The Jewish Federation of Cleveland has announced a $90 million grant from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Supporting Foundation in support of the Jewish Day School Transformation initiative being launched in Cleveland.

The gift will serve as matching funds for the $180 million initiative, which comprises a $100 million endowment fund for five Cleveland Jewish day schools—Fuchs Mizrachi School, Gross Schechter Day School, Hebrew Academy of Cleveland, Joseph & Florence Mandel Jewish Day School, and Yeshiva Derech Hatorah—and a $80 million capital improvements fund. Fundraising for the initiative is slated to run through December 2026.

“Through this grant, the Mandel Foundation has made it clear that the time for our community to step up for its future leaders is now,” said initiative chair Jeffrey J. Wild. “In fact, we have already received several significant gifts from donors who were inspired by the Mandel grant. Based on these early conversations with donors, we are confident this effort to transform the educational landscape in Cleveland for Jewish students will be a resounding success.”

“This Day School Transformation initiative will ensure Jewish Cleveland students get the very best dual curriculum of Judaic and general studies possible for generations to come,” said Mandel Foundation chair Stephen H. Hoffman. “By creating the first-ever day school endowment fund in Cleveland—as well as securing funds needed to address essential capital improvements—Jewish Cleveland will be ideally positioned to recruit and retain the brightest teachers, who will engage day school students with expanded and rigorous [curricula], as well as such specialized programs as those in STEM and the fine arts.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/fizkes)