Day School Foundation Offers
StL $75K Scholarship Match
 
The National Jewish Day School Foundation, based in Sedona, AZ, is gifting  St. Louis elementary day schools $75,000 in "dollar for dollar" matching funds as tuition scholarships for families in financial need. Qualifying schools include: H. F. Epstein Hebrew Academy, Saul Mirowitz Day School , Solomon Schechter Day School , Torah Prep Schools (Boys and Girls Divisions). Distributions will be made available through the Foundation's EXCEL (EXcellence in Classroom Education and Learning) Scholarship Fund.
 
St. Louis and Phoenix each received $75K in matching funds. “This is our first year to give out the grants. So far, our support of these two cities with the matching grants will put collectively $300,000 into day school scholarships for tuition abatement. Our real focus is to insure that needs-based families will be able to send their kids to day schools.”
 
Rabbi Allen Selis, head of Solomon Schechter Day School , reported that he’d already received a donation that matches his school’s portion of the grant. “I had been soliciting a donor who’s a day school advocate. He feels any child who wants a Jewish education should receive one, regardless of financial limits. He was about to donate a certain amount to SSDS, but when he heard about the matching grant, he solidified his commitment and increased his gift by $1,200 to meet the full match target.”
 
The Foundation was formed by Michael and Carol Dean of Sedona, whose son Jeff and daughter-in-law Shelley Dean are Foundation advisors and live in St. Louis (University City).  The Deans’ goal in setting up the Foundation was to build Jewish identity, values, literacy and community through supporting Jewish day school education. The Deans felt they could best focus on elementary day school education where “we feel young people are the most impressionable and where they could be nourished and reinforced on a daily basis so they can see life through a Jewish lens.”
 
Both Michael and Carol are former educators -- Carol was a special education teacher in the Cincinnati school system and Michael was a professor at the University of Cincinnati in the business school who has entrepreneurial and corporate experience. They became interested in Jewish education after taking a Melton class which led to more Melton and other adult Jewish education classes…and trips to Israel.
 
Their son Jeff and his wife, Shelley, and three children are members of Beth Hamedrosh Shaarei Chesed and Shaare Zedek.   Their 3-year old daughter, Tzofia Keshet attends nursery school at Shaare Zedek, and the couple is excited to have the younger kids enrolled as soon as they are old enough. Jeff and Shelley moved to St. Louis seven years ago to open a business in Clayton, and because of the vibrant Jewish community they have decided to raise their kids here.

Said Michael Dean, “Because our kids and grandkids live in St. Louis, we’ve visited many times have become well acquainted with the St. Louis Jewish community.   We’re delighted to support what’s going in St. Louis, and of course, Jeff and Shelley keep us abreast of all the good things the day schools are doing.”
 
Jeff and Shelley Dean agree. "We are delighted that St. Louis elementary day schools have been selected as recipients of the EXCEL Fund. We recognize the critical need to provide Jewish children and their families with a quality Jewish education. In this day and age, with the odds stacked against us, our kids need a nurturing environment filled with Jewish values. Watching our kids interact with peers, teachers and Rabbis, has enriched our kids’ Jewish identity, self-image, and offered them role models in a world that would otherwise would have that void.

“The benefit of daily exposure within the context of a Jewish value system is what makes day schools in our community so special,” added Jeff and Shelley. “When you meet many of the kids in these schools, the spark, the maturity, that shining "Pintele Yid," radiates forth as an example for others to follow. We have noticed, from the examples of others in our community, that the necessity to start Jewish education at a young age is a key factor in establishing a path of Jewish continuity. We are very proud of everyone who shares our excitement in this project, and can help contribute, so that others who couldn’t afford to do so, can be assisted in sending their kids to Jewish Day Schools too.”