Yael Poliavich

Yael Poliavich
Born
Julia

1982 (age 44)
Kyrgyzstan
PartnerUri Poliavich
Websiteyaelpoliavich.com

Yael Poliavich (born 1982, Kyrgyzstan) is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of the Yael Foundation, a charitable organization supporting access to education for Jewish children worldwide.

The Foundation believes that all Jewish children, regardless of where they live or the size of their community, should have access to quality Jewish and general education. It works to ensure that no Jewish child is left without educational opportunities and is currently active in 37 countries, supporting 18,000 students.[1][2][3][4]

Biography

Early life and education

Yael Poliavich was born in 1982 in Kyrgyzstan.[5] Her mother worked as a music teacher at the M. Abdraev Republican Secondary Special Boarding Music School in Bishkek.[6] This early exposure to education influenced Poliavich's later interest in philanthropy and educational development.

From 1999 to 2004, she studied at The Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic named after Zh. Abdrakhmanov earned a degree in Economics, Finance, and Credit. In 2012, she met Uri Poliavich, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, and moved from Kyrgyzstan to Moldova.

She worked as a finance professional until 2021, gaining experience in business operations, financial planning, and organizational management.

Conversion to Judaism and family

In 2020, she completed her conversion to Judaism, successfully passing the rabbinical examination in Ukraine under the supervision of Joseph Hanoch Brodbecker from Kyiv, Ukraine, a rabbi whose conversions are recognized by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. She took the Hebrew name Yael. Following her conversion, she married Uri Poliavich in a Jewish ceremony.

Yael Foundation

In 2020, Yael and her husband co-founded the Yael Foundation. The foundation is a philanthropic organisation focused on supporting access to education for Jewish children worldwide.[7] It supports Jewish educational institutions, educators, and community programmes, with a focus on access to and development of Jewish and general education.[8][9]

The Yael Foundation collaborates with philanthropic organisations, educators, and community leaders to support educational programmes and schools.[10][11][12][13]

The foundation operates several programmes, including Yael Camp,[14][15][16] a summer educational programme for children, and the Yael International Summit, an annual event for educators and community leaders.[17] It also runs initiatives focused on teaching methods and school support, and presents an award recognising contributions to Jewish education.[18][19][15]

References

  1. ↑ "A commitment to culture and innovation". Business Insider. 26 March 2025. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
  2. ↑ JNS (12 September 2024). "Major foundations partner to 'support Jewish education across Europe'". JNS. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
  3. ↑ Jerusalem Post Staff (21 September 2025). "No. 19: Uri Poliavich: A game-changer for Jewish education and identity". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
  4. ↑ Botbol, Amelie (13 March 2025). "Uri Poliavich aims to remodel Jewish education across Europe". JNS. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
  5. ↑ Staff, NoHo (2025-12-05). "Yael Poliavich: Expanding Access and Building Sustainable Futures in Jewish Education". NoHo Arts District - Theatre, Food, Bars, Shopping and a buzzing community. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  6. ↑ Daily, Space Coast (2026-04-27). "Yael Poliavich: Philanthropy, Education and Social Impact". Space Coast Daily. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  7. ↑ Gross, Judah Ari (14 February 2025). "Formed in 2020 and now with a $42 M budget, education-focused Yael Foundation looks to balance rapid growth with quality". eJewishPhilanthropy. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
  8. ↑ JNS (29 August 2024). "'Start-Up Classrooms' aims to ensure Jewish pupils choose Jewish schools". JNS. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
  9. ↑ Yael Foundation. "Who We Are". Yael Foundation. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
  10. ↑ Dayanim, Nira (14 February 2025). "As it grows, Yael Foundation looks to balance quality with quantity". eJewishPhilanthropy. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
  11. ↑ JNS Staff (2 April 2025). "Yael Foundation launches International Jewish School Leadership Exchange". JNS. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
  12. ↑ Poliavich, Uri (4 May 2025). "Jewish Excellence: Our only option". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
  13. ↑ Cramer, Philissa (14 November 2025). "Yael and Lauder Foundations partner to support Jewish education across Europe". Jewish News. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
  14. ↑ "Yael Camp unites youngsters from diverse backgrounds to explore Jewish heritage". Israel Hayom. 13 September 2023. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
  15. 1 2 Sheva, Arutz (31 August 2023). "Yael Camp in Warsaw unites Jewish youngsters from diverse backgrounds". Israel National News. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
  16. ↑ Peizer, Uriel (30 August 2023). "Camp brings Jewish youth together in Poland from across the world". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
  17. ↑ Botbol, Amelie (4 February 2025). "'Education and Beyond': Yael Foundation summit gets underway in Cyprus". JNS. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
  18. ↑ Greyman-Kennard, Danielle (15 February 2025). "No Jewish child left behind: Educators unite in Cyprus for the Yael Foundation summit". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
  19. ↑ Kelaty, Eliya (29 May 2025). "The educational value of Jewish summer camp". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
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