Jewish Philanthropy Podcast · Dovid M Cohen

Topic: Diaspora Jewry Guest: Chaya Yosovich

·48 min·3 clips

Chaya says Israel has shifted from seeing diaspora Jews as helpers to asking what Israel gives back.

David M. Cohen opens with Chaya, the CEO of the Yael Foundation. He sets the conversation around money, impact, and Jewish communal responsibility. The foundation's work centers on Jewish educational institutions around the world, and the discussion stays close to that mission from the start. Chaya explains that the goal is to help Jewish children get a solid general education along with Jewish values and traditions. The conversation stays practical throughout. It moves into how the foundation decides where support is needed most, and why speed and flexibility matter when schools and communities need help. Cohen keeps the pace moving with clear opening questions that let Chaya tell her story without drifting off course. The interview circles back to the work she did before Yael Foundation, which suggests a broad career before this role. The host and guest also talk about Vienna, where the foundation has just started helping a Jewish school. That opens into a wider look at how different places need different kinds of support. The discussion leaves room for partnerships too, including work alongside the Lauder Foundation, which adds local knowledge and a broader view. Sunday schools come up as one obvious need. So do after-school programs for children who are not in Jewish day schools. The conversation also touches on the challenge of school buildings that cannot easily take more students even when demand grows. Security sits near the top of the list as well. The exchange is less about abstract philanthropy than about how help actually reaches families. Cohen keeps returning to what each project means for Jewish life on the ground. Chaya answers in a calm, direct way that keeps the focus on action. The result is a picture of diaspora support as a mix of education, infrastructure, and communal care.

As heard by us

A grounded conversation on Jewish philanthropy, education, and community support.

David M. Cohen speaks with Chaya Yosevich, CEO of the Yael Foundation, in a warm discussion about Jewish philanthropy rooted in Jewish education. The episode is at its best when it moves from broad purpose to practical needs: schools, Sunday programs, space, and security.

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Follow a practical conversation about supporting Jewish education around the world.

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