For the small and often-isolated Jewish communities of the Muslim world, JDC’s investment in Jewish education is vital for ensuring continuity and safeguarding the next generation’s sense of identity, belonging, and pride.

“These communities can’t have easy access to a global Jewish network because of where they are, so we’re focused on keeping them connected and making sure they can thrive no matter what,” said Lela Sadikario, JDC’s country director for Turkey. “It’s part of our broader commitment to rethinking, reshaping, and adapting to new realities.”

In Turkey, JDC powers the community’s Jewish future by supporting several educational frameworks — among them, the Ulus Jewish Day School in Istanbul, which upholds rigorous academic standards and promotes a deep connection to Jewish life for its nearly 600 students.

JDC helped design the school’s Jewish studies curriculum and has brought in expert consultants to train teachers on the latest and most effective educational techniques and paradigms. We also support a Sunday school in Izmir and build links to Jewish life through informal education tools like camping and hadracha (counselor training) experiences.

“In an era when expressions of Jewish identity can sometimes feel less visible or less understood in broader society, Jewish education plays a vital role in fostering pride, a sense of belonging, and resilience,” said Metin Bonfil, the Ulus school’s Board President.

Thanks to the long-term nature of JDC’s support, we are able to plan strategically, bolster our curriculum, and remain a vital force for sustaining Jewish life in Turkey.”

Metin Bonfil

Board President,
Ulus Jewish Day School

Around the world, the current context has made adopting a proud Jewish identity “increasingly fragile and isolated, even risky,” Sadikario said — making education a key opportunity for communities to center their values and feel a sense of strength.

That’s also true in Morocco, where the JDC-supported Otzar Hatorah- Neve Shalom School in Casablanca educates 103 Jewish children, a large percentage of the young people in that community. With many Jewish families in the city struggling to afford the cost of tuition, JDC financial support — for scholarships, special education, school supplies, and even the institution’s operating costs — is critical.

“Without JDC, and the help of the Almighty, we wouldn’t be able to survive and exist,” said Rabbi Jacky Sebag, the school’s chief administrator. “Now Morocco’s Jewish children have access to a very high-level education.”

This is the only Jewish school where pupils can feel free among their brothers and sisters, keeping their Jewish identity without being scared or ashamed.”

Rabbi Jacky Sebag

Chief Administrator,
Otzar Hatorah-Neve Shalom School

JDC also supported the complete renovation of the school’s playground in 2024 and made possible an end-of-year celebration in 2025 where Jewish children could play freely and joyfully, complete with pizza and a soap foam battle — a moment of release that was especially vital given increased tensions in Morocco that have prevented overt public Jewish outings.

“We’re very happy with the quality of education here, and we hope that, God willing, the school will be able to continue for years to come,” one parent said. “Besides the quality teaching, we’re very confident our children are in good, warm, and familiar hands.”

The tight-knit Jewish community of Djerba, an island off the coast of Tunisia, has relied on JDC to support educational initiatives since the 1950s. Today, Jewish schools there serve some 500 students — one third of this small but thriving community.

For decades, JDC brought in educational experts, developed partnerships with international institutions, and provided pedagogical resources such as books, instructional materials, and training for teachers and principals.

Otzar Hatorah-Neve Shalom School in Casablanca, Morocco.

In 2016, we helped the community build a permanent home for Kanfei Yonah, a visionary girls’ school founded by sisters-in-law Alite and Hannah Sabban. Today, the institution serves 85 children in its daycare, 70 girls in its elementary school, and 59 teens in its high school.

The school’s curriculum comprises both religious and secular subjects like math, Hebrew reading comprehension, Jewish history, English, and computer skills. JDC has also engaged an early childhood expert to guide the school’s staff and leadership in building a well-balanced and empowering experience that provides students with a high-caliber education.

It is impossible to put into words the positive changes, growth, and transformation taking place in our Tunisian Jewish community, both materially and spiritually.”

Alite and Hannah Sabban

Co-Principals, Kanfei Yonah

“Without your support, we would not have been able to reach this point,” said the Sabbans, who today serve Kanfei Yonah as co-principals. “All of you at JDC are not simply supporters you are our true ”

Otzar Hatorah-Neve Shalom School

Powering Education & Opportunity in Remote Jewish Communities