Third annual campaign tops previous years.
(Courtesy of World Mizrachi) In its May “Campaign for Yeshivot and Seminaries in Israel,” World Mizrachi helped over 20 gap-year institutions throughout the country raise a record $6,048,776 in critical funds to cover infrastructure, educational programming and student scholarships.
The donations came from more than 12,682 individual donors from the United States, Israel, Belgium, Canada, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Now in its third year of running an annual campaign, the department has helped participating institutions raise close to $17 million to fill a void left when Masa heavily reduced available funding for scholarships for northern hemisphere Orthodox Jewish gap-year students.
This year’s participating institutions include Amudim; Ateres Bnos Yerushalayim; Baer Miriam Maayanot; Bnot Torah Institute/Sharfman’s; Derech Etz Chaim; Machon Maayan; Midreshet Emunah v’Omanut; Rinas Bais Yaakov; Tomer Devorah Seminary; Yeshivat Ashreinu; Yeshivat HaKotel; Yeshivat Lev HaTorah; Yeshivat Torat Shraga; Yeshivat Yishrei Lev; Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim (MMY); Yeshivat Orayta; Tiferet Center; Yeshivat Sha’arei Mevaseret Zion; and Mechinat Ruach HaNegev.
“These institutions are responsible for making an impact on hundreds of religious young men and women each year, at one of the most pivotal times and religiously formative experiences they will have,” said Religious Zionists of America Executive Vice President Rabbi Ari Rockoff. “We’re incredibly grateful that so many partners came together to invest in the future of the shana ba’aretz and in effect the Jewish and religious Zionist future in Israel and the diaspora.”
“The gap-year experience in Israel is the leadership incubator of the Jewish People. It has the potential to transform lives forever and impact our collective future,” said Rav Doron Perez, executive chairman of World Mizrachi. “Spending the year in Israel gives these young adults the opportunity to learn more about Torah, the State of Israel, and our people. Our campaign this year focused on ensuring that no student is left behind due to financial constraints. By investing in these students, we are providing the Jewish communal leaders of tomorrow with fundamental religious, Jewish and Zionist values, equipping them to foster a robust and enduring relationship between the State of Israel and the Jewish people.”
World Mizrachi’s Yeshiva and Seminary Department also offers a host of additional tools to affiliated yeshivas and seminaries, including the earlier mentioned renewal of Masa scholarships through Mitve Mizrachi, access to the annual Mizrachi-Masa Yom Yerushalayim celebrations, shabbatons or tiyuls through Mizrachi’s Flying the Flag program, and a revolutionary “MyTzedakah” fundraising platform, which helps to stimulate and transition college students and young professional alumni into their alma mater’s donor network.
For more information visit www.mizrachi.org.
