Jewish Federations of North America submitted written comments this week to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service regarding implementation of the new federal tax credit for individual contributions to Scholarship Granting Organizations.
 

Enacted through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) last summer, the credit is designed to increase private donations for K–12 scholarships and represents a significant new opportunity to improve access to Jewish day schools.
 

The letter, written by Federations President & CEO Eric D. Fingerhut and David Goldfarb, Managing Director, Public Policy & Strategic Health, states:
 

"From generation to generation, Jewish education has been a foundation of Jewish life. Jewish primary schools and day schools transmit our values, sustain our traditions, and ensure that our children grow up deeply connected to the Jewish people and their community. Yet the cost of Jewish education has become one of the greatest barriers to full participation in Jewish life.
 

Even for upper middle-class professional families, day school tuition is daunting, if not unreachable, averaging $35,000 per student and ranging in major population centers from $40,000 to $80,000. Barely half of families pay full tuition with the remainder reliant on financial assistance.
 

"At a time of renewed energy in Jewish engagement, in part in response to a coinciding rise in antisemitism in public K-12 schools, the importance of preserving access to a range of educational options, including public schools, charter schools, and faith-based schools, cannot be overstated."
  

To read the letter, click here.