Youth Renewal Fund

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the 2026 YRF Gala on Monday. We are proud to share that, together, we raised close to $1 million in support of Darca Schools in Israel! 🥂🇮🇱

As we shared throughout the evening, Youth Renewal Fund is deeply committed to Israel’s future. Through our partnership with Darca, we invest in innovative education across Israel’s most underserved communities, empowering students and advancing social mobility. It meant so much to see our community come together for such a meaningful and inspiring night.

The evening featured powerful remarks from dedicated members of the YRF Family, including: YRF & Darca CEO Dr. Gil Pereg, YRF Board President Paul Schnell, YRF Board Member and Executive Committee Member Harlan Cherniak, and our 2026 Honorees, Jacquie Greyserman Ptalis (live) and Max Greyserman (virtually).

We were also honored to welcome two Darca students, Amy & Yali, who traveled all the way from Israel to join us. Their moving speeches and beautiful dance performance were a true highlight of the evening. Kol Hakavod!

It was our privilege to honor Jacquie and Max for their unwavering dedication to YRF, Darca, and the State of Israel. We are profoundly grateful for their leadership and generosity. As Jacquie shared so passionately:

“YRF’s impact is not theoretical. It is documented, it is consistent, and it is changing the trajectory of 33,500 students’ lives in 57 schools across Israel’s periphery.

I look at [her daughter] Ellie and think about the world I want her to grow up in. One where we show up for kids we have never met, in places we may never visit, because it is simply the right thing to do.”

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the YRF Board of Directors, Board Emeritus, Ambassador Circle Board, and our many foundation and corporate partners who helped make this evening possible. It was incredible to welcome 400 guests in support of our mission!

Because of your generosity, Darca students across Israel receive the education, opportunities, and support they need to become the country’s next generation of entrepreneurs, leaders, and change-makers.

YRF/Darca Student Mentorship Zoom with Special Guest, Hen Mazzig 💻🇮🇱

A huge thank you to for sharing your story and inspiring all of us to embrace who we are, speak out with courage, and lead with authenticity. Your words made a meaningful impact not only on our YRF supporters in the US, but also on the next generation of young Israeli leaders.

Thank you as well to the over 75 participants who joined us for this incredible session — especially our Darca Young Ambassadors, who took time out of their busy Bagrut exam season to take part. We are so proud of you and wish you the best of luck!

Swipe through to read some of the heartfelt feedback from our Darca students ➡️

Missed the session? The recording will be available on our YRF website in the coming days. Stay tuned!

YRF Gala 2026 Afterparty | June 8th | “A Night Out in Tel Aviv” 🇮🇱🥂🪩

Date/Time: Monday, June 8th | 7:30-9:30PM

Location: The New York Historical (170 Central Park West; enter on 77th St)

Theme/Attire: “A Night Out in Tel Aviv” | Elevated Business/Cocktail

Tickets: $72 (*limited capacity) includes Israeli food, DJ, open bar, dessert

Host Committee: Ben Angowitz, Ben Ari Boukai, Lindsay Egert, Eyal Foni, Zoe Frishberg, Kate Gruenberg, Lauren Henry, Jacob Henschel, Daniel Kashani, Sarah Kashani, Sophia Katz, Claire Koeppel, Drew Korn, AJ Kurzman, Zach Leighton, Adam Levitt, Jasmine Samadi, Adam Snyder, Sheila Snyder, Jacob Wise, Skylar Wolf, & Hannah Zweben

Purchase your tickets now using the link in our bio. We hope to see you there!

Last week, 11 YRF Leadership Members attended the Milken Innovation Center cocktail event in Los Angeles 🤝

Special thank you to Advisory Board Members, Michael Kashani and Anastasia Peterson, for giving YRF the opportunity to attend!

We were especially inspired hearing from Noah Argamani about her new venture capital initiative focused on strengthening the bridge between U.S. and Israeli innovation ecosystems — investing not only in the future of technology, but in the future of Israel’s economy and resilience.

An evening of meaningful conversation, connection, and commitment to giving back with like-minded professionals. 🇺🇸🇮🇱

Last night, we hosted our inaugural “Tennis: Rally for YRF/Darca” event at Sportime Randall’s Island 🎾🇮🇱

Thank you to our wonderful hosts, Stephanie Berk & Nicole Sambur, for making this evening possible.

And, a big Mazel Tov to our tournament & raffle winners 🏆

We look forward to expanding this event in the future and hope to see you there!

YRF Gala 2026 | Monday, June 8th 🥂🇮🇱

We invite you to join us on Monday, June 8th, 2026 from 6-9:30PM at The New York Historical for our annual Youth Renewal Fund Gala as we honor Jacquie Greyserman Ptalis and Max Greyserman. All proceeds benefit our Darca students, schools, staff, and communities in Israel.

Purchase your tickets using the link in our bio. Tickets include the Cocktail Reception, Gala Program, and Afterparty. We look forward to seeing you there!

6th Annual “YRF in Aspen” Summer Event - 08.02.26 ⛰️🥂 | Save the Date!

Summer is almost here! Join us for an evening of light bites, beverages, and mingling on Sunday, August 2nd, generously sponsored by Karen W. Davidson.

This year, we are proud to welcome Darca alumnus & nuclear engineer, Hadi Abuzlf, who will be flying in from Israel as our Guest Speaker! 

If you are interested in being on the Host Committee or have any questions, please contact Sabrina Wachtel Kurzman at [email protected]