Beyond the Gap Year: How One Foundation is Revolutionizing Student Aliyah

The Tzemach David Foundation has emerged as a leading force in strengthening the connection between American Jewish students and Israel, particularly in the wake of October 7th. From revolutionizing educational pathways to creating supportive communities for gap year students serving in the IDF and Sherut Leumi, the foundation is helping young Jews see their future in the Jewish state. Rabbi Aron White spoke with Tamar Krieger Kalev, Executive Director of Tzemach David, to learn more about their work and vision.

Thank you for speaking with us, Tamar. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am Executive Director of the Tzemach David Foundation. For many years, I was a teacher and principal in America. Before this foundation started three years ago, I was an educational consultant for schools in Europe. I worked with many different Jewish day schools in Budapest, Copenhagen, Tallinn, Stockholm, trying to enrich their Jewish studies curriculum.

In 2019, David Magerman, who had a foundation in the States called the Kohelet Foundation, closed it down to open something new in Israel. He said, “why are we making life easier for people to live in America when we should be making life easier for people to see their future here in Israel?”

Our initial focus was to look closely at education here in Israel, specifically in the Chemed (Chinuch Mamlachti Dati/National Religious) education system. We saw that many people don’t make Aliyah – or use it as an excuse not to make Aliyah – because of concerns about the education system. Our question was: how can we revolutionize and change the education system so that it’s good for olim and, by extension, good for all students in Israel? We began with a few months of research into that before the war brought about some changes.

How did October 7th change the focus of the Tzemach David Foundation?

Already before the war, David, who is a graduate and alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania, pulled his funding from the university as it was showing its values pretty quickly, and he felt this wasn’t aligned with where he is or what he believes in. He redirected that gift to four universities and one college here in Israel: Tel Aviv University, Bar-Ilan University, the Technion, Ben Gurion University, and the Jerusalem College of Technology.

After October 7th, we also saw a real shift in the students themselves. The gap year students who have been here feel a sense of mission and connection to Israel unlike anything they’ve experienced before. In a world often dominated by individualism and social media, this crisis opened their eyes: there are people their age fighting for our country, demonstrating courage and sacrifice they never imagined. 

For those staying in Israel, we wanted to provide a sense of community on campus, which is why we’re deeply involved in JLIC here in Israel – also a Mizrachi project. We want these students to feel they have a home while on campus as they transition to life in Israel.

How did the new Mizrachi Tzemach David Women’s Learning Hub come to be?

As we started working with gap year students in Israel, we saw that army and national service is a ticket into becoming part of Israeli society and creating your network in Israel. However, it’s a transition, and providing a sense of community during this time is very important. We want to create those opportunities.

When Mizrachi approached us about all these gap year students and this huge influx – in the past two years, we’ve seen an influx of both boys who are drafting into the army and girls into Sherut Leumi – we recognized that we need to provide a Torani environment for them to feel comfortable. They need to know that their kitchen is a kosher kitchen. We’re taking off the training wheels slowly for them to see their destination here in Israel.

From this was born the idea of having a learning program for Sherut Leumi girls. Through our relationship with Mizrachi, we wanted to create this learning hub for them to have a home and a place to learn, with the support of Rabbanit Shani Taragin and Rabbi Hillel Van-Leeuwen.

What we thought was important is that this learning hub is not just a place where people check in and check out, but a place of continuous learning. The other learning programs that exist in this space ensure it’s not just an empty hall that is visited once or twice a week, but rather an infrastructure where students feel like they’re part of something larger than themselves. Being part of this learning hub at the World Mizrachi headquarters really provides that.

Is the focus primarily on students from North America, or is it also global?

Our main focus as a foundation is America, but what we do for American students is open to all. When we create a JLIC community or this learning hub, it serves students from all over the world!

What other programs is Tzemach David involved with at the moment?

We’re creating college guidance missions to come here to Israel. We’ve done two missions already, and we’re hoping for this coming year – in January and June – to do two more missions for college guidance counselors to see Israel firsthand. This is for the guidance counselors in high schools in America so that they can see which students make sense for Israeli universities. Instead of it being a theoretical experience, let it be a very practical experience. For those guiding students in America, nothing can beat them seeing firsthand the wealth of university programs available in Israel.

The second initiative is a campaign we launched in October, geared towards 13- to 18-year-old students and their parents, to showcase why Israel is such a wonderful destination for higher education. It’s not a scare campaign – it’s a positive message showing that Israel can be an excellent choice for students, especially given what’s happening on American campuses and the growing safety concerns there. The reality is that campuses here might actually be safer than they are in America. I think that’s a game changer, along with the fact that university in Israel is much more affordable. Our goal with this campaign is for Israel to become a natural part of families’ conversation when considering college options.

David Magerman, founder of the Tzemach David Foundation, is a leading philanthropist committed to strengthening Israel through education. He has supported transitional programs at several Israeli universities that help American students attend university in Israel and successfully integrate into Israeli society. Through Tzemach David, he has advanced K–12 education reform in Israel, fostered deeper engagement between American students and Israeli higher education, and backed key national initiatives in education and security – reflecting a deep commitment to Israel’s future and Jewish continuity.

Before focusing his philanthropy on Israel, David founded the Kohelet Foundation in the U.S., which played a transformative role in Jewish day school education through initiatives like the Kohelet Fellowships, the Kohelet Prize, and the Philadelphia Jewish Day School Collaborative.

Professionally, David was a pioneering computer scientist at Renaissance Technologies, where he helped build the firm’s equities trading group. He is now Managing Partner at Differential Ventures, investing in data-driven innovation.

Tamar Krieger Kalev is the Executive Director of the Tzemach David Foundation, where she leads initiatives to transform Israeli education and expand pathways for olim in both K–12 and higher education. An international educational consultant, curriculum designer, and leadership trainer, Tamar has extensive experience creating innovative learning environments, empowering teams, and guiding strategic educational initiatives that promote excellence, inclusion, and long-term opportunities for real growth and change.