From Remote Villages to Global Cities: How Yael Poliavich Is Giving Je

In a world where countless Jewish children grow up detached from their roots, Yael Poliavich is rewriting the narrative.

Born in 1982 in Kyrgyzstan as Julia Poliavich, she grew up in a society where Jewish identity was silenced, education was rationed, and opportunities for women were few and fragile.

Now, as co-founder of the Yael Foundation, she leads a global mission to offer Jewish children more than education; she gives them hope, identity, and a future they can claim as their own.

Her journey from finance professional in Central Asia to a leader in Jewish philanthropy mirrors the mission she champions: helping children reclaim identity, find purpose, and build possibility from the ground up.

A Childhood Far from Jewish Life

Yael grew up in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in a secular, post-Soviet society. Her mother, a music teacher, instilled a love for education and culture, but Jewish life was absent: no schools, no Hebrew, no Shabbat. Her heritage felt distant, unfamiliar.

In 2004, Yael earned a degree in Economics and Finance from the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic. By her late twenties, she was working in corporate finance, a career that brought structure and success, but not fulfillment. That came later.

A Love Story, and a Spiritual Awakening

In 2012, during a business trip in Central Asia, she met Uri Poliavich, a Ukrainian-born Israeli entrepreneur. Their connection grew quickly, but something more profound than romance began to take shape: a spiritual awakening.

Uri, who had rediscovered Judaism later in life, introduced Julia to Jewish traditions, not through dogma, but through meaning, community, and values. She was drawn to the depth and warmth of Jewish life, not only as a culture, but as a purpose.

In 2020, she formally converted to Judaism under the supervision of Rabbi Joseph Hanoch Brodbecker in Kyiv, a process recognized by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Soon after, she and Uri married under a chuppah, fully embracing a shared Jewish identity.

Becoming Yael: A New Name, A Purpose Reclaimed

It was during her conversion that Julia took the Hebrew name Yael, a name associated with bravery, wisdom, and leadership in Jewish tradition. But this was more than symbolic; it marked the beginning of her life’s true calling.

That same year, as the world reeled from the COVID-19 pandemic and antisemitism began to spike globally, she and Uri founded the Yael Foundation.

(Image: Investing in engaging Jewish education experiences | Yael Facebook)

For Yael, the mission was personal: to educate Jewish children, to give them the confidence and the connection she never had growing up.

“I didn’t want any child to feel the kind of cultural loneliness I felt,” she says. “Knowing who you are changes how you see the world, and what you believe is possible.”

Hope and Identity, One Child at a Time

Yael’s vision is focused on individual transformation. She believes Jewish education is not just about tradition or language, but about giving children:

A sense of belonging
An internal compass in a world that often pressures them to assimilate or stay silent

Today, the Yael Foundation supports over 18,000 Jewish students in 41 countries, but its impact is most visible in the lives of individual children:

In war-torn Ukraine, Yael personally oversaw support for Jewish schools that stayed open despite ongoing bombings.
In Morocco and Georgia, she met children at Jewish summer camps; some had never met another Jewish child before, or even knew what it meant to be Jewish until the Foundation brought them together.

(Image: Yael Camp 2024 | Yael)

(Image: Yael Camp 2022 | Yael)

Across every program, Yael brings a mother’s care, focusing not just on what children learn but also on how they feel about who they are.

A Quiet Force With a Global Reach

While Uri Poliavich often speaks publicly for the Foundation, Yael’s influence is constant and central. She shaped its inclusive approach to Jewish education, reaching children from all backgrounds, religious, secular, or newly affiliated.

Behind the scenes, she’s driven major partnerships, including the €25 million expansion of Rome’s historic Scuole Ebraiche di Roma with the Lauder Foundation.

She’s also hands-on, reviewing curricula, guiding language accessibility, and ensuring equal opportunities for both girls and boys.

A New Kind of Jewish Leadership

Yael represents a new kind of Jewish leader, not born into power, but shaped by searching, learning, and choosing. She didn't inherit tradition; she claimed it.

And in doing so, she’s helping thousands of children do the same.

She often speaks to young Jewish girls about agency and identity, encouraging them to find strength not just in who they are, but in who they choose to become.

Her story, Kyrgyz-born, self-made, spiritually awakened, is now a beacon for others navigating their own complicated beginnings.

Building Possibilities That Last

Looking ahead, Yael’s focus is on sustainability, not just funding schools, but empowering communities to support themselves. She envisions a world where every Jewish child, from Casablanca to Kyiv, from Auckland to Stockholm, has access to schools that are not only safe but excellent, welcoming, and future-facing.

That includes investing in school leadership, technology, infrastructure, and emotional well-being, especially for children living in crisis zones. It also includes creating bridges between Jewish communities, so they no longer operate in silos but grow together.

A Life That Inspires Change

(Image: Yael Foundation: A commitment to educational excellence | Yael)

Today, Yael lives in Cyprus with her husband Uri and their two sons, Matthew and Benjamin. But her influence spans continents. What began as a personal journey has become a global movement, led not by speeches, but by example.

Julia (Yael) Poliavich didn’t just find her own identity; she built a foundation where tens of thousands of children can find theirs, too. Through education, community, and compassion, she’s giving them something many never had before: the possibility of a future where being Jewish isn’t a limitation, but a source of strength, pride, and endless opportunity.

Author

Laura E. Adkinson is an award-winning journalist and strategist based in New York. She approaches the world with curiosity and humility, focusing on the beliefs and realities shaping Israel and Jewish diaspora communities. She holds a B.A. in Economics and is pursuing an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies.