The Israeli government unanimously approved a NIS 200 million plan, approximately $67 million, to strengthen Jewish education in the Diaspora, with a special focus on North America.

The plan was advanced by Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli, and it will be led by the Prime Minister’s Office together with the Diaspora Affairs Ministry and Jewish communal partners, including the Jewish Federations of North America.

According to the government, some 1.8 million Jewish school-age children live in the United States, while only a small fraction attend Jewish educational institutions. The new plan aims to increase enrollment in Jewish schools, strengthen Jewish identity, and deepen young Jews’ connection to the Jewish people and Eretz Yisroel.

The program will focus on several of the main obstacles facing Jewish education in America, including high tuition costs, limited access in many areas, lack of resources for students with learning disabilities, and the need to strengthen school quality. It will also support new educational frameworks and digital tools to reach families not currently part of the formal Jewish school system.

Netanyahu said the effort comes as part of the broader battle against antisemitism, saying, “The fight against antisemitism is one and the same fight,” and adding that Israel is investing in Jewish education as an anchor for the future of the Jewish people.

Chikli called the decision historic, saying that Jewish education in the Diaspora is the “deepest response” to rising antisemitism and assimilation. He said the plan continues the work of the Aleph-Bet project, which was created to increase the number of students in Jewish educational institutions.

Leaders of the Jewish Federations of North America, including chairman Gary Torgow and president Eric Fingerhut, attended the Cabinet meeting and welcomed the decision. Torgow said the partnership would help ensure Jewish continuity for generations to come.

The approval marks one of the largest Israeli government investments in Jewish education outside Eretz Yisroel, placing Jewish schooling in America at the center of Israel’s long-term response to rising antisemitism and the weakening of Jewish identity among young Jews.