Adam Weitsman donates $250,000 to Hillel Academy to prevent its closure

VESTAL (WBNG) -- An entrepreneur with ties to the Southern Tier has made a charitable donation of $250,000 to the local private school Hillel Academy of Broome County in an effort to continue to keep its doors open.

President of Hillel Academy of Broome County Joy Yarkoni said for 50 years the school has proudly been a part of the community. She said in 2022, after learning the school was on the verge of closing, she reached out to Upstate Shredding Owner Adam Weitsman, who is now an executive board member, for help.

“You never know what’s going to happen,” said Yarkoni. “So I was asking Adam for help with the school for a significant amount of time and our rabbi too was asking Adam as well.”

Yarkoni said as a small privately funded school there are many challenges, and this donation helps ensure the success of students as they prepare them to be the new leaders of the next generation.

Hillel Academy is a school that provides education geared toward students with Jewish identities.