(Oct. 15, 2026 / JNS)
The Yael Foundation on Tuesday called on European lawmakers to make sustained investment in Jewish education a priority in the fight against rising antisemitism, at a roundtable hosted by Swedish MEP Béatrice Timgren of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group at the European Parliament in Brussels.
“The fight against antisemitism is not just about the right of Jews to be safe. It is also about the right of the next generation to live a full Jewish life in safety, with pride, and by choice,” Chaya Yosovich, CEO of the Yael Foundation, told JNS on Wednesday. “We must distinguish between protecting Jewish communities and ensuring that Jewish life continues to thrive. Both matter, but they are not the same.”
Founded by Uri and Yael Poliavich, the philanthropic foundation supports 145 schools across 45 countries, focusing on Jewish identity and education.
Real progress, Yosovich said, would mean not only stronger protection against antisemitism, but greater freedom to participate in Jewish life.
“Quality Jewish education is a long-term investment in identity, belonging, and continuity. It cannot replace the broader responsibility of educational systems and public institutions to confront prejudice and hatred,” she added.
The roundtable, titled “Three Years After October 7: Defunding Hate: EU Responsibility to End Support for Anti-Jewish Networks and Organisations,” was co-organized by the European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center (ESISC) and the International Movement for Peace and Coexistence (IMPAC).
Speakers discussed measures to ensure EU funding does not support antisemitism or radicalization, protect Jewish communities from harassment and threats, and counter antisemitic ideas through education.
The program featured Claude Moniquet, CEO of ESISC, on antisemitism in Europe since Oct. 7; Patricia Teitelbaum, president of IMPAC, on the origins and funding of antisemitism and potential EU responses; and Goel Jasper, the Yael Foundation’s global head of communications, on Jewish education as an antidote to antisemitism.
“You cannot solve antisemitism merely by focusing on antisemitism,” Jasper said. “Antisemitism is a disease of the hater, not the hated. At the Yael Foundation, we advise schools on security. But at our core, we believe the ultimate antidote to antisemitism is Pro-Semitism,” he continued.
Jasper defined pro-Semitism as “building proud, confident, and capable Jews who know they have a tremendous opportunity to impact the world in a positive manner.”
“Security guards outside a school gate protect the building, but they do not inspire the hundreds of precious souls inside to build,” he said. “If Europe wants to truly defeat antisemitism, it must foster an environment where Jewish children are able to flourish with pride, not just survive.”
Jasper urged European institutions to support Jewish schools as centers of modern excellence, partner with educational innovators and protect Jewish communities’ freedom to practice their faith, educate their children and live openly.
The roundtable concluded with a call for a coordinated European response combining oversight of public funding, protection against online antisemitic harassment, legal accountability and sustained investment in education.