The Marcus Foundation Makes Legacy $60 Million Investment in RootOne to Revamp How American Jews Tackle the Crisis of Antisemitism

Grant will dramatically expand access to immersive experiences in Israel and beyond for tens of thousands more teens; Represents one of the late Bernie Marcus's final major gifts.

NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Marcus Foundation announced today it is investing an additional $60 million in RootOne, an ambitious startup initiative working to radically transform the trajectory of North American Jewry by providing access to high-quality, immersive educational experiences to Israel for North American Jewish teens. This grant – one of the final major gifts directed by Bernie Marcus before his passing in early November – is the largest donation ever made to an organization focused on proactively preparing Jewish high school students to combat antisemitism and anti-Zionism before they step foot on college campuses for the first time. With this grant, The Marcus Foundation is demonstrating its lasting commitment to the future of North American Jewish teens. Even at a time when travel to Israel may seem counterintuitive, The Marcus Foundation is doubling down on its belief that experiencing Israel is one of the most scalable and powerful ways to build Jewish knowledge and pride.

With this investment, the Marcus Foundation has given a total of $140 million in grants to RootOne. Since its founding in 2020, in partnership with dozens of youth-serving organizations, camps and communities, RootOne has made it possible for tens of thousands of teens to experience meaningful, fun and safe travel to Israel. RootOne helps teens cultivate pride in their Jewish identity and deepen their connection to and knowledge of Israel. In addition to The Marcus Foundation, RootOne has a strong, growing network of funders and deep bench of strategic advisors. This additional grant from The Marcus Foundation, along with contributions from additional funding partners, will be used to scale the number of teen participants to 15,000 per summer within the next five years. The initiative aims to be the go-to resource for educational, high-impact teen Israel travel.

While Israel travel programs are still the primary destination for RootOne experiences, the organization is mindful of the realities of the current geopolitical climate. It is expected that in addition to their Israel travel experiences, RootOne will soon announce funding for alternative opportunities, specific to Summer 2025, that enable teens to still have immersive, Jewish identity-building experiences and form lifelong connections with Israeli peers outside of Israel.