By Tova Cohen
Well before October 7 forever altered the landscape of Israeli society, Joyce and Daniel Straus committed to the most transformative gift in AMIT’s 100-year history—the naming of the Gabel & Straus Family Campus at Kfar Batya, a 10-acre hub in Ra’anana that will provide groundbreaking education to thousands of Israeli teens and young adults.
In the wake of crisis and national trauma, Joyce and Daniel’s gift has assumed even greater significance as Israel looks to heal and rebuild.
“The young people of Israel have stepped up in an extraordinary way these past two years,” said Daniel. “Some of them, including AMIT faculty and former students, have sacrificed their own lives. Witnessing their courage has been incredibly moving, and it’s certainly made AMIT’s mission—building Israel, one child at a time—even more critical.”
The Legacy of Gwen Straus
It’s fitting that such a visionary investment comes from the Strauses. The couple, longtime philanthropists who live in Englewood, NJ, is continuing the proud legacy of Daniel’s mother, Gwendolyn Straus—a devoted Zionist and early leader of AMIT, when it was called Mizrachi Women’s Organization of America.
Gwen joined Mizrachi as a teen, with a fierce dedication that mirrored the passion of Bessie Gotsfeld, the organization’s founder who went from New York to Israel with a suitcase of money from American donors and a dream to build up Israel in its earliest days.
“My mother told me about a distant relationship between her family and Bessie Gotsfeld, and she told me how she herself was involved in the very early efforts of American Mizrachi Women,” said Daniel. “My mother was proud to carry the mantle forward, serving as president of Junior Mizrachi Women in Brooklyn.”
“She enjoyed being an integral part of the community of women who came together to do good work for Israel through AMIT,” continued Daniel. “I have the memory of my mom who, even in her later years and not in the best of health, would hop on the 1 train on the Upper West Side and go down to the AMIT office to volunteer. That’s the kind of dedication she had.”
AMIT’s mission resonated with Gwen, who taught young students in public schools, and with her husband, Joseph Straus, who fled Uman directly after World War I and became active with the Religious Zionist movement in New York.
The couple held parlor meetings in their home, where communal leaders would come and talk about the fledgling State of Israel. It was against this backdrop that the Straus children—Daniel, his brother Moshael, and sisters Adina and Bethia—were raised, and which likely shaped their own lifelong commitment to Israel, Jewish education, and philanthropy.
United by Shared Values
Inspired by Gwen’s dedication, Joyce began her own journey with AMIT in the early years of her marriage to Daniel.
“I first learned about AMIT from Daniel’s mother,” said Joyce. “I saw her absolute devotion to the organization and heard about the many ways her involvement took shape throughout Daniel’s childhood and young adulthood. So when the New Generation board formed in the early 2000s, I was honored to join a group of amazing women committed to the same cause.”
As Joyce got more involved, she came to appreciate the breadth of AMIT’s reach. With 88 schools serving 40,000 students, AMIT’s powerful network touches so many lives. And it’s not just the number of students served that’s made an impression upon Joyce, but their diverse backgrounds and origins as well.
Although AMIT’s roots are in the Modern Orthodox community, today its schools span a wide spectrum, including secular and ultra-Orthodox institutions. Seventy percent of AMIT’s schools are in Israel’s periphery—reaching students in remote communities, including many from Ethiopian backgrounds—while the remaining 30% are in the country’s center.
“We really value that AMIT is inclusive, pluralistic, and nonjudgmental,” said Joyce. “It creates a space where families from all backgrounds feel welcome. Daniel and I have centrist values—in our lifestyle, in our politics, and in our beliefs—and that spirit of openness speaks to us deeply. It’s also a beautiful embodiment of Klal Yisrael: one people, united by shared values, no matter where they live.”
Much of that they credit to Dr. Amnon Eldar, AMIT’s director general, whose leadership has helped foster a broad and welcoming tent across the AMIT Network.
“My relationship with the Straus family goes back many years,” Eldar said. “I fondly remember Danny’s mom, Gwen, visiting us at AMIT Kfar Blatt when I was director of the youth village; our friendship began instantaneously. To me, the Straus family represents commitment to excellent education, strengthening the social and geographic periphery of Israel, dreaming about the future, and helping enable us to realize these dreams.”
“Joyce and Daniel are incredible partners in AMIT’s educational mission,” he continued. “Their dedication to the Kfar Batya campus doesn’t just impact students today—it’s a promise to future generations of Israeli youth who, thanks to the opportunity and the advantage of their education, will grow into the leaders of tomorrow. It is my honor and privilege to consider them both supporters and friends.”
A Commitment to Compassion
In the early 2000s, Joyce and Daniel, along with Daniel’s siblings, named the Gwen Straus Junior and Senior High School for Boys to honor their mother.
“My mom wasn’t one to readily put her name on things,” said Daniel. “But she felt good about that occasion of the dedication, where she was able to stand up and acknowledge how much of her lifetime she had spent
on AMIT.”
Frequently recognized as one of the top schools in the country, the Gwen Straus school, like all others in the AMIT Network, utilizes AMIT’s Goyga and values-driven educational curriculum.
“AMIT’s commitment to morals, ethics, and values as part of their educational curriculum resonates with me,” said Joyce. “It’s one that instills deep respect for others, regardless of background. It’s not just about academic excellence, though the pedagogical leadership is truly top-tier. It’s about raising ethical, thoughtful, and compassionate human beings.”
While Daniel’s mother has a longtime legacy with AMIT, Joyce brings her own deeply rooted model of giving instilled by her parents, Stefanie and Jack Gabel, both of whom were Holocaust survivors.
“My parents didn’t have a lot, but they were dedicated to charity as much as they could be,” remembered Joyce. “They had a strong belief in tikkun olam, and it was very much woven into the fabric of how I was raised.”
Joyce’s compassion also stems from her professional background: She spent nearly two decades as a physical therapist working with children with neurological disabilities, a role that speaks to her longtime commitment to healing and making a difference.
Strengthening Israel Through Education
Joyce and Daniel have visited Israel with their children many times over the years, making AMIT a central part of their upbringing and seeing their family’s philanthropy brought to life in the halls of AMIT schools and in the faces of its students.
“Daniel and I have formed real attachments to some of the students we’ve met over the years, boys and girls who have overcome unimaginable hardship to get an education and better themselves and Israeli society,” said Joyce.
One of Joyce and Daniel’s children made aliyah shortly before October 7. Since then, they’ve traveled to Israel numerous times to visit her and their grandchildren, and to deepen their personal connection to the country and its people.
“We’ve had a unique window into Israeli society now, and what’s become so clear is how central young people, education, and values are to the fabric of life in Israel,” said Daniel. “It’s through that foundation that Israel nurtures families of extraordinary Jews who are deeply committed to the country’s future. AMIT’s mission feels more relevant than ever, and we’re honored to play even a small role in supporting Israel at such a pivotal moment.”
