Who is Gary Torgow: The man who got Washington and Jerusalem to fund Jewish day schools – interview

Gary Torgow, chairman of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), has secured significant funding for Jewish day schools from both the US and Israeli governments. In the US, a federal tax credit, effective January 2027, allows taxpayers to redirect up to $1,700 of their federal tax bill to scholarship-granting organizations for families earning under 300% of their area's median income. Torgow stated, “This should be an easy victory for education, by utilizing taxes that are owed directly to the federal government, and shifting them legally into the coffers of education for all of our children.”

• On June 28, the Israeli cabinet unanimously approved a NIS 200 million first-year plan to strengthen Jewish education in the Diaspora, in partnership with JFNA, marking a reversal in the historical flow of funds from the Diaspora to Israel.
• Torgow, known for his ability to bridge divides, is lobbying Democratic governors to opt into the US tax credit program, despite its origins in a Trump-era law. He asserts, “We aren't asking anyone to claim victory; we only ask that they embrace our shared responsibility.”
• His motivation stems from the belief that Jewish education is a critical antidote to rising antisemitism, providing the next generation with tools to be proud and engaged Jewish citizens.