverty. Project Talya aims to break this cycle by offering academically gifted girls from low-income families the opportunity to receive a bachelor’s degree in computer science by the age of 19. After an intensive five-year study track, augmented with extensive emotional support and guidance, graduates of the Talya program are ready to enter the workforce. By breaking the cycle of poverty, these gifted young women are able to fulfill their potential, support themselves and their families, and become self-assured, contributing members of society. The cost of this program is substantially higher than most Israeli high schools. Your donation will help these talented young women receive an advanced education, ensuring their success in the workforce.
Project’s timetable: School year 2018/19 (Sept. 2018-June 2019)
Budget: $236,000 Secured Funding: $60,000
Secured funders: SAE, Private Donors
Balance to be raised: $176,000
Funding opportunities:
- Provide scholarships for fifty academically gifted girls from a low income family for $60,000
- Sponsor the Talya Academic Enrichment Program for $55,000
- Provide Educational and emotional support for all six Talya classes for one year for $50,000
- Sponsor one student throughout the 5 year Talya program for $6,000
Financial Assistance to Residential Students
For students from economically disadvantaged families, being able to afford the basic necessities is often a struggle. These students have difficulties purchasing clothing, school supplies, and common everyday items such as toothpaste or snacks. For many students boarding at SAE’s residential campuses, even the cost of travelling home to their families on weekends is more than they can afford. SAE therefore seeks to assist 460 of the most vulnerable boarders, aged 13-18, by supplementing their government stipends with an additional $300 per student a year, to help them afford basic material amenities. In addition, SAE will provide transportation to those students living in the periphery, so they are able to travel home to see their families on their free weekends. In addition to increasing the students’ quality of life, it is anticipated that this support will increase their motivation and academic performance. Your gift will give talented but economically disadvantaged students the financial assistance they need to purchase the basic necessities that every student needs.
Project’s timetable: School year 2018/19 (Sept. 2018-June 2019)
Budget: $153,000 Secured Funding: $60,000
Secured funders: Private Donors & SAE Alumni, Ministry of Education – Residential Division
Balance to be raised: $93,000
Funding opportunity:
- Assist 150 talented but needy students with basic living expenses for $45,000
- Assist 50 talented but needy students with basic living expenses for $15,000
- Assist 20 talented but needy students with basic living expenses for $6,000
Hachmey Lev – Closing Educational Gaps
In a dramatic departure from other Haredi yeshivas in Israel, Hachmey Lev is the first Haredi Yeshiva high school in Jerusalem to provide Haredi teenage boys with a program combining advanced Talmud study and general studies, such as mathematics, English, and science. This program culminates in their receiving a full matriculation certificate upon completion, enabling them to enter university. Without the skills and knowledge gained in secular subjects and further university education, their ability to earn a living and support a family are greatly reduced. Hachmey Lev assists these young men to meet their full potential, both as students, and later in life, when they will be better equipped to secure employment and support themselves and their families. As these young men arrive at Hachmey Lev with limited education in secular subjects, SAE gives them the extra assistance they need to catch up, so they can complete their educations and enter university. With your help, these motivated young men can receive the best possible education, to secure a successful future for themselves and their families.
Project’s timetable: School year 2018/19 (Sept. 2018-June 2019)
Budget: $1,500,000 Secured Funding: $1,350,000
Secured funders: UJA Federation of New York, The Littauer Foundation, Private Donors
Balance to be raised: $150,000
Funding opportunities:
- Provide additional tutoring and remedial teaching hours for 90 students $40,000;
- Provide professional general study teachers (math, history, science, etc..) $20,000-140,000;
- Provide extra-curricular activities for the students at Hachmey Lev for $10,000;
- Provide the Hachmey Lev students with cultural enrichment for one year for $7,000-12,000;
Hidden Sparks: Training teachers to work with children with diverse learning needs
Every child has his or her own strengths and challenges, as well as special talents, but not every teacher has the training to discover and nurture these “hidden sparks” within their students. The Hidden Sparks program aims to meet the needs of Israeli students with various social, emotional, and learning needs, by providing teachers with effective strategies to work with elementary and high school students who need extra attention and assistance. Through in-service coaching, mentoring, and training, teachers are learning to change their own behavior and methods for the benefit of their students. Your help can make a difference in helping teachers provide their students with the best education possible.
Project’s timetable: School year 2018/19 (Sept. 2018-June 2019)
Budget: $350,000 (10 Schools) Secured Funding: $180,000
Secured funders: Private Donors
Balance to be raised: $170,000
Funding opportunity: Adopt a School – teacher training in one school for $35,000 for one year.
The Niot Project: Helping Israeli teens with learning differences succeed at school
Israeli students with learning difficulties face an added frustration in that the Israeli education system does not subsidize diagnostic testing, counselling, or professional guidance for their teachers – all necessities to fully meet their additional needs. The Niot Project enables students with learning difficulties, their parents, and school staff to work together in order to improve the students’ academic performance and emotional resilience. By providing school-based learning centers to provide support and training, a special coordinator to ensure that all available resources are being used in the most optimal way by the students, and professional evaluations to determine the best interventions for each student, the Niot Project gives students with learning differences the extra support they need to reach their full potential. Your donation will provide students with learning difficulties the extra help they need to succeed.
Project’s timetable: School year 2018/19 (Sept. 2018-June 2019)
Budget: $90,000 Secured Funding: $45,000
Secured funders: Reggi Marder Foundation, Maor Foundation, Ministry of Education, Private Donors
Balance to be raised: $45,000
Funding opportunities:
- A Gift of $10,000 will help sponsor 20 psycho-didactic evaluations; ($10,000 – $33,000)
- Adopt a residence or a school for $8,000 to provide remedial teaching
Learning Center for Children from the Foreign Community (Asylum Seekers and Economic Migrants) in Tel Aviv
Children from the foreign community (asylum seekers, economic migrants and foreign workers) are liable to develop significant learning gaps in relation to their Israeli peers that derive from attendance in insufficient preschool frameworks, gaps in language acquisition and gaps connected to a non-supportive environment and emotional distress. Many of the families in the community live in basic survival conditions that force the parents to work long hours. The community solution that has been created is “pirate” frameworks operated by members of the community, with poor conditions, neglect, and minimal stimulation, increasing the children’s developmental and educational gaps.
The Learning Center for Children from the Foreign Community in Tel Aviv was established to provide these children with a safe and constructive framework after school hours that would help advance their learning and close educational gaps. Now in its second year of operation, the center is a collaboration between the SAE, Mesila (the Tel Aviv Municipality’s Center for Counseling, Support and Information for the Foreign Community), and the Yarden School, where it is located.
The center operates four afternoons a week from 3:30-6:30 pm, accommodating 15 children in 4th-6th grade. It is staffed by a coordinator who also functions as the remedial learning teacher, and a number of specially trained volunteers, and is overseen by the SAE’s learning coordinator.
The goal of the Learning Center is to give the children a secure, protected environment that will support the necessary learning processes for their age group, will assist in closing educational gaps and will assess learning and emotional difficulties as needed.
Project’s timetable: Year round (12 months)
Budget: $40,000 Secured Funding: $20,000
Secured funders: Tel Aviv Municipality, Mesilah, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
Balance to be raised: $20,000
Funding opportunities:
- $18,000 towards a program coordinator
- $2,000 towards disposable equipment such as school supplies, writing instruments, arts and crafts supplies
Learning Center for Children from the African Community (Asylum Seekers and Economic Migrants) in Jerusalem
Over 38,000 African migrants – refugees, asylum seekers and economic migrants – live in Israel. The vast majority of them, from Sudan and Eritrea, fled to Israel from countries rife with human rights abuses and ethnic cleansing. Many entered Israel illegally, and the vast majority of them have no defined status. The Israeli government’s recent decision to deport a significant number of African migrants has added a great deal of stress for this struggling community. Many of the families in the community live in basic survival conditions that force the parents to work long hours. The community solution that has been created is “pirate” frameworks operated by members of the community, with poor conditions, neglect, and minimal stimulation, increasing the children’s developmental and educational gaps.
A Learning center has recently opened in Jerusalem, as a collaboration between SAE, the Municipality of Jerusalem, and the Jerusalem African Community Center (JACC). The center is located in the JACC building in downtown Jerusalem, and operates three days a week from 2:00-6:00 pm, serving 15-17 children from a variety of schools. The center is staffed by a half-time coordinator, and is overseen by the SAE’s learning coordinator. The children also receive a hot meal at this center.
The goal of the Learning Center is to give the children a secure, protected, positive environment after school hours, which will support the necessary learning processes for their age group, will assist in closing the gaps and will assess learning and emotional difficulties as needed.
Project’s timetable: All year round (12 months)
Budget: $47,000 Secured Funding: $33,000
Secured funders: Jerusalem Municipality, Jerusalem Foundation, JACC, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
Balance to be raised: $14,000
Funding opportunities:
- $12,000 towards Remedial teaching
- $2,000 towards disposable equipment such as school supplies, writing instruments, arts and crafts supplies
Community Kitchen Project
Students at Re’ut High School in Jerusalem learn important lessons in social activism and tikkun olam through firsthand experience. To help meet the needs of the city’s needy elderly, the school operates a community kitchen that prepares and distributes hot meals three days a week. The kitchen distributes meals to local elderly residents who are economically disadvantaged. Re’ut students from low-income families also receive fully subsidized meals. As the elderly population continues to grow, so will the need for the community kitchen. You can help ensure that Jerusalem’s needy elderly will be able to receive a hot, nutritious meal when they most need one.
Project’s timetable: Annual
Budget: $75,000 Secured Funding: $30,000
Secured funders: Private donors, SAE
Balance to be raised: $45,000
Funding opportunity: Help feed ten needy elderly individuals for a full year for $15,000
Help feed 15 needy elderly individuals for a full year for $22,500
The Gidonim Project
Home to Europe’s largest Jewish community before the Holocaust, Poland today has thousands of Jewish graves that have been all but destroyed and abandoned. Many were vandalized by the Nazis, and with today’s Jewish population being a fraction of what it once was, too many are left with no one to physically maintain them. Since 2004, graduates and teachers of Jerusalem’s Re’ut High School have travelled to Poland almost every year to renovate the Jewish cemeteries. By restoring and documenting forgotten Jewish graves, volunteers seek to honor the memory of those whose burial places would have been tended by their own families, had they not been murdered in the Holocaust. There still remains much work to be done, with hundreds of graves waiting to be restored. You can be part of the mitzvah of showing respect for the dead, by supporting this important project.
Project’s timetable: Eight to ten days, every summer
Budget: $50,000 Secured Funding: $15,000
Secured funders: Private Donors.
Balance to be raised: $35,000
Funding opportunity: For $10,000 you can help fund a group of five Re’ut hard working volunteers.
Material Assistance for Na’ale Academy Alumni
“There is no greater project than Na’ale.” These were the words used by the late Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin to describe the program that has brought over 17,000 young teens from around the world to spend their high school years in Israel. Since 1992, the Na’ale program has offered teens from over 40 countries around the world the opportunity to complete their high school education in Israel, culminating in a full Israeli matriculation certificate. Over 90% of the students choose to stay in Israel after graduation. Many of those who remain often face more obstacles than native Israelis in making a life for themselves in Israel. SAE provides any Na’ale graduate who has no family support network in the country, neither financial nor emotional, with a living stipend to help pay for basic expenses. Your gift can help a Na’ale graduate, lone soldiers or university students, with much-needed material assistance while he or she completes their army service.
Project’s timetable: Ongoing
Budget: $75,000
Balance to be raised: $75,000
Funding opportunities: Provide a living stipend to ten Na’ale graduates for $10,000 for one year.
Capital Projects
Boyar School and Residence
The Boyar High School and Educational Residence in Jerusalem boasts a vibrant student body of 970 talented students aged 13-18 years and learning in seventh through 12th grades. Over 95% of Boyar students graduate high school with grades high enough to be accepted to university, almost twice the national average. Boyar assists these students to build strong interpersonal networks and to excel in their scholastic performance, social leadership endeavors, and in sports, arts and culture. After decades of use, both the high school and the residence are in serious need of repairs. In addition, renovations will reflect the new innovative education program that has been developed and will start this year. Your donation will allow Boyer to upgrade the physical structure of the buildings in order to create a better learning space.
Project’s timetable: Each project is expected to take three months from the time the funds are received until completion
Budget: $1,000,000 Secured Funding: $100,000
Secured funders: Matanel Foundation, Dr. Charlotte K. Frank, Boyar Alumni, SAE
Balance to be raised: $900,000
Funding opportunities:
- Renovations to reflect the new innovative education program implemented at the high school. Total cost is: $ 220,000.
- Renovations of the school auditorium – replace the wooden stage, curtain, and stage lighting, seats as well as the foyer and main entrance. The total cost is: $430,000.
- Replacing the Air Conditioning System. The total cost is $100,000.
- Renovations to the Boyar Science Laboratories. The cost of each laboratory $ 150,000.
The New Building for the Sindiana Youth Village at Givat Haviva
The Sindiana Youth Village works to cultivate the values of excellence, leadership and identity among Arab youth with the goal of opening paths to success in academia, employment and society and developing a cohort of young leaders for the Arab community. The school is centrally located in rented facilities at Givat Haviva, where land has been designated for a new building for Sindiana.
Sindiana prepares students for the real world and the academic world, equipped with tools of personal empowerment and values of personal identity, respect, tolerance, attention, and ability for personal expression. Sindiana provides a challenging learning environment for students. There are opportunities for choosing unique study tracks, alongside tracks in sciences, arts, social sciences and psychology, and new fields appropriate to the 21st century economy.
The SAE plans to build a permanent school campus for the Sindiana Youth Village at Givat Haviva on the land that has been designated specifically for this purpose.
Your gift will help fund the completion of a new building for the school to be located in Givat Haviva.
Project’s timetable: Project completion date: 2022
Budget: $7,750,000 Secured Funding: $ 6,100,000
Secured funders: Ministry of Education
Balance to be raised: $1,650,000
Funding opportunities:
- The construction of a new school will provide naming opportunities for substantial gifts.
Building the New Hachmey Lev Yeshiva Campus in Jerusalem
Hachmey Lev is the only Haredi Yeshiva high school in Jerusalem to provide Haredi teenage boys with a program combining advanced Talmud study and general studies, such as mathematics, English, and science. The curriculum is recognized by the Israeli Ministry of Education and blends high-level secular subjects with extensive Talmudic study, a range of extra-curricular activities and sports, and culminates in a top-quality, Israeli matriculation certificate. Since its establishment, the Hachmey Lev Yeshiva has been situated in temporary, rented facilities. From its inception, the Hachmey Lev Yeshiva has had severe difficulties in finding suitable accommodation. The current building also leaves no room for growth. Work to promote this new model of education for Haredi boys and success in recruiting more and more students is in vain without suitable facilities in which they can learn and live.
The SAE plans to build a permanent Campus for the Hachmey Lev Yeshiva. The location will be adjacent to the SAE Amalia Girls High School, on an undeveloped plot of the land in the Givat Mordechai religious neighborhood in Jerusalem. The construction of a new 67,000 square foot building, including a Beit Midrash, dining hall, and the residential facility is $12.8 million.
Your gift will help fund the completion of a new building for the school as well as residential facilities, to be located in Jerusalem.
Project’s timetable: Project completion date: 2022
Budget: $12,885,000 Secured Funding: $ 6,850,000
Secured funders: Ministry of Education
Balance to be raised: $6,035,000
Funding opportunities:
- The construction of a new school will provide naming opportunities for substantial gifts.
Building the New Dror High School Campus in Jerusalem
Dror High School, under the auspices of the Society for Advancement of Education, Jerusalem (SAE), is currently the only mixed-gender religious high school in Jerusalem. As such, it has a direct impact on pluralism in Israeli society through teaching students the values of pluralistic Jewish education. A new campus for this unique school is being built in the Bayit Vegan/Kiryat HaYovel neighborhood, adjacent to the Boyar High School.
The new Dror High School campus will be built as a state-of-the-art facility, designed to promote learning and community building. The school will include 18 classrooms, a new Beit Midrash, and science and technology laboratories. With attention to new learning paradigms, such as an emphasis on group work, and successful use of information and communications technology (ICT), the new space will enable students and teachers to interact in ways that promote academic and interpersonal success.
The Ministry of Education has committed significant funding for the new school. Building will begin in 2018 and is expected to be completed by 2019. The Dror High School Campus will serve as a center for pluralistic Jewish education and significantly impact the learning landscape in Jerusalem for future generations. The construction of a new campus, including a Beit Midrash is $11 million.
Your gift will help fund the completion of a new building for the school to be located in Jerusalem.
Project’s timetable: Project completion date: 2019
Budget: $11,000,000 Secured Funding: $ 8,000,000
Secured funders: Ministry of Education
Balance to be raised: $3,000,000
Funding opportunities:
- The construction of a new school will provide naming opportunities for substantial gifts.
Overview of SAE
The Society for Advancement of Education, Jerusalem (SAE) is a non-profit organization established in 1962, and is dedicated to empowering capable youth from disadvantaged communities in Israel to attain excellence in their educational, social, and leadership endeavors.
SAE fulfills its mission via a network of 15 high schools and educational residences in the Jerusalem area, Kfar Saba, Netanya and Givat Haviva and reaches 2,700 students in the national, national religious, pluralistic, and ultra-orthodox curriculum streams of the Ministry of Education.
SAE also implements national immigrant integration projects. SAE has been selected by the Joint Distribution Committee, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and the Israeli government to implement a range of educational support projects and services for vulnerable communities in Israel.
Contributing from the USA
The Society for Advancement of Education has fiscal sponsorship through an approved 501(c)3 non-profit organization in the USA. Tax deductible contributions in the United States can be given through American Friends of Kidum Inc. at: www.kidum-us.org
For more details, please visit our website:www.kidum-edu.org.il/en/donate
Contact Us
The Society for Advancement of Education
Tora Ve Avodah St. 1
POB 16252
Jerusalem 9116201, Israel
Tel: + 972 2 6441101
Email: SAE@kidum-edu.org.il
Website: www.kidum-edu.org.il/en/
American Friends of Kidum
59 E. St., Suite 72
New York, NY 10022, USA
Tel: + 1 646 8086452
Email: info@kidum-us.org
Website: www.kidum-us.org