What World ORT does

World ORT is a global non-profit Jewish education and vocational training organization founded in 1880 in Russia, originally established as 'The Society for Trades and Agricultural Work' to teach Jews trades and help them escape poverty. Following its March 2026 merger with ORT America under CEO Dov Ben-Shimon, the unified organization operates 47 schools, universities, and vocational training programs serving 84,000 students across more than 40 countries and five continents, with operational headquarters in New York, administrative offices in London, and Swiss legal domicile. Its core offering combines STEM-focused K-12 and vocational education with Jewish values and identity development, delivered through directly operated schools, affiliated Jewish school networks, three summer schools (digital media production, ecology, STEM), and flagship student programs including the Young Entrepreneurship Program (YEP) and the Harmatz Award.

The organization's technology and content infrastructure centers on digital archives — including the World ORT Archive spanning 140+ years of Jewish educational history, the world's largest online archive of music created and performed in Nazi camps and ghettos (500+ articles), and an Art and the Holocaust digital collection in partnership with Israel's Ghetto Fighters' House Museum — alongside the Global Citizenship Education Resource Bank aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals. Strategic technology partnerships with Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, and Cisco deploy smart classrooms and networking infrastructure across the school network. No AI/ML capabilities are evidenced in current operations.

Revenue mechanics are non-profit: the organization relies on donations and fundraising from individuals and foundations, foundation and government grants (including from USAID, UNESCO, IFCJ, Soros Foundation, and the Ronson Family Foundation), limited tuition from educational services, and humanitarian campaign giving. Notable individual gifts include a $15 million donation for the Anieres Institute in Israel and a $2 million Pesach gift. Customer segments span Jewish communities worldwide, Jewish students aged 5-25, Jewish educators, and humanitarian/emergency education populations (notably Ukrainian refugees and Ethiopian Jewish immigrants). Go-to-market is community-led through word-of-mouth within the Jewish community and event-driven via summer schools, competitions, and ORT Day celebrations.

Name

World ORT

Legal name

World ORT

Website

https://ort.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

World ORT is a global non-profit Jewish education network operating 47 schools across 40+ countries serving 84,000 students, combining STEM-focused K-12 and vocational training with Jewish values education under a 145-year-old institutional heritage.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: World ORT operates primarily through donations and fundraising from individuals, foundations, and organizations supporting Jewish education globally. The merged entity combines fundraising operations from World ORT and ORT America to create a unified development approach.
2. Foundation and Government Grants: Funding from organizations including USAID, UNESCO, and various international development agencies for humanitarian and educational programs, particularly in developing regions and for refugee support.
3. Educational Services: Direct operation of schools, universities, and vocational training programs serving students in Jewish communities worldwide, with some programs supported by tuition and fees.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

World ORT is the world's largest Jewish education and vocational training non-governmental organization, operating 47 schools, universities, and vocational training programs serving 84,000 students across 40+ countries. It delivers STEM-focused education, digital skills training, entrepreneurship programs, Holocaust education, and teacher professional development through a global network of affiliated schools, summer schools, and online resources. The organization is funded primarily through donations, grants, and fundraising from individuals, foundations, and international agencies.

Product overview

World ORT is a global Jewish education network offering a diverse portfolio of educational products and programs. The core offerings include the Young Entrepreneurship Program (YEP) for students aged 15-17, the Digital Skills Academy for technology education, and three Summer Schools (STEM, Ecology, and English). Supporting these are specialized resources including the Global Citizenship Education Resource Bank aligned with UN SDGs, the World ORT Archive digital repository, and two Holocaust education websites (Music and the Holocaust, Art and the Holocaust). Recognition programs include the Harmatz Award for student social action projects. The organization serves 84,000 students across 47 schools, universities, and vocational training programs in over 40 countries, focusing on STEM education and Jewish identity development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kadima Mada: World ORT's STEM education initiative in Israel, providing innovation and technology programs
• Kfar Silver
• Young Entrepreneurship Program (YEP)
• Harmatz Award
• Digital Skills Academy
• LEAD Program
• Wand-Polak Award
• Singer Award
• SASA Setton Kav Or
• GCE Resource Bank
• Robotraffic
• Music and the Holocaust
• Art and the Holocaust

Products and services

• Young Entrepreneurship Program (YEP) A flagship entrepreneurship program for students aged 15-17 that teaches decision-making, verbal communication, and critical thinking through designing products or services that address social issues or business needs. Students write reports and pitch to expert judges over a nine-month course.
• Summer Schools Three summer schools offering hands-on training and experience in digital media production, ecology, and STEM disciplines for students across the global ORT network, including partnerships for summer schools in Bulgaria.
• Digital Skills Academy Program that empowers young minds with digital technology skills, confidence, and lasting friendships through intensive technology education, with partnerships for summer schools in Bulgaria and other locations.
• Global Citizenship Education (GCE) Resource Bank A curated collection of Global Citizenship Education resources featuring lesson plans, online courses, and collaborative projects aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• World ORT Archive Digital archive offering access to over 140 years of Jewish educational history through thousands of rare documents, photographs, and films from ORT's global network.
• Music and the Holocaust World's largest archive of music created and performed in Nazi camps and ghettos, featuring over 500 articles, audio recordings, and survivor testimonies documenting musical resistance and survival.
• Art and the Holocaust Online collection of artworks created in secret by artists imprisoned in camps and ghettos, many hidden in walls and recovered only after liberation, provided in collaboration with Israel's Ghetto Fighters' House Museum.

Quantifiable outcome

• 84,000 students educated annually across 47 schools in 40+ countries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.

• PiagetstrategicGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Philippe Leopold Metzger, Vice-Chair of World ORT and former CEO of Piaget, sponsors the YEP program. This connection brings luxury brand association and private equity investor perspective to ORT programs.
• Hewlett-Packard (HP)coreTechnology or IntegrationLong-standing partnership for 21st century education including HP Innovation grants for ORT Russia schools, HP Summit participation, and technology donations. HP and ORT opened multiple technology centers together.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partnership bringing smart classroom technology to ORT schools globally. ORT Kiev joined Microsoft's international elite network. Partnership includes technology integration and educator training.
• CiscocoreTechnology or IntegrationORT Russia and Cisco partnership building bridges between school and 'real world' through technology training and career center support. Includes collaboration on networking technology for education.
• Technion - Israel Institute of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on robotics competitions, Technion tournament participation, and summer school programs. ORT students regularly achieve success at Technion-hosted robotics events.
• Wiener Holocaust LibrarystrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for Holocaust documentation. Library conducted meticulous research that helped trace ORT alumni fate during Holocaust, including Rolf Schloss family history.
• Israel's Ghetto Fighters' House MuseumstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Art and the Holocaust website providing database of artists who were murdered or survived the Holocaust, with artwork provided by the museum.
• Scholas OccurrentesstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Pope Francis-led global education movement. ORT students joined Pope's global event and ORT leadership had audience with Pope Francis.
• Weizmann Institute of SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for science education including Excellence Prize awards, student visits to Weizmann, and collaboration on science summer schools and competitions.
• Avail AdvisorsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFounder Brad Kolar serves as judge in YEP competition, bringing expertise in simplifying problems, decisions, data, and communication to student entrepreneurs.
• IDF (Israel Defense Forces)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld ORT and IDF launched first partnership for training engineers for Israel's new gas industry and other technical collaborations.
• Vilna Gaon State Jewish MuseumstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative project between World ORT and museum on ORT in Lithuania Exhibition, showcasing vocational schools and Jewish community history.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Hillel International: Hillel International is the largest Jewish student organization in the world, serving university students across campuses with education, leadership, and identity programming. It is broadly comparable to World ORT as a global Jewish education network focused on student development, though it concentrates on higher-education campuses rather than K-12 and vocational training.
• Jewish Agency for Israel: The Jewish Agency for Israel is a global Jewish nonprofit connecting Jewish communities worldwide through education, immigration, and identity programs. It is comparable to World ORT as a worldwide Jewish educational and community-services organization funded through philanthropic and governmental channels, with overlapping programs in youth education and global Jewish engagement.
• Birthright Israel Foundation: Birthright Israel provides educational Taglit trips and identity-strengthening experiences for young Jewish adults worldwide. It is comparable to World ORT as a global Jewish educational experience provider funded primarily through philanthropy, with overlapping programming in summer schools, identity development, and cross-border Jewish student engagement.
• Chabad-Lubavitch: Chabad-Lubavitch operates one of the world's largest Jewish educational networks, with schools, camps, and outreach centers across 100+ countries. It is broadly comparable to World ORT in operating a global network of Jewish schools and youth programs emphasizing identity and values, though Chabad's reach and Orthodox orientation are larger and religiously distinct.
• JNF (Jewish National Fund): JNF is a major global Jewish nonprofit focused on Israel land development, education, and community building, funded primarily through donations. It is comparable to World ORT as a large philanthropic Jewish organization with educational programming, donor-driven revenue, and global operational footprint, though its core mission centers on environmental and infrastructure work in Israel.
• UJA-Federation of New York: UJA-Federation is one of the largest local Jewish philanthropies in the world, funding Jewish education, social services, and community programs. It is comparable to World ORT as a major Jewish communal organization dependent on donations and grants, with overlapping beneficiary communities and programmatic interests, though UJA is principally a grant-maker rather than direct operator.

Direct peers

• Yad Vashem: Yad Vashem is Israel's official Holocaust remembrance center, maintaining the world's primary Holocaust archives, research, and education programs. It directly compares to World ORT's Holocaust education pillar (Music and the Holocaust, Art and the Holocaust, World ORT Archive), with overlapping content-library, educator-training, and remembrance missions serving global Jewish and general audiences.

Regional players

• Hebrew University of Jerusalem: Hebrew University is a leading Israeli research university offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs with strong STEM emphasis. It is comparable to World ORT's higher-education arm (e.g., ORT Uruguay) in delivering STEM-focused postsecondary education to Jewish students, and is one of the academic partners through which ORT students pursue advanced study.
• Technion - Israel Institute of Technology: Technion is Israel's premier STEM university and a documented partner of World ORT in robotics competitions and summer programs. It is comparable as a higher-education institution delivering STEM-focused instruction that aligns with World ORT's STEM-plus-identity curriculum and serves as a destination for ORT graduates.

Others

• British Friends of ORT: British Friends of ORT is one of World ORT's national fundraising arms supporting its UK and global operations. It is included as a closely affiliated entity rather than a competitor, illustrating the federation-style governance that distinguishes ORT's structure from a single integrated operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/worldort
• Facebookfacebook.com/worldort
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-ort
• Xx.com/worldort

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A1 record

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about World ORT