Your donation will be tax deductible in the US to the extent allowed by the IRS.
To make a tax-deductible donation by wire transfer in the US, please contact:
Avrum Lapin, North American Representative
Toll-free: 1-866-830-3321
Email: schechter@thelapingroup.com
To make a tax-deductible donation in Israel, please contact:
Dina Gudai, Israeli Representative
Phone: 074-7800643
Email: dina@schechter.ac.il
Please mail your check to:
The Schechter Institutes, Inc. (a 501(c) 3 tax exempt organization)
Box #3566
PO Box 8500
Philadelphia, PA 19178-3566
Attn: Mr. Avrum Lapin, North American Representative
Toll-free: 1-866-830-3321
Email: schechter@thelapingroup.com
Please indicate the donation is "for your joint Schechter Institutes program."
Checks should be made payable to the Jewish Theological Society of Canada and mailed to:
Jewish Theological Society of Canada
c/o Camp Ramah in Canada
3845 Bathhurst St., Suite 310
Toronto, ON, M3H 3N2
Phone: 416-789-2193, ext. 2139
E-mail: accounting@campramah.com
Please mail a check to:
The Schechter Institutes
Attn: Dina Gudai, Finance Department
PO Box 16080,
Jerusalem, 9116002
Israel
For assistance, please call Dina Gudai at 074-780-0643 (8:00 AM – 3:00 Israel time Sunday through Thursday).
Your donation will be tax deductible in the US to the extent allowed by the IRS.
To make a tax-deductible donation by wire transfer in the US, please contact:
Avrum Lapin, North American Representative
Toll-free: 1-866-830-3321
Email: schechter@thelapingroup.com
To make a tax-deductible donation in Israel, please contact:
Dina Gudai, Israeli Representative
Phone: 074-7800643
Email: dina@schechter.ac.il
Please mail your check to:
The Schechter Institutes, Inc. (a 501(c) 3 tax exempt organization)
Box #3566
PO Box 8500
Philadelphia, PA 19178-3566
Attn: Mr. Avrum Lapin, North American Representative
Toll-free: 1-866-830-3321
Email: schechter@thelapingroup.com
Please indicate the donation is "for your joint Schechter Institutes program."
Checks should be made payable to the Jewish Theological Society of Canada and mailed to:
Jewish Theological Society of Canada
c/o Camp Ramah in Canada
3845 Bathhurst St., Suite 310
Toronto, ON, M3H 3N2
Phone: 416-789-2193, ext. 2139
E-mail: accounting@campramah.com
Please mail a check to:
The Schechter Institutes
Attn: Dina Gudai, Finance Department
PO Box 16080,
Jerusalem, 9116002
Israel
For assistance, please call Dina Gudai at 074-780-0643 (8:00 AM – 3:00 Israel time Sunday through Thursday).
24/04/2025
The Schechter Institutes Inc. Board of Governors announced that Rabbi Matt Berkowitz will become the Schechter Institutes Inc.’s new President effective 1 July, 2025. He will replace Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin who will retire and become the institution’s President-emeritus.
Since the summer of 2023, Rabbi Berkowitz has served as The Schechter Institutes Inc.’s Vice President.
Below is Rabbi Berkowitz’s statement:
Since July 1, 2023, I have served as Vice President of The Schechter Institutes. Recently, our Board of Directors marked a liminal moment. After 35 years of the inspired leadership of Rabbi Professor David Golinkin, he will officially transition into the role of President-emeritus – and on July 1, I will become President. I am both humbled and exalted to have been chosen for this role – especially at this critical time in Israel’s history. This is an et ratzon, an auspicious moment, to share about myself and my vision for The Schechter Institutes.
Born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Freehold, NJ, I was given the gift of a strong Jewish upbringing. My involvement in Young Judaea planted the Zionist needs which culminated in my family’s Aliyah some 17 years ago. I am a graduate of Colgate University and am honored to have been ordained at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America. I am just as proud to be a Wexner Graduate Fellowship alum.
In my first professional chapter, I had the gift of teaching and fundraising for The Jewish Theological Seminary for 24 years – where I served first as Senior Rabbinic Fellow & then as JTS’s Director of Israel Programs here in Jerusalem.
My other great passion in life is my artistic journey. Over seven years, I had the blessing of working on the artwork and commentary of The Lovell Haggadah; and when I made Aliyah I joined with partners to create Kol HaOt, a studio project that blends art and Jewish learning. And my most important details: I am happily married to Nadia Levene; and the father of Adir, Rachel and Shira — Rachel is currently serving in chir gevulot, a combat unit of the IDF.
In the calendar of Torah reading, we appropriately find ourselves in the midst of Vayakhel-Pekudei – the building of the mishkan, the Tabernacle. The artisan chosen is none other than Bezalel. We read:
וָאֲמַלֵּ֥א אֹת֖וֹ ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֑ים בְּחׇכְמָ֛ה וּבִתְבוּנָ֥ה וּבְדַ֖עַת וּבְכׇל־מְלָאכָֽה׃
“that he was filled with the spirit of God – in wisdom, in insight and with knowledge.” (Exodus: 31:3)
Rashi, the prolific commentator explains each of these qualities:
— wisdom – is that which we learn from others;
— insight – understanding that comes from within;
— knowledge – that which is a gift from God.
These three pillars inform my vision.
For over thirty years, our four branches, our graduate school, rabbinical seminary, TALI education fund and Midreshet Schechter, have been making invaluable contributions to Israeli society. And, after October 7th, we took on seven emergency projects.
Wisdom: now is the time for us to dream more expansively with others — nurturing key partnerships with JTS, Gratz College, federations, Reichmann University, Hannaton and others.
Insight: I want us to turn inward and invest in the creativity of our faculty and staff – expanding the role that we play in art and culture woven deeply into Jewish text.
And finally Knowledge: we need to think about relevance & revolution. How can our expertise in Jewish studies be applied to the most pressing needs of Israeli society? Bringing healing to Israel, to Jews in Ukraine & strengthening a vision of pluralistic Jewish education in Israel – all of this is vital to where we are headed.
I look forward to being partners with you on this journey – we cannot do this avodat kodesh, holy work, without your continued generosity. Todah rabbah.
May we continue to journey m’hayil el hayil.
