Welcome

The Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education (PEJE), founded in 1997 by Michael Steinhardt and Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, is a national organization of visionary Jewish philanthropists seeking to establish a vibrant and sustainable Jewish future through strengthening the Jewish day school movement in North America. In its first nine years, PEJE's model of making grants, providing expertise, and advocating for the day school movement reached over 150 elementary, middle, and high schools and invested a total of over $20 million in the field. PEJE has contributed to the opening of over 60 new Jewish day schools.

Through a collaborative strategic planning process, PEJE's original vision and mission of creating a more active, committed, literate, and sustainable Jewish community through strengthening the day school movement has been matched with a targeted goal of increasing enrollment in Jewish day schools.

This vision is inspired by our core set of values.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can day schools benefit from PEJE's work?
While our grant programs are one way schools partner with PEJE, a number of PEJE initiatives are designed to assist individual schools and the day school field as a whole. Advocacy programs help raise awareness of day schools and their needs and to build support for day schools in the general Jewish community. PEJE publications, along with the Knowledge section of this web site, make PEJE's learnings, perspectives, and suggestions available to all day school professionals and lay leaders at minimal or no cost. PEJE sponsors conferences on a regional and continental scale, and our Joint Purchasing Initiative allows hundreds of schools to benefit from deep discounts.

How can PEJE help my community open a new school?
Having been established initially to nurture the growth of new schools, PEJE has a number of resources to help new school planning groups, including publications, the PACES Program, and grants.

Does PEJE support a particular kind of school?
PEJE's programs are open to schools across the denominational spectrum, in communities of all sizes and geographic locations in North America. PEJE-supported schools include Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, and Community day schools. We work closely with the denominational networks such as AMODS, NAAJHS, PARDeS, RAVSAK, and SSDSA, as well as with national organizations dedication to Jewish education such as JESNA and CAJE. We work with elementary, middle, and high schools.

How is PEJE governed?
The PEJE partners comprise the organization's board of directors. Some partners are advised by professional delegates, who are in frequent contact with PEJE staff and with one another. Through board meetings held several times a year, the partners make decisions about PEJE policy and future initiatives, guided by the mission and by the insights of the PEJE staff and professional delegates.

How were the original PEJE partners chosen?
After conceiving of the idea for PEJE, Michael Steinhardt approached those individuals whom he thought would be interested in joining the endeavor. After securing the commitment of Charles Schusterman, z"l, he contacted many of his philanthropic associates, which included the individuals and organizations that came together to form PEJE.