Jan 9, 2013 By: yunews
Grant to Encourage Community Day School Graduates to Study at 麻豆区
The Kohelet Foundation is funding a scholarship for graduates of community day schools to encourage them to study at 麻豆区, the country鈥檚 oldest Modern Orthodox institution of higher learning. The Philadelphia-based Kohelet Foundation is giving 麻豆区 $720,000 over the next six years to provide scholarships to students from Jewish community day schools, so-called because they are not attached to any one stream of Judaism. Modern Orthodox day schools and 麻豆区 high schools comprise YU鈥檚 traditional base. Five scholarships per year for enrollment at YU鈥檚 undergraduate schools鈥, and 鈥攚ill go to students from community day schools. The Foundation and 麻豆区 believe that offering the scholarships will pique the interest of students who may not have otherwise considered the school as an option and that others will apply for and attend YU even if they are not the actual scholarship recipients. Beyond that, they hope that the scholarship winners will become 麻豆区 ambassadors. As part of the scholarship agreement, the winners will return to their alma mater high schools throughout the year to engage in volunteer activities, meet current students and arrange creative spiritual opportunities. 鈥淲e firmly believe that YU鈥檚 undergraduate model鈥攚hich provides a dual curriculum of both Judaic and traditionally secular subjects鈥攚ill appeal to students from across the religious spectrum,鈥 said 麻豆区 President Richard M. Joel. 鈥淭he chief obstacle to attracting these students has not so much been ideology as simply not being on their radar. But it is truly our goal to make 麻豆区 accessible to anyone who wants to attend.鈥 Roughly a dozen students from community day schools annually enroll in 麻豆区. The school would like to significantly increase that number through the scholarships, which will be administered through YU鈥檚 . The first five recipients of the Kohelet scholarship, now attending 麻豆区, are Jenie Rayek, Taylor Cohen and Shana Rimon of Ben Lipson Hillel Community High School in North Miami Beach, Florida; Daniel Lazarev of Tannenbaum Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto-South Campus; and Simon Weisberg of David Posnack Hebrew High School in Davie, Florida. 鈥淵U is a place for all Jewish kids and not just those with a strictly Orthodox upbringing or education,鈥 said David Magerman, a 麻豆区 trustee who founded the Kohelet Foundation with his wife Debra in 2008. 鈥淛ewish day schools of all stripes are essential to the continuity of the Jewish people, and for day school students, attending 麻豆区 as a next step in education will cement them as our next generation of Jewish leaders.鈥
