Jewish Education Center of Cleveland
The Jewish Education Center of Cleveland is a public charity based in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. It supports Jewish education and lifelong learning in the Cleveland community through grants to institutions, professional development for educators, and assistance for students attending camps, enrichment programs, and Israel programs.
Jewish Education Center of Cleveland at a glance
In short: Jewish Education Center of Cleveland gave $2.0M across 34 grants in 2025 (avg $60K), mostly in Ohio. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,034,659
- +13.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 34
- +21.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $59,843
- -6.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $21,455
- Total assets
- $19,344,965
- +41.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (8 of 34, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (92% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Jewish Education Center of Cleveland
- How to Apply
-
For the grant process described in the 2024 filing, applicants submit a grant proposal for Award Committee approval; reimbursement requests require copies of expenses and proof of payment. The website describes program-specific eligibility and application processes.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2030 South Taylor Road, Cleveland Hts, OH 44118
Phone: (216) 371-0446
Website: https://jecc.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Jewish Education Center of Cleveland funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Mandel Jewish Day School ($223K). Together the top 10 received $1.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
145 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 88 grants of 145 (61%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio, 6% to New York, and 1% each to the District of Columbia and Michigan. The organization’s stated mission and programs focus on Jewish learning and education in Cleveland.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Jewish Education Center of Cleveland open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 34 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $33K; repeat grants $68K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $31K repeat.
- 76% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+9%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.7M (2021) to $2.0M (2025). In 2025 it made 34 grants totaling $2.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mandel Jewish Day School Beachwood, OH | Teacher salary upgrade program and staff development | $222,928 |
| Gross Schechter Day School Beachwood, OH | Teacher salary upgrade program and staff development | $206,661 |
| Hebrew Academy Cleveland Hts, OH | Teacher salary upgrade program, staff development | $190,000 |
| Fuchs Mizrachi Day School Beachwood, OH | Teacher salary upgrade program and staff development | $170,840 |
| Yeshiva Derech Hatorah Cleveland, OH | Staff development | $155,000 |
| Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH | Adult education programs | $143,793 |
| JCC Association New York, NY | Early Childhood Education Development | $125,000 |
| Mandel Jewish Community Ctr Beachwood, OH | Adult educaiton, retreat and early childhood program. | $116,116 |
| Congregation Mishkan Or Beachwood, OH | Funded positions, school program grants, congreagation enrishment, instituitional stipends retreat, early childhood development and shoresh grants. | $102,698 |
| Partners in Torah Cleveland Hts, OH | Adult outreach. | $100,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $19,344,965 | $13,239,320 | $9,021,909 | $2,034,659 | 34 | $152,515 |
| 2024 | $13,668,179 | $8,447,860 | $8,333,749 | $1,797,470 | 28 | $135,048 |
| 2023 | $12,149,013 | $8,291,368 | $8,082,328 | $1,835,052 | 28 | $64,592 |
| 2022 | $11,268,658 | $7,505,969 | $7,065,129 | $1,863,165 | 28 | $51,872 |
| 2021 | $12,156,542 | $7,417,018 | $6,944,952 | $1,677,202 | 27 | $183,110 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s mission is to inspire transformative Jewish educational experiences that add meaning to the lives of Jewish children and their families in Cleveland. Its vision is to foster a lifelong love of Jewish learning to further Jewish continuity in Cleveland.
Its grant programs include support for congregational family education, camp and co-curricular activities, supplementary-school teacher development, community-funded educator positions, and innovative programs for families with young children. It also supports professional development for educators and administrators in Jewish school settings. The organization’s 2024 filing describes programs in educator development, adult and family education, informal education and retreats, Israel experiences, and camp participation. Its website says day-school educator grants are administered by the day schools.
The 2025 grants included support for day schools, congregations, adult education, and early childhood education. Among the grantees, Gross Schechter Day School describes its mission as inspiring students to love learning and embrace Jewish practice, values, and community. Yeshiva Derech Hatorah says it seeks to create a learning environment grounded in Jewish tradition and values. Segula says it enables Jewish children with special needs to attend day school with typically developing peers. Chaviva High School describes its focus as education in Judaic religious and general studies.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the organization reported 34 grants totaling $2,034,659. Grants ranged from $5,985 to $222,928, with a median of $21,454.
Among the largest reported grants were Mandel Jewish Day School ($222,928) and Gross Schechter Day School ($206,661) for teacher salary upgrades and staff development; Hebrew Academy ($190,000) and Fuchs Mizrachi Day School ($170,840) for teacher salary upgrades and staff development; Yeshiva Derech Hatorah ($155,000) for staff development; and Case Western Reserve University ($143,793) for adult education programs. Other notable awards included JCC Association ($125,000) for early childhood education development and Mandel Jewish Community Center ($116,116) for adult education, retreats, and early childhood programming.
The organization’s 2024 filing states that grantees submit proposals for approval by its Award Committee. Grant payments are reimbursements for approved expenses, supported by expense documentation and proof of payment. Student grants are also submitted for committee approval, with attendance confirmation from the relevant program. The website describes specific programs with their own conditions, including congregational enrichment allocations based on prior-year pupil enrollment and supplementary-school stipends tied to teacher participation in professional growth.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Marlyn Bloch Jaffe as Chief Executive Officer, Laurie Hardesty as Chief Financial Officer, Yossi Israeli as Chief Information Officer, Amnon Ophir as Akiva Director/Israel Awareness, Rabbi Stacy Schlein as Director of Educational Capacity Building, Ilya Kligman as Network Engineer, and Rachel Lawton as Associate Director of Hebrew and Judaic Programs. It lists Jared Miller as President and Erica Lazzaro and Sharon Rosenbaum as Vice Presidents.
Jewish Education Center of Cleveland is led by Marlyn Bloch Jaffe, Chief Executive Officer since 2024 (on filings since 2021); 7 of 53 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Marlyn Bloch Jaffe
Chief Executive Officer
Executive Director Director → Executive Director, 2023
Executive Director → Chief Executive Officer, 2024
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$211K (2021) → $296K (2025)
Jared Miller
President
Vice President → President, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amnon Ophir
Akiva Director & Israel Awareness
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$161K (2021) → $185K (2025)
Rabbi Stacy Schlein
Director Educational Capacity Building
Director of Educational Capacity Building → Director Educational Capacity Building, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$133K (2023) → $147K (2025)
Adam Wieder
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Beth Rosenberg
Honorary Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chrles Horowitz Ratner
Honorary Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Danielle Wild
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eliana LeVine
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gary Gross
Honorary Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Harly Gross
Honorary Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Idelle Wolf
Honorary Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Keith Israelstam
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kenneth Bravo
Honorary Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Margolis
Trustee
President → Honorary Trustee, 2023
Honorary Trustee → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leslie Dunn
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lynne Cohen
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mariely Luengo
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rachel Glickman
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sally H Wertheim
Honorary Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Harvey Sass
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Louis Chaiten
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Menachem Lubling
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susi Meisel
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey Wild
Honorary Trustee
President → Honorary Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jody Katzner
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marcy Levy Shankman
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Moish Tohn
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Noam Magence
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sharon Socher
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Allison Wuliger
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cole Pesses
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matt Cohen
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Aaron Evenchik
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alex Evenchik
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Zelman
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Erica Stafffield
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gayle Horwitz
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
J David Heller
Honorary Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jono Nisenboum
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Josh Schalk
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Hirsch
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shoshana Nyer
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tamar Poupko Smith
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ilya Kligman
Network Engineer
Assistant Technology Director → Network Engineer, 2025
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$148K (2021) → $179K (2025)
Laurie Hardesty
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$174K (2021) → $219K (2025)
Yossi Israeli
Chief Information Officer
Technology Director → Chief Information Officer, 2025
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$148K (2021) → $170K (2025)
Rachel Lawton
Associate Director Hebrew & Judaic Programs
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$111K (2025)
Erica Lazzaro
Vice President
Trustee → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Neil Waxman
Vice President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sharon Rosenbaum
Vice President
Secretary → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan Krantz
Treasurer
Trustee → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Yoni Kelin
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (31)
- Former: Andy Lefkowitz (2021–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Dara Yanowitz (2021–2024) — Trustee
- Former: David Heller (2021–2024) — Honorary Trustee
- Former: Erica Starrfield (2021–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Ethan Karp (2021–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Gary Weiss (2021–2024) — Vice President
- Former: S Lee Kohrman (2021–2024) — Honorary Trustee
- Former: Sarah Marcus-Donnelly (2021–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Rabbi Shana Nyer (2022–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Kate Kaput (2023–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Alex Fleksher (2024) — Trustee
- Former: Dana Keil (2024) — Trustee
- Former: Steven Ehrlich (2024) — Senior Accountant
- Former: Yoni Klein (2024) — Trustee
- Former: Abby Stadlin (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Adam Levin (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Bruce Goodman (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Dovid Malcmacher (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Suri Goldman (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Amir Jaffa (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: David Neumann (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Gena Cohen (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Irv Berliner (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Marc Melamed (2021–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Michael Wager (2021–2022) — Honorary Trustee
- Former: Rabbi Jonathan Cohen (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Seymour Kopelowitz (2021–2022) — Retired Executive Director
- Former: Judy Schiller (2022) — Retreat Director
- Former: Josh Kramer (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Nachama Moskowitz (2021) — Senior Director Curriculum Director
- Former: Nati Klein (2021) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $296K, to Marlyn Bloch Jaffe (Chief Executive Officer). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Jewish Education Center of Cleveland
How much does Jewish Education Center of Cleveland give each year?
Jewish Education Center of Cleveland gave $2.0M across 34 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.8M across 28 grants.
What is Jewish Education Center of Cleveland's typical grant size?
Jewish Education Center of Cleveland's median grant in 2025 was $21,455, and its average grant was $59,843, across 34 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Jewish Education Center of Cleveland that year got $33K on average.
Where does Jewish Education Center of Cleveland give grants?
Jewish Education Center of Cleveland gives mostly in Ohio: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cleveland, OH (11 grants), Beachwood, OH (6 grants), Cleveland HTS, OH (4 grants) and Pepper Pike, OH (2 grants).
Does Jewish Education Center of Cleveland give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 34 grants with a stated purpose on Jewish Education Center of Cleveland's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Adult outreach." (6 grants), "Teacher salary upgrade program and staff development" (3 grants) and "Adult educaiton." (3 grants).
Who are Jewish Education Center of Cleveland's largest grantees?
Jewish Education Center of Cleveland's largest 2025 grantees include Mandel Jewish Day School ($222,928), Gross Schechter Day School ($206,661) and Hebrew Academy ($190,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Jewish Education Center of Cleveland?
Jewish Education Center of Cleveland reported $19.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $13.2M.
What does Jewish Education Center of Cleveland fund?
The organization’s mission is to inspire transformative Jewish educational experiences that add meaning to the lives of Jewish children and their families in Cleveland. Its vision is to foster a lifelong love of Jewish learning to further Jewish continuity in Cleveland. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Jewish Education Center of Cleveland?
For the grant process described in the 2024 filing, applicants submit a grant proposal for Award Committee approval; reimbursement requests require copies of expenses and proof of payment. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Jewish Education Center of Cleveland's EIN?
Jewish Education Center of Cleveland's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-0714554. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 21, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 27, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 20, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Jewish Education Center of Cleveland funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/jewish-education-center-of-cleveland-morg_8590e72c2fe9441a89ae2f139f385626
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_340714554_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Jewish Education Center of Cleveland funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/jewish-education-center-of-cleveland-morg_8590e72c2fe9441a89ae2f139f385626},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Jewish Education Center of Cleveland's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Jewish Education Center of Cleveland down — hundreds of funders to go?