Jewish Education For Generations Of Northern New Jersey
Northern New Jersey Jewish Education for Generations (JEFG) is a 501(c)3 charitable organization established in 2009 to work across our entire day school network and the broader community to identify and execute solutions to the challenge facing day school parents. The current economic model for funding day schools is no longer sustainable. It is no longer possible for parents of day school students to shoulder the cost of day school tuition on their own. Broader support is essential.
JEFG consists of a partnership of eight schools including: Ben Porat Yosef, Gerrard Berman Day School, The Moriah School, The Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey, Sinai Schools, The Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County, Yavneh Academy and Yeshivat Noam. The schools’ representatives on the JEFG board consist of principals and board members. In addition, included on the board are four unaffiliated members at large. Each school has a vote, and majority rules. In order to establish a broad-based communal program, JEFG liaisons with community Rabbonim in order to develop long term, transformational solutions that will ensure the future of our schools.
JEFG strategic imperatives include:
- Revising the current day school economic model, which places the responsibility for financing day school education exclusively on the shoulders of parents, by engaging broader community
- Identify and secure all available sources of private and public funding.
- Implement creative solutions to achieve greater efficiency and share best practices by collaborating across the day school network
During its first year in operation, JEFG has established a mission driven, high functioning organization with a broad collaboration network including Rabbinical Council of Bergen County, North Jersey Board of Rabbis, Avi Chai, UJA-NNJ, Yeshiva University. JEFG has developed and launched the NNJKIDS Community Fund and, with the help of a grant from Avi Chai Foundation, has set up the administration of the fund. In addition, JEFG is in the early stages of creating an endowment fund in partnership with UJA-NNJ, and has designed and initiated the first benchmarking analysis across our school network, in
Currently, JEFG initiatives include the following:
1. NNJKIDS (Northern NJ Kehillot Investing in Day Schools) - a unified effort that includes day schools of all denominations in the Northern New Jersey area. Orthodox and conservative synagogues have joined in launching and promoting this program. To strengthen the synagogue to school affiliation, funds collected from the members of synagogues are allocated to schools in that denomination, unless otherwise indicated by donor. Funds are allocated on a per capita basis, based on the number of preK-8 students in each school residing in Northern New Jersey. NNJKIDS is a foundational element of changing the communal mindset to view education as the responsibility of all - not just of parents.
Thanks to united community support, in its first year of operation, over 1,000 people contributed to NNJKIDS and over $300,000 was distributed to the network of day schools during the first two quarters. These crucial funds mitigated tuition increases for the 2010/2011 school year.
Key elements of the NNJKIDS program are as follows:
- Goal of 100% participation
- Individuals sign up for monthly debit from a checking account or credit card
- Suggested minimum is simple - $1 per day, or $30 per month
- Those who can, are encouraged to give more - those who cannot, may give at any level
- Funds are distributed on a per capita basis to area Day Schools each quarter
2. ENDOWMENT SUPER FUND - We have entered into a partnership with UJA NNJ to pursue the creation of a large Endowment Fund that would be directed toward lowering the financial burden of Jewish education. Similar funds are being raised in a number of other communities. If successful, this Endowment would be a game-changer in addressing affordability.
3. BENCHMARKING INITIATIVE - Individual schools continually work to find savings wherever possible while maintaining educational quality. Beyond these efforts, we have collaborated with the Azrieli Graduate School of Yeshiva University to benchmark the cost base / revenue drivers of our schools and have identified opportunities for cost savings and revenue generation across the network. This approach is widely utilized in the private sector, but this is the first time it has been applied across an entire network of yeshivot.
The success of our schools is apparent. It is demonstrated by the number of new, young families who continue to relocate to our community, largely because of its reputation for outstanding education. It is apparent in the paths taken by graduates of our day schools, who have continued on impressive courses of higher education, and in many cases have later returned to our community or have chosen to live in Israel, and have taken on leadership positions in schools, Shuls and other communal organizations. It is these very same day school graduates and their children who will assure that continued vibrancy of Jewish life in our community and in Israel for years to come.
JEFG is committed to working toward to maintain the high standards of education for which our schools are known and to assure that the doors to those schools are open to all students for generations.
To accomplish this at this critical juncture in the course of Jewish education we need the support of the entire community.