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About Jewish Students Aid Trust
About Jewish Students Aid Trust
Supporting Jewish students since 1956
Supporting Jewish students since 1956
The Jewish Students Aid Trust has been providing financial assistance for almost 70 years.
The Trust was established in 1956 by Oscar Philipp, a businessman and philanthropist whose commitment to Jewish education and communal life extended across many organisations and causes.
Originally established as The Jewish Widows' and Students' Aid Trust, its founding deed set out a clear charitable purpose: to provide financial assistance to Jewish students in genuine financial need, in order to continue their education.
That principle remains at the heart of JSAT today — helping Jewish students pursue educational opportunities when financial circumstances might otherwise stand in their way.
Oscar Philipp: a commitment to Jewish education
Oscar Philipp: a commitment to Jewish education
Oscar Philipp's commitment to Jewish education long pre-dated the establishment of JSAT.
Born into an Orthodox Jewish family in Germany, Oscar settled in London in 1909, where he became a successful businessman. Alongside his business career, he devoted much of his life to Jewish education, scholarship and charitable causes.
He played an important role in the early development of the Jewish Secondary Schools Movement (JSSM). In 1926, Oscar chaired the inaugural meeting of the campaign to establish a Jewish secondary day school in London, advocating strongly for a school in which Jewish religious education would be given proper consideration. He remained involved as the movement developed and later served on its Board of Governors, including during the period in which Hasmonean Grammar School achieved its first government recognition.
His commitment to education extended much further. Oscar served as Joint Treasurer and a Council member of Jews' College (now the London School of Jewish Studies), where he also chaired its Publications Committee. He was Treasurer of the London Board of Jewish Religious Education and a trustee of the Manchester Institute of Jewish Studies, where he helped establish its library. Oscar's wider educational and communal work included a particularly significant involvement with the Bachad Fellowship. In 1942, he became its first Chairman, leading a group of Jewish businessmen who helped guide the organisation and provided the financial backing that enabled Bachad to purchase its own training farm at Thaxted in Essex. The farm provided agricultural and practical training for young Jewish people, including refugees from continental Europe, preparing them to build new lives in what would become Israel. Oscar remained Chairman of the Fellowship for 16 years and also helped develop its educational publishing activities.
In 1956, after three decades of active involvement in Jewish education, Oscar established the Trust that would become the Jewish Students Aid Trust. Its founding deed placed education and financial need at the heart of its charitable purposes — principles which remain central to JSAT today.
The beginnings of JSAT
The beginnings of JSAT
The original Trust Deed provides a fascinating insight into Oscar Philipp's intentions.
Its remit was broader than JSAT's work today. The Trust could assist Jewish widows experiencing financial need, students aged between 16 and 30 studying at universities, colleges and other educational establishments, and younger pupils aged between 10 and 18.
What is particularly striking is that financial need and education were explicitly part of the Trust's purpose from the beginning. The trustees were required to satisfy themselves that applicants had a genuine need for financial assistance, whether because of poverty or for the purposes of education.
The world of education has changed enormously since 1956, but that fundamental idea has not.
A family legacy spanning generations
A family legacy spanning generations
JSAT's history is shaped by an unusual continuity of family involvement.
Following Oscar Philipp's establishment of the Trust in 1956, successive generations of the Philipp family have remained closely involved in its work. From his sons through to his grandson and great-granddaughter, the family has helped to preserve Oscar's commitment to education while ensuring that the Trust continues to evolve to meet changing needs.
Over time, the Board of Trustees has broadened beyond the Philipp family, bringing additional perspectives and experience to the Trust while maintaining the values and sense of purpose on which it was founded.
Nearly 70 years later, that continuity provides an important link between JSAT's history and its future — combining a strong sense of its original purpose with a willingness to respond to the challenges facing each new generation.
One generation helping the next
One generation helping the next
At the heart of JSAT is a simple idea: one generation helping the next.
Over the decades, thousands of pounds of support have enabled Jewish students to continue their education at times when financial circumstances might otherwise have stood in their way.
We hope that those who have benefited from JSAT's support will remain part of the Trust's story. Many former recipients have gone on to build successful careers and lives, and their continued involvement — whether through donations, repayments, sharing their experiences or simply staying connected — can help make the same opportunities possible for future generations of students.
Alongside the generosity of our wider community of supporters, this creates a continuing cycle of support: those who were helped yesterday helping us support the students of tomorrow.
JSAT today
JSAT today
The financial and educational challenges facing young people have changed considerably since JSAT was established in 1956, but the principle behind our work remains the same: to help ensure that financial circumstances do not prevent Jewish people from accessing educational opportunities.
Today, a central part of our work is providing grants to Jewish students facing financial difficulty. Rising tuition fees, accommodation costs and everyday living expenses can place considerable pressure on students and their families, and our grants provide practical support that can help students continue their studies and focus on achieving their potential.
At the same time, we recognise that the educational landscape continues to change. Schools and families are facing growing challenges in meeting a wide range of educational needs, including providing appropriate support for children and young people with special educational needs. As we look to the future, we want to consider how JSAT's resources and experience might be used to help address some of these changing needs within Jewish education.
As JSAT approaches its eighth decade, we are therefore continuing to evolve. Alongside our established support for students, we are exploring how the Trust might broaden its impact, including the potential to support special educational needs provision within Jewish schools.
We are also making it easier for students to access support and for former recipients and supporters to remain involved in our work, helping to strengthen the cycle of one generation supporting the next.
Our aim is to carry Oscar Philipp's commitment to Jewish education forward — responding to the needs of today while creating opportunities for the generations to come.
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