Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago

What Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago does

Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago (ATT) is a nonprofit central agency founded in 1929 that coordinates community-wide Jewish day school education across the Chicago metropolitan area. Headquartered in Skokie, Illinois, it serves 28 Chicagoland Jewish day schools reaching roughly 5,000 students and 500–700 teachers, positioning itself as the only central agency in North America dedicated exclusively to community-wide Torah education.

ATT's product surface is built around four pillars. The Arthur H. & Alice Barbakoff Department of Teacher Education & Development delivers 1,000+ hours of professional development annually, hosts the Teachers Educational Conference, and administers the ATT Teacher Licensing program and E.P.I.C. mentoring. REACH (Resources for Educational Achievement, Collaboration & Healing) provides special education and learning-differences services to students within member schools. Student-facing programs include the Pogrund Family essay and Judaic artwork contests, Israel Scholarships (totaling over $30,000 per year), and the annual Awards Presentation. A Government Programs function acts as the official liaison to Chicago Public Schools, the Illinois State Board of Education, and the Illinois Coalition of Nonpublic Schools (ICNS), channeling Title I, II, III, IV, and IDEA funding—reportedly more than $4,000,000 annually—back to member schools.

Revenue and cash flow come from three streams: (1) government funding flowed through and on behalf of member schools, (2) donations and philanthropy collected through an annual Gala, planned giving, and a network of supporting foundations (Hartman Family Foundation, Crain-Maling Foundation, Kehillah Jewish Fund, Jewish United Fund), and (3) administrative and scholarship-fee revenues from programs such as Israel Scholarships ($500–$5,000 per award). Operations are run by a small administrative team led by CEO Rabbi Phil Karesh (appointed January 2025) and Superintendent of Education Rabbi Avrohom Moller, with reported headcount of 1–10 at the central-agency level. Pricing is donation-based rather than commercial; member schools access the bundle of services as a community ecosystem rather than as discrete paid contracts.

Name

Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago

Legal name

Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago

Website

https://att.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago is a nonprofit central agency, founded in 1929, that coordinates funding, teacher professional development, special education, and advocacy services for 28 Chicagoland Jewish day schools serving roughly 5,000 students and 500+ teachers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Jewish Day School Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

National/Federal Ministries & Departments of Education (EDADAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

National/State Curriculum & Standards Authorities (EDADAEAA)

Keywords

• Jewish day school education
• Teacher professional development
• Special education services
• Government funding liaison
• Educational scholarship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Skokie, Illinois

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: ATT secures federal and state funding including Title I, II, III, IV programs, IDEA funding, and serves as liaison to the State of Illinois for nonpublic education funding.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: ATT raises funds through annual galas, donations, and supporter contributions. Donation amounts range from $36 to $5,000.
3. Israel Scholarships: ATT administers scholarship programs funded by families in memory or honor of loved ones for students continuing Torah education in Israel.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago operates as the central coordinating agency for Jewish day school education across the Chicago metropolitan area. It delivers teacher professional development, teacher licensing, special education services through REACH, curriculum support, and government Title funding liaison services to 28 affiliated day schools serving over 5,000 students. It also administers merit-based Israel Scholarships, annual student essay and artwork contests, and community recognition programs funded through donations, partner foundations, and government pass-through funding exceeding $4 million annually.

Product overview

Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago operates as a central agency for Jewish day school education, offering a coordinated suite of educational support programs. The organization provides professional development and teacher licensing through its Arthur H. & Alice Barbakoff Department of Teacher Education & Development, special education services through REACH, and merit-based scholarships including Israel Scholarships and Pogrund Family contests. Additional programs include government funding liaison services, curriculum development, and community resources such as The Next Chapter Magazine and the ATT Community Calendar. The network serves 13+ member schools with 3,600+ students across the Chicago area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• REACH (Resources for Educational Achievement and Collaborative Healthcare): Special education and learning differences program providing individualized education programs, services for students with special needs, and professional development for teachers in Jewish day schools
• Arthur H. & Alice Barbakoff Department of Teacher Education & Development
• Hartman Family Foundation Educator of the Year Award
• Pogrund Family Essay and Judaic Artwork Contests
• Israel Scholarships
• Rabbi Isaac Mayefsky Memorial Parenting Lecture

Products and services

• Teacher Education & Development Department

Quantifiable outcome

• 28 Chicagoland Jewish Day Schools served
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Jewish United FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Associated Talmud Torahs is a partner with the Jewish United Fund in serving the Chicago Jewish community. JUF provides collaborative support for community initiatives and educational programs.
• Illinois Coalition of Nonpublic Schools (ICNS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATT was a founding member of ICNS and has served on its executive board since 1990, representing Jewish schools in Illinois educational policy matters.
• Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATT assists schools with registration and recognition processes with ISBE for state educational standards and funding eligibility.
• Chicago Public Schools (CPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATT is the affiliate representative of Jewish schools to Chicago Public Schools and meets monthly with other nonpublic school affiliates.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Jewish Theological Seminary: Major Jewish graduate and rabbinical institution publishing curricula and teacher training resources (e.g., Behrman House, JTS College) that overlap thematically with ATT's curriculum development and teacher licensing mission.

Broad incumbents

• Hebrew Theological College: Chicago-based Jewish institution offering teacher training programs and rabbinic ordination that overlap with ATT's teacher licensing, professional development, and Mechanchim Kollel educator offerings in the same geography.
• Touro College and University System: Large Jewish-affiliated higher education and graduate network that intersects with ATT's educator training, curriculum standards, and Judaic instruction functions through its teacher and professional education offerings.
• Jewish United Fund / Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago: ATT's principal community partner and umbrella funder via the Kehillah Jewish Fund — operates a much broader portfolio of human services, education, and advocacy for the Chicago Jewish community, of which ATT is a core grantee.
• Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education (PEJE, legacy): Former national capacity-building organization supporting Jewish day schools with sustainability consulting and intensive grants — overlapping with ATT's school-support and PD functions at a national strategic level before merging into the ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools: National umbrella organization supporting Jewish day schools across North America through professional development, leadership training, and advocacy — directly comparable to ATT's mandate, but at national rather than community scale.
• Illinois Coalition of Nonpublic Schools (ICNS): Statewide advocacy coalition for Illinois nonpublic schools in which ATT has held an executive board seat since 1990 — a parallel regulatory and policy advocacy peer operating in the same regulatory environment.
• Gateways: Access to Jewish Education: Boston-based organization providing special education and learning support services to Jewish day school students — directly comparable to ATT's REACH program, and co-founded by Julie Gordon before she became ATT's REACH Executive Director.
• The Jewish Education Project: NYC-based central agency for Jewish education that, like ATT, convenes schools, delivers professional development, develops curriculum, and drives innovation across day schools and congregational education.
• Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York / Jewish Education Project (legacy): Historic coordinating body for Jewish supplemental and day school education in the New York metro — the closest functional analogue to ATT's Chicago central-agency role, serving hundreds of schools and rabbis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ATT-Chicago-109568010441317
• Instagraminstagram.com/attchicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/associated-talmud-torahs-of-chicago

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago