News

In the shadow of the ongoing tragedy in Israel and Gaza, we welcome spring as a season of hope. We are proud to work with organizations that leverage the power of storytelling in its broadest sense to bridge cultural gaps, shine light on the past, expand our perspectives, and help shape a brighter future.

Kehilla, Hebrew for community, is at the heart of our work. Our grantmaking has always focused on supporting and strengthening the Jewish community, at home and in Israel. In the wake of the attacks on October 7—and during the holiday season—we encourage everyone to connect with and lean on their community, and Koret could not be prouder of our kehilla.

As a new school year begins, Koret is inspired by the work of our education and civics grantees, whose passion and drive for change push them to continually discover new opportunities for growth and better serve the next generation.

Seventy-five years ago this past month, the modern state of Israel was born. In the decades that followed, the resilience and ingenuity of the Israeli people has inspired. Since the foundation’s inception, Koret has supported Israel in a variety of ways. Today, Koret’s efforts are focused on strengthening the bonds of the Jewish people and supporting the U.S. – Israel relationship.

Koret has announced $6M in new grants to support local arts and cultural organizations over the next three years. More than 40 such institutions will benefit from Koret’s investment in the next generation of artists, audiences, and patrons.

Koret recently renewed its commitment to local veterans with a $1.5 million investment in the Koret Veterans Initiative over three years. First launched in 2019, this initiative helps Bay Area veterans address barriers to success.

An educated citizenry is key to a well-functioning democracy. Only through robust civic education can we ensure a stable, democratic future. That’s why Koret launched a $3.7 million Civic Learning Initiative to ensure that K-12 civic education across the Bay Area is engaging, robust and impactful.

The Koret Foundation supports organizations that test and advance new and important ideas. To that end, this spring, we launched two new major initiatives: a new $3.8 million Civic Learning Initiative to build student knowledge and support teacher training to promote democracy and combat disinformation, and a $10 million grant to establish a new global collaborative between Tel Aviv University and ANU-Museum of the Jewish People.

Over the past nearly two years, COVID-19 taught us many lessons about what really matters. Among them was how vital it is to have access to high-quality local arts and cultural programming. Across the Bay Area, concert halls, art galleries, and exhibition spaces were the first to shutter in March 2020, and many of them remained closed well into 2021. But now, as the Bay Area continues to reopen, the art world is poised to make a comeback.

Over the past nearly two years, COVID-19 taught us many lessons about what really matters. Among them was how vital it is to have access to high-quality local arts and cultural programming. Across the Bay Area, concert halls, art galleries, and exhibition spaces were the first to shutter in March 2020, and many of them remained closed well into 2021. But now, as the Bay Area continues to reopen, the art world is poised to make a comeback.

The Koret Foundation is committed to supporting a strong US-Israel relationship, and one way we do this is by funding research collaborations between top Israeli and US academic institutions.

2020 was a challenging year and clearly not what anyone expected, and yet we have been inspired by the ingenuity and strength of our grantees, who have risen to the occasion and found new and expanded ways of serving the community.