Robin Loeb, Associate Director, Kehillah Fund
Kehillah Fund friends, new and old, I am excited to share with you a little about my long-standing connection to the Kehillah Fund. It goes way back to 2005, almost from the organization’s inception. My husband and I received a personal invitation from Nesanel Siegal to join the Kehillah Fund, a unique initiative supporting Chicago’s Orthodox day schools. Little did we know just how unique it was (and still is) as the only communal-based fund in the United States exclusively supporting a full spectrum of the city’s Orthodox Jewish K-8 schools. What a testament to our special community!
When my husband and I joined the donor ranks of Kehillah Fund, our oldest of three children had just started kindergarten at Arie Crown. We were asked to contribute toward this communal cause at a level that worked for us. Without question, we saw it as a meaningful tzedakah opportunity in which our donation – however small – could have significant impact. It was clear: the total was greater than the sum of its parts. In many ways, Kehillah Fund was a precursor to the crowdfunding campaigns of today in which individuals contribute at their level and the collective donations make a huge impact. The power of communal generosity is evident in the upwards of 1700 donors that give each year, totaling $15 million given to the schools over 18 years!
Indeed, when first learning about Kehillah Fund, the core message of achdus resonated deeply with me and my husband. On a practical level, the organization provided an avenue for us to support the multiple K-8 Orthodox day schools serving our diverse community. Then and now, we know that by giving to Kehillah Fund, our tzedakah dollars have an impact on every precious child in our system. Over the years, we have been inspired to increase our monthly donation and are grateful to be a part of this awesome, collective enterprise. And the message of unity resonates today as deeply as ever. By supporting Kehillah Fund, each month we affirm our commitment to the breadth of our community.
Fast forward almost 20 years from our first contribution…I am now privileged to be a leader of the organization and am more grateful than ever to be a part of this meaningful enterprise. As Associate Director of Kehillah Fund, I have the privilege to work with parents, alumni, teachers and administrators from all of our schools. I am honored to work with Rabbonim, ambassadors, and a great team representing the diversity of our community. And best of all, I get to see the children in our eleven K-8 day schools benefit from the collective generosity of our community.
The Kehillah Fund’s value proposition is profound in its simplicity: everyone can be a part of the communal effort to support Chicago’s Orthodox day schools. On behalf of the organization, I want to express gratitude to those who contribute to Kehillah Fund – a one-of-a-kind organization that unifies our community by inspiring a shared commitment to Jewish education. If you are not a current donor, I invite you to join me in supporting our children – our future.