The Quiet Work that Secures the Jewish Future

By Connie Kanter, and David Ellenhorn | May 14, 2025

In the wake of Oct. 7, 2023, with antisemitism flaring on college campuses and across many public spaces, the Jewish Diaspora has rallied to raise awareness, speak out and push back. These moments of visible solidarity matter; but if we are honest, these actions are in some ways the “easy” part. The harder work is quieter. It doesn’t trend on social media, and it doesn’t make  headlines. 

The truth is this: the future of Jewish life isn’t built on advocacy — it’s built on fluency. That’s why Jewish day schools are where the work of Jewish continuity truly happens, every day. When our young people walk into the world with the kind of Jewish literacy only a day school education can provide, they don’t just defend against antisemitism. They transcend it. They are rooted, confident, prepared and proud.

The data bears this out. A 2004 study showed that 86% of those who attended day school for 7 to 12 years said that being Jewish is very important to them. Compare that with 30% for Sunday Hebrew school attendees, and just 16% for those with no formal Jewish education. What’s striking is that nearly two decades later, the data continue to show these exact same trends. Research from Prizmah Center for Jewish Day Schools in 2024 confirms that Jewish day school alumni score higher on every metric of Jewish continuity, including being significantly more likely to feel connected to Israel, raise Jewish children, join Jewish communities and lead Jewish lives. The impact of Jewish day school is not merely a trend but the single most reliable path to Jewish continuity and a vibrant Jewish future.

It is no accident that many of the founders of the modern Jewish state — people who were often secular in lifestyle — were themselves the products of traditional Jewish education. They carried their Jewish literacy into the work of building the Jewish nation. Their decisions, values, and cultural frameworks were deeply informed by the texts and traditions they studied in their youth. That same literacy is just as critical today — not only for Zionist leadership, but for sustaining Jewish life in every corner of the Diaspora.

One of the most profound and underappreciated aspects of Jewish day school education is how its impact ripples out from the student across the whole family. Numerous studies have demonstrated that when children attend Jewish day schools, their parents often deepen their involvement in Jewish learning, rituals and community life. A 2017 AVI CHAI Foundation report showed that Hebrew language learning establishes a bridge to more ritual practice, including lighting Shabbat candles, observing holidays more deeply and incorporating Hebrew into daily conversations. It brings Jewish practice into the home and transforms it from the inside out. These findings were recently reinforced by Alex Pomson and Helena Miller’s decade-long study, A Picture of Day School’s Impact: Testing Our Claims.

In this way Jewish day school is more than a place of individual learning; it’s a driver of Jewish life across generations.

Affordability works: A proven model for community-wide Jewish growth

Too many families who want this life-changing experience for their kids and themselves are locked out not by lack of interest, but by lack of access. That’s where philanthropic strategy can make the greatest impact.

In 2022, Samis launched the Day School Affordability (DSA) initiative to test a bold idea: What happens when we reduce financial barriers to entry, even in a low-affiliation community like Seattle? At the time, we hoped to see a 5% increase in day school enrollment. Instead, it grew by 25% across participating schools. That kind of growth goes beyond success; it’s transformative.

Parents told us clearly that without this financial support, Jewish day school education wouldn’t have been an option, and they cited affordability grants as the deciding factor behind enrollment. The independent research Samis commissioned confirmed that DSA delivered on both of its goals: increasing enrollment and easing the burden for families.

Our research also showed that in major metro centers like Seattle, the affordability problem is most acute for middle-income families. These are families for whom paying day school tuition is a real sacrifice, not of luxuries like vacations or cars, but of competing core priorities like college savings, appropriate housing or the ability to visit extended family. When Jewish education is out of reach, we don’t just lose students — we lose the foundations of the Jewish future. This means that affordability is not just an equity issue, it’s a strategic imperative. 

The math is simple and direct: When affordability improves, enrollment rises. When enrollment rises, schools reach a critical mass that creates a virtuous circle of success for themselves and the whole community. Day schools feed into a more engaged, connected Jewish community across every institution: synagogues, JCCs, camps, federations and more. These institutions catalyze a cycle of growth and renewal that sustains Jewish communities in ways that go far beyond each individual school.

Of course, many factors played a role in the 25% increase. The isolation of the pandemic, rising antisemitism and a newer awareness among parents of the shortcomings of public school education, even in highly regarded school districts, have all pushed more families to consider Jewish day schools. But make no mistake: without the affordability grants in place, many of those families would not have been able to make that choice.

As a model for philanthropists who are wondering where to place bets on day school, the answer is clear: improve affordability.

The work that lasts when headlines fade

Much of what has made America a Golden Land of freedom, prosperity, and opportunity for Jews has also lulled us into a dangerous complacency about Jewish education. Antisemitism is easy to rally against. It’s visible, it’s urgent and it demands a response. But the real work of securing our future comes in the quiet, everyday commitment to intensive Jewish learning, core fluency and Jewish pride. 

At Samis, we’re proud to be part of a growing chorus of voices — from Barry Finestone at the Jim Joseph Foundation to the Crown Family Foundation,  the Yael Foundation and Lauder Impact Initiative — calling for renewed investment in Jewish literacy. Today, about 70% of our grantmaking supports Jewish day school education. This doesn’t mean other experiences don’t matter: We continue to support youth programming, overnight Jewish camps, and teen Israel trips, which are essential parts of a strong Jewish upbringing. But when it comes to long-term Jewish continuity, the data is undeniable: day school education has a deep and lasting impact.

If you care about Jewish continuity, invest in Jewish day schools. If you care about fighting antisemitism, about Israel, about passing on a vibrant Jewish life, invest in Jewish day schools. There is no more important investment in the Jewish future.

Connie Kanter is the CEO of the Samis Foundation in Seattle, Washington.

David Ellenhorn is a Seattle-based attorney and chair of the Samis Foundation.

This op-ed was originally published in ejewishphilanthropy.