Tikvah Fund

Tikvah Fund, also known in Hebrew as Keren Tikvah, is an American nonprofit organization established in 1992 to advance Jewish thought and ideas. It operates at the intersection of Jewish education, intellectual life, journalism, leadership development, and conservative public-policy discussion. Rather than functioning as a conventional consumer brand, Tikvah presents itself as an institutional platform: it funds publications and educational initiatives, convenes conferences, supports writers and scholars, and develops programs intended to shape the intellectual formation of Jewish communities and the broader public. The organization is associated with a politically conservative and broadly Jewish-American intellectual outlook. Its work has included support for publications such as Commentary, Mosaic, the Jewish Review of Books, and the former Jewish Ideas Daily. Through related or supported initiatives, it has also been connected with journals and platforms dealing with Jewish political thought, Jewish history, Israel, and public affairs. This publishing activity gives Tikvah a role as both a funder and an ecosystem-builder, helping sustain forums in which Jewish identity, liberal education, Israel, religion, law, and politics are debated. A major area of activity has been education. Tikvah supported the Shalem Center in Israel for approximately a decade and in 2011 made a reported four-year grant of $12.5 million to help establish an American-style liberal-arts university. That project developed into Shalem College. The grant illustrated Tikvah's preference for institution-building: instead of limiting its work to short-term programming, it has supported organizations intended to create lasting educational and intellectual infrastructure. Tikvah also operates fellowships and leadership programs. The Charles Krauthammer Fellowship is aimed at developing aspiring writers, journalists, scholars, and policy analysts. The organization organizes the Jewish Leadership Conference, a conservative Jewish gathering that brings together political figures, public intellectuals, and other leaders. Speakers and invitees have included former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Israeli ambassador Ron Dermer, and Florida governor Ron DeSantis. The conference has also attracted organized opposition, including protests surrounding DeSantis's 2022 appearance. The fund's public profile has grown through its engagement with debates over Jewish education, Israel, antisemitism, conservatism, and the political direction of Jewish communal institutions. Supporters regard it as a significant source of investment in Jewish intellectual life and leadership. Critics have described it as part of a conservative or neoconservative network seeking to influence Israeli and American Jewish public discourse, including debates about Israel's legal and political institutions. The organization has reported substantial financial capacity. Wikipedia reported that Tikvah held more than $162 million in assets in 2011, although that figure is historical and does not describe its present financial position. Leadership identified in public reference material has included Eric Cohen as chief executive and Elliot Abrams as chairman in 2022, with earlier roles held by Roger Hertog and Neal Kozodoy. The available material does not establish a complete current leadership roster or a definitive present-day asset figure.

Tikvah Fund was established in 1992 as an American nonprofit devoted to Jewish thought and ideas. Its institutional model combines philanthropy with programming: it supports organizations, creates educational opportunities, funds intellectual production, and convenes people involved in Jewish communal and political life. The fund is particularly associated with a conservative Jewish perspective and with efforts to strengthen Jewish education, Israel-related discussion, and the intellectual foundations of Jewish leadership. During the 2000s and early 2010s, Tikvah became increasingly visible through its relationship with Jewish publications and educational institutions. It supported or funded publications including Commentary, Mosaic, the Jewish Review of Books, and Jewish Ideas Daily, as well as other journals connected with Jewish political thought and Israel. These activities helped form a network of magazines, journals, and digital outlets through which debates about Jewish identity, religion, liberal education, Israel, and public policy could be conducted. The fund also supported the Shalem Center in Israel for roughly a decade. In 2011, it committed a reported $12.5 million over four years to help the center establish an American-style liberal-arts university. The resulting institution became Shalem College. This initiative represented one of Tikvah's most consequential forms of engagement: the creation of a durable educational institution rather than the sponsorship of a single event or publication. The same institution-building orientation appears in Tikvah's fellowships, conferences, and leadership programs. Among its best-known programs is the Charles Krauthammer Fellowship, named for the conservative writer and commentator. The fellowship is intended for emerging writers, journalists, scholars, and policy analysts. Tikvah also organizes the Jewish Leadership Conference, a gathering designed to connect conservative Jewish thinkers, political figures, and institutional leaders. Its 2022 program included Mike Pompeo, Ron Dermer, and Ron DeSantis. DeSantis's appearance prompted picketing, reflecting the broader political controversy surrounding the fund's programming and its choice of speakers. Public commentary has sometimes placed Tikvah within a wider American and Israeli conservative or neoconservative intellectual network. A 2020 report discussed the organization's efforts to influence debates concerning Israel's judicial and political system, while other commentary has characterized it as a hub for conservative Jewish publications and ideas. Such descriptions are interpretive rather than formal statements of organizational structure, but they help explain why Tikvah's activities have attracted attention beyond philanthropy and education. The organization's financial scale has also been noted. Wikipedia reported assets exceeding $162 million in 2011. That historical figure should not be treated as a current balance-sheet statement. Publicly identified leaders have included Roger Hertog, who was chairman in 2011, Neal Kozodoy, who was senior director in 2010, and Eric Cohen and Elliot Abrams, identified respectively as chief executive and chairman in 2022. Later reporting described a $10.5 million National Endowment for the Humanities grant to Tikvah in 2025 for work characterized as combating antisemitism. The grant reportedly became part of litigation concerning the cancellation and allocation of federal humanities grants. Reference material states that a federal court ruled in 2026 that related cancellations were unconstitutional and that litigation disclosed unusual involvement by an acting NEH chair in soliciting and approving Tikvah's application. These developments materially increased scrutiny of the organization's relationship with federal cultural agencies. The available material does not establish the final legal or administrative outcome beyond the reported ruling, nor does it provide a fully verified current leadership list.

• 2026

  Litigation scrutinizes the NEH grant process

  [1]Tikvah Funden.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reports a federal ruling concerning grant cancellations and disclosures about the approval process for Tikvah's NEH application.

• 2025

  Reported $10.5 million NEH award

  [1]Tikvah Funden.wikipedia.org

  The National Endowment for the Humanities reportedly awards Tikvah a $10.5 million grant to combat antisemitism.

• 2022

  Jewish Leadership Conference draws prominent political speakers

  [1]Tikvah Funden.wikipedia.org

  The conference includes Mike Pompeo, Ron Dermer, and Ron DeSantis; DeSantis's participation is accompanied by protests.

• 2011

  Major grant supports creation of Shalem College

  [1]Tikvah Funden.wikipedia.org

  Tikvah commits a reported $12.5 million over four years to the Shalem Center for an American-style liberal-arts university in Israel.

• 2011

  Historical assets exceed $162 million

  [1]Tikvah Funden.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reports that Tikvah held more than $162 million in assets during 2011.

• 1992

  Tikvah Fund is established

  [1]Tikvah Funden.wikipedia.org

  The organization is founded in the United States to promote Jewish thought and ideas.

A conservative Jewish intellectual and philanthropic platform focused on developing ideas, institutions, leaders, and publications rather than selling consumer products.

• Conference

  Jewish Leadership Conference

  A politically conservative Jewish conference organized by Tikvah Fund. It brings together political officials, public intellectuals, writers, and Jewish communal leaders to discuss Jewish ideas, Israel, public affairs, and leadership. The 2022 program included Mike Pompeo, Ron Dermer, and Ron DeSantis.

• Fellowship

  Charles Krauthammer Fellowship

  A fellowship program named for writer and commentator Charles Krauthammer. It supports aspiring writers, journalists, scholars, and policy analysts, reflecting Tikvah's emphasis on developing a future generation of Jewish and conservative intellectual talent.

• Publishing and philanthropy

  Publication support

  Tikvah has funded or supported Jewish and public-policy publications, including Commentary, Mosaic, the Jewish Review of Books, and Jewish Ideas Daily. Related supported publications and journals have addressed Jewish political thought, Israel, history, religion, and public affairs.

• Higher education grant · 2011

  Shalem College initiative

  Tikvah supported the Shalem Center for approximately a decade and later provided a reported four-year $12.5 million grant to help create an American-style liberal-arts university in Israel. The initiative developed into Shalem College.

• 2026

  Controversy over the NEH grant approval process

  Litigation over federal humanities-grant cancellations reportedly revealed that an acting NEH chair solicited Tikvah's application and approved the grant after an outside scholarly council voted against it. The reported disclosures led to scrutiny of the grant's procedural and political context.

  Source

Read more

• 2022Jewish Leadership Conference

  United States · Israel

  Tikvah convened a conservative Jewish conference featuring senior political and public figures, including Mike Pompeo, Ron Dermer, and Ron DeSantis.

  Outcome. The event expanded public attention around Tikvah's political and intellectual positioning; DeSantis's appearance also generated protests.

  Source

• 2025

  NEH grant for antisemitism-related workOther

  Background

  Reference material places the award amid widespread cancellations or disputes involving other federal grants connected with Jewish studies.

  Action taken

  The National Endowment for the Humanities reportedly awarded Tikvah $10.5 million for work described as combating antisemitism.

  Aftermath

  The award became the subject of litigation and public scrutiny over the federal approval process.

  National Endowment for the Humanities grant. $10.5 million (2025)

  Source

• 2011

  Commitment to build an American-style liberal-arts institution in IsraelStrategy

  Background

  Tikvah had supported the Shalem Center for approximately a decade and sought to strengthen Jewish and Israeli intellectual infrastructure through a permanent educational institution.

  Action taken

  The fund committed a reported four-year, $12.5 million grant to support the creation of a university that became Shalem College.

  Aftermath

  The initiative created a continuing higher-education institution in Israel and became a prominent example of Tikvah's institution-building approach.

  Grant commitment. $12.5 million (Four-year grant announced in 2011)

  Source

1. 1Tikvah Funden.wikipedia.org
2. 2Tikvah Fund official websitetikvahfund.org