No. 32: Uri Poliavich: Supporting Jewish education worldwide

Uri and Yael Poliavich started the Yael Foundation, a philanthropic initiative which has promoted Jewish education for 13,500 students across 35 countries.

 
 Uri Poliavich. (photo credit: Courtesy Yael Foundation)
Uri Poliavich.
(photo credit: Courtesy Yael Foundation)

Growing up in Ukraine and missing out on basic Jewish education, Uri Poliavich has made it his goal to ensure that Jewish children and families worldwide have the opportunity to connect to Jewish tradition, whether through schools, informal educational programs, summer camps, and more.

At a young age, his family made aliyah to Israel. Poliavich later graduated from the law faculty at Bar-Ilan University.

In 2020, Uri Poliavich and his wife Yael founded the Yael Foundation, a philanthropic initiative in 35 countries impacting 13,5000 Jewish students that is leading change and promoting excellence in Jewish education. Its many initiatives positively impact the future of the Jewish people worldwide.

Today's Jewish students are tomorrow's Jewish leaders

The Yael Foundation’s grantees nurture a strong sense of identity in children to help them become tomorrow’s Jewish leaders. The foundation is uniquely driven by the conviction that all Jewish children, irrespective of their geographic location or community size, should have access to high-quality Jewish and general education.

In the coming year, the foundation plans to issue $26.6 million in grants at three different tiers to dozens of schools internationally.

 Yael Foundation co-founder and philanthropist Uri Poliavich at the 2024 conference. (credit: Nataliia Jeanvie)
Yael Foundation co-founder and philanthropist Uri Poliavich at the 2024 conference. (credit: Nataliia Jeanvie)

Poliavich is also the founder and CEO of the leading iGaming turnkey solutions provider Soft2Bet. His exceptional leadership has been at the core of Soft2Bet’s innovative spirit since he founded the company in 2016. The company continues to be the main industry contributor. It recently launched Soft2Bet Invest, a fund that supports growth-stage and mature companies harnessing pioneering technologies in casual gaming, AI, and high-margin gaming software solutions.