The biggest and “most important” grant that the Helen Bader Foundation made in its most recent cycle for its Jewish Life and Learning area is $338,229 to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to create a Jewish studies major there.
This will upgrade and expand the certificate in Jewish studies program it presently offers.
The university will match this grant “dollar-for-dollar” over its five-year period; and when that is completed, UWM will take full responsibility for the program, said Tobey Libber, program officer at the foundation for its Jewish Life and Learning area.
However, the process of creating this program “will take awhile,” Libber said. It requires the hiring of new faculty and advising staff, creating of marketing materials and creation of new courses, he said.
Yet the benefits for the community will be great, Libber said. For one, the number of Jewish students going to UWM is expected to grow because of increasingly selective admissions to UW-Madison, improved academic quality at UWM and a parental preference that their children attend state schools.
Many of these Jewish students, Libber said, will take Jewish studies courses even if they don’t want to major in the field in order to satisfy various distribution requirements.
That, said Libber, “is an opportunity to reach young Jewish adults at a time when they are making decisions about the rest of their lives,” including “what kind of Jewish lifestyle they might have in the future.” Therefore, “to be able to connect with them Jewishly on campus is crucial,” he said.
In addition, “there’s a great demand in Milwaukee for high level adult Jewish learning,” which an expanded Jewish studies program at UWM can also meet, said Libber.
Jewish Life and Learning
According to a release from the organization, the foundation gave 19 grants totaling $930,999 toward Jewish Life and Learning. These included:
• Two grants totaling $105,000 to the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center for its preschool program and a marketing/sales plan for its publications.
• A three-year $150,000 grant to Lubavitch of Wisconsin “to strengthen its internal systems and board processes.”
• Three grants to the Hillel Academy Jewish day school totaling $91,900 to hire a special education coordinator and improve its program and curriculum.
• A two-year $50,000 grant to the Torah Academy of Milwaukee girls day high school to hire part-time directors and to fund development.
• A $40,000 grant to the Milwaukee Jewish Federation “to help create a state-wide structure offering affordable health insurance to Jewish organizations.”
• $30,000 to the Madison Jewish Community Council to conduct research on Wisconsin Holocaust survivors to be published in Wisconsin Trails magazine.
• $25,000 to Congregation Shalom to conduct genetic testing and provide education about genetic diseases affecting the Jewish community.
• A two-year $25,000 grant to the Wisconsin Society for Jewish Learning “to promote public understanding” of Jewish religion and culture.
• Two grants totaling $22,000 to Yeshiva Elementary School to develop a marketing CD-ROM and purchase a portable stage.
• A two-year $20,000 grant to Jewish Family Services to develop educational programs for parents on how to talk to teens about sexuality, drug/alcohol use and interpersonal abuse.
• $15,000 to enable the Jewish Education Service of North America to partner with Milwaukee’s Coalition for Jewish Learning on “strategic planning to enhance Jewish learning in local congregational schools.”
• Two grants totaling $14,000 to the Milwaukee Jewish Day School to expand the school’s anti-bullying project and develop its extracurricular jazz ensemble.
• $4,870 to the Milwaukee Jewish Community Chorale “to bring Jewish choral music to communities throughout Wisconsin.”
In addition, of the seven grants totaling $421,200 in the foundation’s Directed Grants Program, two of $100,000 each went to the Milwaukee Jewish Federation to help the Keshet of Wisconsin program for Jewish children with special needs.
One will help Keshet create special needs rooms in the Kohl Educational Building on the Karl Jewish Community Campus, and the other will make enhancements for Keshet students throughout the building.
The foundation also awarded:
• 13 grants totaling $621,000 for programs involved in Early Childhood Development in Israel.
• 15 grants totaling $392,985 for programs providing care, research and education about Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia, including a two-year, $20,000 grant for an art therapy program at the Jewish Home and Care Center.
• Nine grants totaling $553,550 for Economic Development projects and programs.
• 25 grants totaling $305,000 for Sankofa-Youth Development, plus three grants totaling $76,156 for Sankofa’s Homework First initiative.
• Four grants totaling $230,000 for various Community Initiatives.
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