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Private religious education has long been a cornerstone in both the Jewish and Catholic communities. A number of factors and circumstances, however, including the nation’s current economic state, the affordability of private education, growing competition, and decreased perceived value, threaten the sustainability of these education models. Today, private religious schools must make critical financial decisions with the added sense of responsibility to ensure the prolongment of religious education, community engagement, and spirituality in their respective communities.

In our latest whitepaper, Different Faiths, Common Challenge: Maintaining the Affordability of a Faith-Based Education, Changing Our World has partnered with Erik Goldschmidt of the Church in the 21st Century Center at Boston College and Dan Perla of the AVI CHAI Foundation, both thought leaders in the field of religious school affordability in their respective communities.

This publication examines the private faith-based school marketplace and the financial interventions currently taking place in Jewish and Catholic school systems throughout the country. Despite innate differences between the Jewish and Catholic faiths, much work is being done in both communities with the parallel goals of ensuring the future of their respective religious education systems and engaging their communities in the process.

The significance of this paper lies in creating a basis for continuous, meaningful conversation among and between the Jewish and Catholic communities regarding the mutual challenge of sustaining private religious education systems. It is our hope that this document will spark additional discussion and generate opportunities for shared learning.