National Jewish Community Leadership Gathering Sets Sights on the Future of Jewish Learning and Resilience

The Jewish Federations of North America’s (JFNA) General Assembly 2025 brought together Jewish leaders from across North America’s 141 federations to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing the Jewish community today. Major themes included supporting Israel’s recovery after the war, addressing rising antisemitism, and taking bold steps to ensure Jewish life and learning remain vibrant and accessible. There was a strong call to move from emergency response to long-term planning and rebuilding—both in Israel and across communal organizations at home.

Among the many topics discussed, one standout agenda item this year was the elevation of Jewish day schools as a top Federation priority, fueled in part by a new federal tax credit for private religious schools. “Formal Jewish education has now been lifted to be one of the Jewish Federation of North America’s highest priorities,” said JFNA’s board chair, Gary Torgow. “We understand its success. We understand [that] its success or — God forbid — failure will be the legacy of this generation, and we will and must do our part." JFNA’s leaders urged every state to opt into the new federal tax credit, saying it could transform access to Jewish education for families nationwide, and reaffirmed their commitment to work with policymakers at every level to "protect and strengthen and encourage Jewish life.”

Representing the Mayberg Foundation at the conference were Executive Director Todd Sukol, Senior Advisor for Education Grants and Programs Rachel Abrahams, and Director of Marketing and Communications Rina Schiff. While there, they connected with current partners and explored new opportunities to support and advance the foundation’s mission.

Todd expressed optimism about this renewed national focus on Jewish day schools, highlighting the strong alignment with Mayberg’s core investments in Jewish education. “Seeing the national community leadership give new priority to Jewish day schools is deeply encouraging. We are excited to see this greater alignment in our funding priorities and our core investments in Jewish education," Todd said. “This is a unique opportunity for the Mayberg Foundation to contribute to the national conversation, champion innovative educational models, and help highlight just how critical Jewish day school education is for our community’s long-term vitality and success.”

Rachel added her perspective, recalling her participation in two sessions focused on enhancing accessibility, teacher recruitment, retention, and leveraging the federal scholarship tax credit to support fundraising. “The sessions were packed, and the energy in the rooms was remarkable. It’s encouraging to see so much enthusiasm and momentum, and we hope these developments translate into more robust professional development opportunities for teachers—an area central to the Mayberg Foundation’s mission and investments,” she said.

View General Assembly 2025 remarks, view photos and more here