Financial Assistance for Israel Study

Financial Assistance >Financial Assistance for Israel Study

 

The Jewish Education Center of Cleveland (JEC) administers several programs to help families save for an approved Israel Educational Experience and provide funds to make the trip a reality. These programs are A Gift of Israel and JEC Financial Aid. 

In July, 1980, the Jewish Community Federation Endowment Fund approved a Comprehensive Financial Aid Program for Israel Experiences which was developed to demonstrate that an Israel learning opportunity can and should be an integral part of the Jewish education experience. The uninterrupted funding of the Program reflects our community’s commitment to make Israel experiences available to all Jewish youth.

A GIFT OF ISRAEL

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A seven-year student savings and matching funds program that encourages families to save for a student’s future educational trip to Israel. A Gift of Israel is a partnership program between the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, the Jewish Education Center and you. 

 

How it works:

• Enroll in the program and open the account, starting as young as pre-k if the child is enrolled in a Jewish educational program.
• Every year, for 7 years, you deposit $175/year into a interest-bearing savings account. This amount may be reduced if the family’s congregation offers matching funds.
• Federation annually contributes $100, with an additional $300 gift during their Bar/Bat Mitzvah year, for a total of $1,000 contribution.

The family contributions, together with the generous grants from the Federation and congregations (if applicable) make future student trips to Israel more affordable. There are a multitude of approved Israel programs (teenage, college-age or family experiences) that qualify for this program. Funds are available for use once the child has been actively participating in A Gift of Israel for a minimum of three years through age 26. Plan ahead and save a minimum of $2,225 if you participate in the full 7 years, it’s never too early to start saving! 

 

Invest in a long-lasting and far reaching educational experience that helps enrich and shape Jewish identity in a unique and powerful way - this opportunity is too good to ignore! The deadline for enrollment and annual deposits is the end of May each year. Click here to apply, call 216.371.0446 or email [email protected].