Susy Schwartz Fund

The Passport to Israel program (aka the Susy Schwartz Memorial Scholarship Fund) is primarily sustained by an annual concert open to all, generally in the spring, that brings first rate Jewish entertainment to Neve Shalom. An impressive roster of performers has graced our stage since the first Susy Schwartz Concert in 1991, including:

                Debbie Friedman                                    Safam

                Craig Taubman                                        Six13                    

                Neshama Carlebach & Josh Nelson        Danny Maseng

                Shuli Natan                                               Kol B’Seder

                Joel Chasnoff                                            Catskill Klezmorim

                David Broza                                               Naomi Schemer

                Peri Smilow                                                Robyn Helzner Trio            

                Paul Zim & Angela Oren                             Doug Cotler

                Yaffa Yarkoni                                                Julie Silver

                Yoel Scharabi                                                Sam Glaser

In March of 1990, Neve Shalom lost one of  its most active and beloved members - Susanna (Susy) Schwartz.  A cheerful bundle of creative energy, Susy injected warmth and vitality into all of her endeavors on behalf of the synagogue, but her chief passions in life were children, education, music and Israel. Her death brought an outpouring of contributions and the challenge that presented itself to the community was how to best memorialize Susy in a lasting and impactful way.

Thus was born the Neve Shalom “Passport to Israel” program, a gem in the congregation’s crown and one of the privileges of membership in our synagogue. Through this program, which is funded from the Annual Susy Schwartz Concert, each Neve Shalom Bar and Bat Mitzvah child receives a voucher for a stipend towards a trip to Israel that contains an educational component. The trip must be taken between ninth grade and the end of college.The fund initially provided a $500 stipend, which grew over the years until in 2015 the value was raised to $2,000 in recognition of the rising costs for available travel/study programs. High school students using the Passport are also eligible to receive additional funds from our local Jewish Federation. Approximately 140 of our students have redeemed their Passports! Returning students’ essays are regularly featured in the monthly Neve Shalom Bulletin and a student is selected each year to speak about his/her stipend-supported Israel experience at the concert.