$10 million gift announced by “Giving Pledge” signatories Leon and Toby Cooperman to “Birthright” project
The Leon and Toby Cooperman Family Foundation has committed $10 million to Birthright Israel Foundation, positioning the gift as both a long-term investment in Jewish identity and a signal to other donors to step forward as the organization broadens its funding base.
Announced at a gathering of nearly 400 supporters, the commitment helped catalyze an additional $2.7 million in contributions, reinforcing the family’s role as both anchor donor and fundraising accelerant at a pivotal moment for Birthright.
The gift marks an early public milestone in a generational transition within the Cooperman family’s philanthropy. In 2024, Leon Cooperman formally entrusted oversight of the family’s Jewish and Israel-related giving to Jodi Cooperman and her daughters, Courtney and Kyra.
Together, they have defined a strategic framework centered on strengthening Israeli democracy and shared society, investing in everyday Jewish institutions, and prioritizing Birthright for its global reach and measurable impact.
Jodi Cooperman, who has been involved in the foundation’s work for more than 16 years, has emphasized a forward-looking approach. While the family has supported wartime relief efforts, including through UJA-Federation of New York’s Day After Fund, its broader strategy resists concentrating philanthropy solely on crisis response. Instead, it prioritizes long-term infrastructure for Jewish life, with Birthright viewed as a cornerstone platform for building identity and continuity.
That view aligns with Birthright’s evolving position in the philanthropic landscape. Long supported by a small group of mega-donors, the organization is now actively diversifying its funding base. The Cooperman family’s highly visible commitment is intended to model a culture of shared responsibility, encouraging alumni, families, and community stakeholders to help sustain the program and expand access.
Relationships with Birthright leadership also informed the decision. Jodi Cooperman has pointed to the educational vision of Zohar Raviv and the leadership trajectory of CEO Elias Saratovsky—himself a former participant—as reinforcing confidence in the organization’s direction and long-term relevance.
The donation reflects a broader philanthropic philosophy that has defined the Cooperman family for decades: a combination of large-scale, targeted investments and a trust-based approach to giving.
The family maintains a lean operational structure, favors direct engagement over formal process, and prioritizes institutional strength over short-term visibility.
Since its founding in the early 1980s, the Leon and Toby Cooperman Family Foundation has deployed hundreds of millions of dollars across healthcare, education, Jewish life, and community development. Major commitments include transformative investments in medical institutions such as Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in New Jersey and significant support for higher education, including scholarships at Hunter College and Columbia Business School.
Programs like Cooperman College Scholars, which supports first-generation college students in Essex County, reflect the personal narrative underpinning the family’s philanthropy. Leon Cooperman, the son of a Bronx plumber, has consistently framed his giving as an extension of opportunity—an effort to create pathways for others grounded in his own experience.
The family joined the Giving Pledge in 2010, formalizing its intention to direct the majority of its wealth toward public benefit.
Today, that commitment is increasingly shaped by the next generation, with the Birthright gift signaling both continuity and evolution in how the Cooperman legacy will be carried forward.