Announcing a Transformative Gift to Stephen Wise Temple and Schools

Dear friends,

On the eve of the New Year, I’m pleased to share some wonderful news. With a vision to create the finest possible Jewish and secular early childhood education experience, philanthropist and longtime member Lowell Milken has made a transformative $12 million gift to Stephen Wise Temple. This commitment by the Lowell Milken Family Foundation will dramatically enhance our facilities and program. 

New buildings will house state-of-the-art learning environments to nourish and support Wise’s youngest students from 3-month-olds in the Parenting Center through Pre-K. A key element of the gift will be ongoing, powerful professional development opportunities to recruit and retain the finest early childhood education faculty.

This gift is an extraordinary expression of the values that have animated Stephen Wise Temple and Schools since our inception. It was the belief of our founder, Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin, may his memory be for a blessing, that Jewish education is the sine qua non of our people’s vibrancy and continuity. Rabbi Zeldin found a kindred spirit in Lowell Milken. Their partnership over three decades resulted in the creation of Milken Community Schools and support for our elementary school, yielding opportunities for generations of Jewish young people. This gift from the Lowell Milken Family Foundation will move forward our vision for a dynamic Jewish early childhood education experience that touches and shapes the lives of our youngest learners, their families and the broader world.

The focus on enhanced parenting and early childhood education facilities and programs at Wise was endorsed unanimously by our board of directors last week.

That this gift comes from the Lowell Milken Family Foundation is especially appropriate since, as a businessman, Lowell co-founded Knowledge Universe, leading it to become the world’s largest provider of early childhood education. (The company was sold in 2015.) As an education reform leader and philanthropist for nearly four decades, Lowell has created groundbreaking national initiatives including the Milken Educator Awards, the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, and the Milken Archive for Jewish Music. In 2017, the Education Commission of the States honored him with its prestigious James Bryant Conant Award for significant contributions to American education.

But the gift is quite personal as well, as Lowell has expressed that “my four sons—indeed our entire family—benefited greatly from the education and community we experienced during our years in the early childhood education program at Stephen Wise Temple. I along with my family look forward to partnering with the Stephen Wise Temple leadership to develop an early childhood education experience that helps to advance Jewish learning and continuity.” 

The Talmud teaches us that the world exists because of the breath of school children. It’s clear that for our sages, education is an existential imperative. In partnership with the Lowell Milken Family Foundation, we will strive with all our energy and creativity to live this value in the most elevated, inspiring and impactful way.

Together – as a community – we will move forward with a sense of purpose and urgency for the stakes couldn’t be higher: our very future depends on it.

With wishes for a sweet and meaningful New Year for us all and in thanks for the many, many blessings we share,

Rabbi Yoshi

Head of School Tami Weiser, Early Childhood Director Jen Shankman, Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback, and President Janine Kolodny sign the historic gift agreement with the Lowell Milken Family Foundation. The $12 million gift is the largest in Stephen Wise Temple and Wise School history.

What does this transformational gift mean for Wise School, Stephen Wise Temple, and our community?

• This gift will allow Wise School and Stephen Wise Temple to continue to grow and attract new young families to our diverse, inclusive community.

What will this mean for our Early Childhood Center?

• Even before our official groundbreaking we will break new ground in our Early Childhood Center program with enhancements that will position Wise School and Stephen Wise Temple at the forefront of early childhood education.

How is this gift helping our program today?

• Of the committed funds, up to $4 million is allocated to program enhancements over the next 8 years, meaning that Wise’s Early Childhood families will see enhancements immediately. Some of these include new faculty and staff positions within our organization as well as robust teacher and staff development.

When will construction begin?

• We are still in the developmental phase and look forward to announcing our construction timeline in early 2019.

Is this a matching gift?

• It is! This gift consists of:
  • $10 million from Lowell Milken Family Foundation and $10 million to be raised from our generous Wise community (for capital)
  • $2 million from Lowell Milken Family Foundation and $2 million to be raised from our generous Wise community (for program enhancements)
• This brings the total gift to $24 million.

When will Wise remodel the Sanctuary and surrounding facilities?

• That is indeed part of our campus master plan and we look forward to updating our community with announcements regarding those phases in the future.

What does all of this mean for parking?

• When our construction timeline is announced, we will ensure a smooth transitional period thanks to our excellent staff, leadership, and partners.

How can I help with this transformational project?

• We are excited to work with all those who wish to support this historic chapter in the Wise story. Please contact Jessica Lebovits, Director of Development, to learn more about our giving opportunities.
  310.889.2276 | [email protected]