STRENGTHENING JEWISH LIFE
AND CONTINUITY

In 2020, there was a serious threat many families would
withdraw their children from core Jewish experiences—
critical to the next generation choosing to live Jewishly.
With your generous support, these experiences have been protected.

In 2020, there was a serious threat many families would
withdraw their children from core Jewish experiences—
critical to the next generation choosing to live Jewishly.
With your generous support, these experiences have been protected.

MONTREAL’S JEWISH DAY SCHOOL SYSTEMS ENTERED THE 2020 SCHOOL YEAR WITH SIGNIFICANT APPREHENSION AND UNCERTAINTY

Your gift is helping to prevent an outflow of families from the day school system, despite the pandemic.

While demand from families for tuition assistance spiked by 9% in 2020-21, with an 18% increase in subsidies provided to those already receiving assistance as well as to those on the receiving end for the first time, enrolment across all schools—in a pandemic year—remained stable.

The strengths of our Jewish day schools have been amplified due to the pandemic, both academically and communally.  There was an imminent concern for families negatively affected by the pandemic that could not pay regular tuition fees because they lost their jobs or their businesses.  In addition, each school had increased costs for PPE needs, online learning supports, additional teachers, and significant losses in fundraising revenue.

Ensuring access to a Jewish day school education, in which affordability remains a critical challenge for low and middle-income families, is a key community priority.

Young masked children on floor with tablets in blue cases. Female masked instructor, kneeling and pointing at screen of boy wearing mask and kippah.
Young masked children on floor with tablets in blue cases. Female masked instructor, kneeling and pointing at screen of boy wearing mask and kippah.

THANKS TO YOUR GIFT…

0
FAMILIES
received tuition assistance and/or a COVID-relief subsidy in 2020-21
$0
WAS ALLOCATED TO SUPPORT 13 JEWISH DAY SCHOOLS
and 5,451 children were provided with a quality Jewish education for the 2020-2021 academic year
$0
ADDITIONAL IN TUITION ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED
to help keep children of families rocked by the economic downturn enrolled in Jewish day schools

YOUR GIFT “HAS ALLOWED US TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN IN JEWISH DAY SCHOOL”

Thousands of children like Zev’s* stayed in Jewish day school because of your gift.

“Making Jewish education more affordable for low- and middle-income families is one of the best ways people who are more fortunate could spend their charity money. It has a great impact. Being on the receiving end, I can tell you that having four children in the Jewish day school system, there are times when you don’t know how you are going to make ends meet. The program has allowed us to keep our children in Jewish day school for which we are so grateful. Thank you.”

*Name has been changed to protect privacy. 

2020-21 JEWISH DAY SCHOOLS FUNDING
$7,940,060*
INCREASE:
44%
$7,940,060*
2020-21 JDS FUNDING
44% INCREASE

*This includes $3 million allocated for the Tuition Assistance Program, $2.5 million for the CAPS Program, and $2.44 million for the Covid-19 Relief Fund.

A SUMMER NO ONE WILL EVER FORGET

Your gift provided a summer camping experience for children and teens, and much-needed respite for parents who had children learning at home for months.

All overnight summer camps were unable to run in the summer of 2020, impacting the network of overnight summer camps financially and leaving families scrambling to find summer alternatives for their children, who had already been spending months learning online, without seeing friends face-to-face.

Backed by your generosity, Federation CJA responded by supporting the camps financially, all of whom had to return campership fees while still being obligated to pay for camp costs.

2020-21 CAMP FUNDING
$452,333
COVID-19 FUND
$719,441
TOTAL
$1,171,774
FUNDING INCREASE:
159%
$452,333
2020-21 CAMP FUNDING
$719,441
COVID-19 FUND
$1,671,774
TOTAL
159%
FUNDING INCREASE
PARTNER REACH:
3 CAMPING PARTNERS TO 18
INCREASE:
500%
PARTNER REACH:
3 CAMPING PARTNERS
TO 18
500% INCREASE
Young children sitting on a large rock during summertime
Young children sitting on a large rock during summertime.

THANKS TO YOUR GIFT:

$0
WAS ALLOCATED
to a network of 13 local Jewish day camps
0+
CHILDREN
between the ages of 5 and 12 benefitted from a camp experience after months of isolation—in a summer no one will ever forget

APPRECIATING PJ LIBRARY IN A YEAR WITHOUT IN-PERSON JEWISH EXPERIENCES

Your gift is ensuring that children continue to grow in their Jewish journey safely at home.

A Jewish life should be filled with high-quality Jewish experiences. In a year in which in-person Jewish programming just wasn’t possible, what else was available to help parents raise their kids Jewishly? How could parents ensure their children learned more about who they are, their values, their traditions, and their community—even as community went virtual?

Thankfully, Jewish families across Montreal enjoy the benefits of PJ Library. At a time when it’s needed more than ever before, PJ Library brings Judaism to the safety of home and the comfort of family. The program sends free, high-quality Jewish children’s books to families every month, personally addressed to children in our community.

For many, PJ Library is the spark of a passion for Jewish reading that marks the beginning of a lifelong journey. PJ Library is a perfect merger of quality and quantity.  An initiative of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, PJ Library works through local Jewish organizations, like Federation CJA, to provide books around the world. Families raising kids from birth through to age nine with Judaism as part of their lives can participate and sign up.

It’s worth repeating it again: the program is totally free, reaching more young people in our community than any other initiative. We know how valuable this program is for many families, especially those struggling to keep their kids engaged during a year of lockdowns.

Consider how PJ Library has grown, from an initial subscriber base ten years ago of 285 households to thousands today.

Young boy, lying on floor reading PJ Library book
Young boy, lying on floor reading PJ Library book

THANKS TO YOUR GIFT…

0+
YOUNG FAMILIES
in our community receive monthly Jewish books through PJ Library

HOLOCAUST EDUCATION GOES VIRTUAL, EXPANDING ITS REACH

Your gift is teaching the next generation to never forget.

The pandemic has forced most of us to stay home, but it hasn’t stopped Holocaust survivors from sharing their remarkable stories of survival. Many of our community’s survivors continue speaking with young people across the city thanks to the Montreal Holocaust Museum’s (MHM’s) virtual programming.

The Covid-related closing of the physical MHM sped up the transition to a fully online and virtual experience, dramatically increasing the reach:

  • 47,000 views of MHM content on Youtube
  • 16,000+ visitors to online Holocaust exhibits
  • 1,728 students and educators took part in new online Holocaust-education courses
Young masked children sitting at classroom desks holding up artwork
Young masked children sitting at classroom desks holding up artwork