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September 13, 2002/Tishri 7 5762, Vol. 55, No. 3
Academy joins fund
Jewish schools unite in scholarship tuition organization
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
The Phoenix Hebrew Academy has joined six other local private schools in participating in the Jewish Community Day School Scholarship Fund.
The Jewish Community Day School Scholarship Fund, which garnered approximately $955,000 in donations last year, is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that works in conjunction with the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix. In addition to the Hebrew Academy, the fund distributes scholarship funds for the Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School, Pardes Jewish Day School, The King David School, Tri-City Jewish Community Center Day School, Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center Kindergarten and Beth El Kindergarten.
The Hebrew Academy previously participated in a scholarship tuition organization (STO), The Cheder, in conjunction with Tucson Hebrew Academy. The Cheder provided the academy with approximately $90,000 in scholarship funds for the current school year.
With the inclusion of the Hebrew Academy, all Jewish schools in the Valley serving grades kindergarten through 12 belong to the single STO.
"Being part of a larger pool, where we're all in this together, creates more of a sense of unity," said Rabbi Harris Cooperman, principal of the Hebrew Academy. "Through this sense of unity and partnership, I think that moneys are going to increase and the kids are going to be the beneficiaries."
Gary Jaburg, chairman of the Jewish Community Day School Scholarship Fund, said he is pleased that "all denominations of the community are working together for a common goal."
The STO has hired Heath Blumstein to do marketing and increase public awareness of the fund, Jaburg said. Blumstein said the STO gave out 187 scholarships for the 2002-2003 school year totaling $856,396 (see sidebar for scholarships awarded to individual schools).
Since its inception in 1999, the Jewish Community Day School Scholarship Fund has distributed $1.8 million in scholarships to day school students in the Valley, taking advantage of an Arizona tax credit plan that allows taxpayers to donate up to $625 per tax year to qualifying organizations.
For information, contact Heath Blumstein at 602-274-1800, ext. 134.
Contact the writer at beth_olson@jewishaz.com.
Jewish Community Day School Scholarship Fund allocations for 2002-2003
- Pardes Jewish Day School: $282,650 (63 scholarships)
- The King David School: $336,859 (70 scholarships)
- Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School: $124,828 (20 scholarships)
- Tri-City Jewish Community Center Day School: $71,244 (21 scholarships)
- Beth El Kindergarten: $14,500 (five scholarships)
- Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center Kindergarten: $26,315 (eight scholarships)
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