Israel Puts NIS 200 Million Behind Diaspora Jewish Education as Antisemitism Rises

The Israeli government unanimously approved a national plan on Sunday to strengthen Jewish education in Diaspora communities, with an emphasis on North America, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Office and the Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry announced.

The plan, proposed by Netanyahu and Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, is expected to total NIS 200 million and will be led by the Prime Minister’s Office together with Chikli’s ministry and Jewish community partners around the world.

The government said the initiative is meant to strengthen Jewish identity, belonging to the Jewish people and connection to the State of Israel among the younger generation. Officials framed the move as a national priority, especially after the rise in antisemitic incidents since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack.

According to the government, approximately 1.8 million school-aged Jewish children live in the United States, but only a small fraction attend Jewish educational institutions. The plan will focus on expanding formal Jewish education while also developing new frameworks and digital tools to reach wider audiences.

The initiative will target several barriers that limit access to Jewish education, including tuition costs, geographic distance, lack of resources for students with learning disabilities and the need to improve educational quality in schools.

Netanyahu said the plan is part of the broader struggle against antisemitism.

“The fight against antisemitism is one and the same fight,” he said. “The antisemites want to destroy Jews, but they also want to destroy our unique heritage, our culture, and our identity.”

He said Israel has long served as “an anchor for the security of the Jewish people,” and that the government is now strengthening another anchor for the future: Jewish education.

“This is a significant investment in the next generation of the Jewish people, in their identity, their values, and their deep connection to the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said. He added that the partnership between Israel and Diaspora Jewry is “an immense source of strength.”

Chikli called the decision historic and said he made Diaspora Jewish education a central goal after entering office three and a half years ago.

“I was astonished to discover that only a small percentage of Diaspora Jewry studies within Jewish educational institutions,” he said. “I set one clear goal: To ensure that every Jewish child in the Diaspora receives a meaningful Jewish education that will strengthen their identity and their connection to the People of Israel and the State of Israel.”

Chikli said Jewish education in the Diaspora is “the deepest response and antidote to rising antisemitism and the challenge of assimilation.”

He added that the new decision continues the ministry’s work under the Aleph-Bet project, which focused on increasing the number of students in Jewish educational institutions. The earlier project included cooperation with Jewish Federations of North America, UnitEd and Prizmah.

Following the approval, Gary Torgow, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Federations of North America, and Eric Fingerhut, president of the organization, were invited to the Cabinet meeting.

“This is a historic day for Israel and for Jewish communities around the world,” Torgow said. He said the move recognizes “the paramount importance of global Jewish education” and its role in building stronger ties between Israel and the Jewish world.

The decision comes as Jewish education leaders in North America report growing interest in Jewish schools. Recent figures from Prizmah showed enrollment in its network rising from 94,008 students in 2021–2022 to 101,041 in 2025–2026. At the same time, high tuition remains a major obstacle for many families.

The plan will now move to implementation through the Prime Minister’s Office, the Diaspora Affairs Ministry and Jewish community partners. For Israel, the decision signals that Jewish education abroad is no longer being treated only as a local community issue, but as part of the long-term resilience of the Jewish people.