Kaelen Sherman has donated CAD 25 million ($17.6 million) to establish a fund to provide tuition assistance to students of the Tanenbaum Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto, in honor of her parents, Honey and Barry Sherman, who were killed in 2017, according to the UJA-Federation of Toronto, which facilitated the gift. 

The Honey and Barry Sherman Jewish Education Fund, which will be run by the federation and housed in the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto, will sustain and expand tuition assistance for the school, known as TanenbaumCHAT, in perpetuity, the federation said last week in a statement. The donation represents the largest ever gift to the community day school. 

“The purpose of the fund is simple: to ensure that every child who wants a Jewish education has the opportunity to receive one,” Kaelen Sherman said in a statement. “No student should be denied that opportunity because of financial circumstances. Today, that mission is more important than ever.”

Nearly 1,500 students attend TanenbaumCHAT, making it the largest Jewish high school in North America, according to the federation, which noted that interest in Jewish day schools has risen in recent years. 

“While the past few years have tested our collective resilience, they have also revealed a wave of Jewish pride, engagement and a growing desire to participate in community. It’s clear that Jewish education is at the core of our community’s strength — and it is essential that we open the doors of Jewish learning to every family who wants it,” the federation said. “This initiative is a fitting tribute to Honey and Barry’s legacy. As community leaders who grew up in modest homes, Honey and Barry always approached their leadership with the belief that everyone who wants to be a part of the community should be welcomed in, without facing financial barriers.”

The son of a zipper manufacturer and an occupational therapist, Barry Sherman founded the Canadian pharmaceutical firm Apotex Inc. in 1974, growing the company until it became Canada’s largest. Over the years, he and his wife, Honey, donated tens of millions of dollars to Jewish causes, particularly UJA, to which the couple gave CAD 50 million ($35 million), as well as to medical initiatives around the world. In December 2017, the Shermans were found strangled to death in their home; the case has not been solved. 

“My parents were firm believers in the power of education to develop leadership and shape the future of our community,” Kaelen Sherman said. “In times like today, when the Jewish people are facing a significant increase in antisemitism, TanenbaumCHAT offers a safe place for students to learn and feel connected to our community.”