Two Businessmen Pitch In

Businessmen Ben Federman and David Schottenstein together with his wife Eda are partnering for their second joint philanthropic project, this time launching the Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies Midwest Scholarship Fund.

The Fund – established in the memory of Alta Shula Swerdlov OBM, daughter of shluchim Rabbi Yossi and Hindel Swerdlov – will provide promising young adults with the financial means to attend semester and year-long programs at Mayanot in Jerusalem.

Federman approached Mayanot about starting the project in March after hearing about the programs from alumni living in the Midwest.

“I was impressed by the alumni I met. They are well-rounded individuals who are committed to spreading the word and to passing on the knowledge they have gained to communities in the Midwest,” said Federman, CEO and President of 1SaleADay.com.

Schottenstein, CEO of Astor & Black Custom Clothing, is equally enthusiastic about what the project can do for individuals from the Midwest as well as local Jewish communities.

“When people are educated about Yiddishkeit and what it is to be a Jew they are more likely to stay connected,” he explains. “Mayanot is at the forefront in that department and in reconnecting youth. Furthermore, when I give to Jewish education I feel like am giving to the Jewish future and helping preserve Jewish identity.”

Over the past 13 years Mayanot has endeavored not to turn away suitable applicants who are facing financial obstacles. However, given the current financial climate, this policy has become more of a challenge to implement.

“We have found that applicants to our programs encounter many challenges when applying to Mayanot. However, it is generally financial pressures that weigh most heavily,” explained Mayanot Executive Director Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov.

“We are certain that recipients of this scholarship will return to their local Jewish communities in the Midwest with the knowledge and enthusiasm they have acquired, and contribute to building and developing vibrant Jewish communities.”

The Schottenstein family supports a number of key projects at Mayanot, including the “Saul’s Scholars” summer program scholarship, dedicated by William and Thomas Schottenstein in the memory of their late uncle, Saul Schottenstein OBM.

In 2010, David and Eda Schottenstein contributed to the establishment of Mayanot’s Holtzberg Administration Center, which serves as Mayanot’s administrative and financial offices.

“We are truly grateful to Ben Federman, the Schottenstein Family and to all of our supporters,” commented Rabbi Shlomo Gestetner, Dean of Mayanot.

“We are inviting individuals to become partners of similar projects so that we can establish scholarships for students from across the English-speaking world. Our ultimate aim is to provide as many students as possible with the opportunity to immerse in Torah studies and strengthen their Yiddishkeit.”