The Lauder Impact Initiative – Hoping to Make Jewish Day Schools an Attractive Choice for Families
There is an exciting development in Jewish education that’s poised to make a lasting impact on Jewish day schools, particularly in smaller communities and areas where private school options often overshadow Jewish institutions. The Lauder Impact Initiative, founded by philanthropist Ronald S. Lauder, is addressing this challenge by investing strategically to elevate the appeal, accessibility, and quality of Jewish day schools across the United States. Of the more than 1.6 million Jewish students in the US, only 300,000 attend a Jewish day school. Visit https://lauder-impact.org/ for more details.
As part of this effort, the Initiative recently launched a trial program in five cities—Boston, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Boca Raton, and New York City—to test and refine their impact model. This trial allows the Lauder team to tailor resources to meet the unique needs of each community, providing support that includes curriculum development, teacher training, and community outreach. The results of this trial will shape the program’s nationwide expansion, creating a model that supports Jewish day schools in communities with fewer resources or where multiple private school options compete for enrollment.
The Lauder Impact Initiative is designed to make Jewish day schools an attractive choice for families by ensuring they offer high-quality education combined with strong Jewish cultural engagement. By investing in infrastructure and educational quality, this Initiative seeks to shift perceptions in these communities, positioning Jewish day schools as a first-choice option for parents seeking both academic excellence and a connection to Jewish heritage and values.
The Initiative is guided by a distinguished board of trustees, including:
• Ronald S. Lauder, Board Chair: An international businessman, diplomat, and philanthropist, Mr. Lauder has been deeply committed to his Jewish heritage throughout his adult life, working to help the Jewish community worldwide through a wide range of philanthropic and professional endeavors.
• Joshua Spinner, Trustee: Executive Vice President and CEO of the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, Mr. Spinner is active in the fields of collaborative philanthropy and communal sustainability.
• Richard Parsons, Trustee: Mr. Parsons has served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Rockefeller Foundation, Chairman of Citigroup, and Chairman & CEO of Time Warner.
Leading the day-to-day operations is Executive Director Hadassa Halpern, who brings over twelve years of experience working with the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation across Germany and Europe. She played a central role in founding Educating For Impact, leading impactful change in 20 European Jewish day schools and their communities. Hadassa is a passionate leader who visualizes adaptive change leadership and collaborative efforts as keys to transforming Jewish life. In her quest to fuse business thinking and expertise into the non-profit space, Hadassa graduated with an executive MBA from Harvard Business School.