The Yael Foundation has announced the finalists for the 2026 Yael Awards, the premier international awards dedicated exclusively to excellence in Jewish education, highlighting schools, educators and programs spanning more than a dozen countries across Europe, Central Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America.
The awards, now in their fourth year, recognize Jewish educational institutions that demonstrate academic excellence, strengthening Jewish identity, community impact, innovation, and meaningful Jewish experiences. The 2026 ceremony will take place in February in Europe and will bring together educators, philanthropists, and Jewish communal leaders from dozens of countries.
This year’s announcement comes amid growing global concern over Jewish continuity and rising antisemitism, alongside mounting pressure on Jewish educational systems in many parts of the Diaspora. These challenges were reflected on by members of the awards’ international judging panel as they assessed the state of Jewish education today, its pressures, and its possibilities.
“Now it’s more important than ever to invest in Jewish education,” said Robert Singer, Chairman of the Center for Jewish Impact, former CEO and Executive Vice President of the World Jewish Congress and a member of the judging panel. “We’ve just passed the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and only now is the Jewish population returning to roughly the pre-war numbers, around 16 million. The question is what happens 80 years from now. From that perspective, education is the most important investment we can make for a strong Jewish future.”
Singer emphasized that access alone is no longer sufficient. “Simply announcing that a Jewish school exists is not enough,” he said. “They must be schools of excellence, with the best facilities, the best teachers, and excellence in both general and Jewish studies. That is what draws families in and sustains communities.”
The finalists reflect that philosophy. Among those recognized are schools and programs in Brussels, Sofia, Lisbon, Istanbul, Kyiv, Bishkek, Córdoba, Richmond (Canada), and Mykolaiv, many operating in small or emerging Jewish communities.
Natan Sharansky, former Israeli cabinet minister, chair of the Jewish Agency and iconic Soviet refusenik, framed Jewish education as a prerequisite for freedom and civic engagement. “To remain Jewish in a world that places pressure towards assimilation, you must be strong in your Jewish identity,” he said. “There is no better strength for a Jewish child entering the world than a deep Jewish education. Strengthening Jewish identity and making the world more free are interconnected ideas.”
Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt, journalist and community leader in New York, pointed to a shift she has witnessed in recent years. “A lot of energy has gone into fighting antisemitism directly,” she said. “I believe that is ultimately a losing battle. The real work is ensuring strong Jewish identity: knowing who you are, where you come from, and where you’re going.”
Chizhik-Goldschmidt described education as the engine of leadership. “Excellence today requires innovation,” she said. “The methods that worked for one generation don’t always translate. We need to think creatively about how to pass on ideas, values, and meaning in a new media environment.”
Max Neuberger, investor and Jewish education advocate, pointed to both the pressures and opportunities shaping Jewish education today. As students grow up amid rapid technological change, he said, new tools, like AI, can offer unprecedented access to knowledge.
For Jewish education, Neuberger argued, the opportunity lies in using modern technologies to connect students to thousands of years of Jewish wisdom and tradition, while pairing those tools with the depth, human connection, and sense of purpose that technology alone cannot provide.
In addition to the category awards, the Yael Foundation will present two honorary recognitions. Author, educator and Jewish influencer Dov Forman will receive the Influence for Good Award for his work advancing Holocaust education and Jewish storytelling through digital platforms. “As survivors dwindle and antisemitism grows increasingly unchecked, education has never been more urgent,” Forman said. “Too many people still don’t know what Jews are, what we believe, or where antisemitism can lead.”
Former hostage Agam Berger will receive the Voice of Jewish Identity Award for her moral clarity and the way she has used her voice to affirm Jewish identity in the public sphere. “Jewish strength is not only about survival,” Berger said. “It’s about holding onto who we are, bringing light, even into the darkest places. I hope my story, and the story of all the other hostages, who never lost hope or their strength and Jewish identity, can help embolden Jewish educators, and through them, Jewish youth, around the world.”
Founded by Uri and Yael Poliavich, the Yael Foundation invested €40 million in Jewish education in 2025, supporting 130 educational programs across 45 countries. Through the Yael Awards, the Foundation aims to elevate models of excellence that can be replicated across diverse Jewish communities worldwide.
Written in collaboration with the Yael Foundation