When the COVID-19 pandemic struck Boston earlier this year, the Russian Jewish Community Foundation sprang into action to help an unexpected victim – Jewish children.

“We learned there were many Jewish children stuck at home not getting a full education,” RJCF director Lina Klebaner said. “We wanted to help.”

Searching for solutions, they learned that the Shaloh House Jewish Day School in Brighton not only maintained full-day classes online throughout the spring and early summer, but also that the school was planning a full day, in-school program for fall, in concert with all CDC guidelines.

“We decided to set up an educational fund – a grant for children from Jewish families, based on various criteria, including for needy families, enabling children to attend Shaloh House,” Ms. Klebaner said.

The RJCF, a grassroots, all-volunteer organization, funds programs that, among other things aid Israel and supports local projects targeted to enhance Jewish identity among Russian Jews.

Although Shaloh House has applied for and received grants from the RJCF in the past, the educational fund came as an initiative of the foundation, based on research and feedback that this was an area of need. Shaloh House decided to channel the $15,000 grant money to defray tuition for children of single Jewish mothers. As a result, five additional Jewish children are able to attend the school this year. At a time when public schools are either entirely remote or in hybrid, Shaloh House is able to provide not only safe, continuous in-person education, but also a sense of normalcy for these children.

“Education, including Jewish education is the foundation of our community,” Ms. Klebaner said. “We need strong and proud Jewish leaders. Shaloh House promotes this by introducing our children to Jewish culture, traditions and history – things many Russian Jewish families completely lacked in the USSR.”

The organization also appreciates the academic ambitiousness of the school, which has won international and national awards in math, English, poetry, arts and sports.

Shaloh House is not only grateful for the grant, but is a fan of the RJCF itself, Shaloh House Head of School Rabbi Dan Rodkin said.

“Contemplate this,” Rabbi Rodkin said. “The RJCF’s supporters are people who were denied Jewish education in the Soviet Union. Even more, they were denied all understanding of the importance of it. Yet, despite all this, specifically here in America where there is free choice to support anything in the world, they single out Jewish education as their number one priority. I think this is incredible. “It’s a testimony to the Jewish soul. It’s insuppressible.”