Growing up in Ukraine and missing out on basic Jewish education, Uri Poliavich has made it his goal to ensure that Jewish children and families worldwide have the opportunity to connect to Jewish tradition, whether through schools, informal educational programs, summer camps, and more.
At a young age, his family made aliyah to Israel. Poliavich later graduated from the law faculty at Bar-Ilan University.
In 2020, Uri Poliavich and his wife Yael founded the Yael Foundation, a philanthropic initiative in 35 countries impacting 13,5000 Jewish students that is leading change and promoting excellence in Jewish education. Its many initiatives positively impact the future of the Jewish people worldwide.
Today's Jewish students are tomorrow's Jewish leaders
The Yael Foundation’s grantees nurture a strong sense of identity in children to help them become tomorrow’s Jewish leaders. The foundation is uniquely driven by the conviction that all Jewish children, irrespective of their geographic location or community size, should have access to high-quality Jewish and general education.In the coming year, the foundation plans to issue $26.6 million in grants at three different tiers to dozens of schools internationally.
