A legacy lives on

When a State of Illinois program that had been a critical source of Jewish day school tuition assistance ended, Kehillah Fund and the Walder family stepped in to help.

Kehillah Fund rallied a group of generous community leaders to inaugurate a fund in memory of Dr. Joseph (Yosef) Walder, the Dr. Yosef Walder z”l Legacy Achdus Fund, to assist families who could not afford minimum tuition at Chicago’s Orthodox schools.

“The fund was created to meet the need of the moment, recognizing this is something that Dr. Walder would have championed,” said Alexis Goldstein, Vice President of Programs at Walder Operations. “It was a really fitting tribute to his memory.”

Goldstein emphasized that the fund was made possible due to the generosity of the community and a dollar-for-dollar match initiated by Mrs. Elizabeth Walder in memory of her late husband. The fund quickly reached its $3.6 million goal, providing immediate financial relief to more than 600 families with students in Jewish day schools. In December 2024 alone, $1,260,408 was distributed to Orthodox schools for 1,615 eligible students.

“The assistance not only relieves the financial burden, but also, with the fortitude afforded through being seen and supported, strengthens our recognition of the utmost importance and the investment in our wonderful children’s upbringing and chinuch (education),” said a fund beneficiary.

The launch of the Achdus Fund came after many Jewish day schools and their families were left concerned about legislation expired in Springfield at the end of 2023. Under the now-defunct Invest in Kids Scholarship Tax Credit program, eligible Chicago-area families had received financial support to send their children to Jewish day schools. Private donors could contribute directly to tuition funds for students from households earning below 300% of the federal poverty level-and in return, they received a 75% tax break.

However, the Illinois General Assembly did not extend the program, leading to its expiration on December 31, 2023. Kehillah Fund’s swift action aimed to address the gap left behind and maintain access to Orthodox Jewish education during a time of heightened communal need.

The need has not dampened. For the 2025-26 school year, Kehillah Fund is launching a $3.2 million fundraising campaign to help ensure that every Jewish child has access to quality Jewish day school education.

Supporting Jewish education benefits us all, Mrs. Walder explains. “Jewish education is vitally important to our community,” she said. “Post-October 7, everyone has a particularly heightened awareness of how Jewish education plays a major role in Jewish continuity. When we unite to fund Jewish education locally, we strengthen our community and ensure that Chicago remains a vibrant and flourishing Jewish community for decades to come.”

“This fund stands as a lasting tribute to Dr. Walder, whose unwavering dedication to the strength and sustainability of Chicago’s day school system continues to inspire,” JUF President Lonnie Nasatir added. “His vision lives on in every student empowered, every school strengthened, and every future shaped through this enduring commitment to Orthodox Jewish education.”

To learn more about the Dr. Yosef Walder z”l Legacy Achdus Fund or to donate, visit kehillahfund.org/achdus-fund.