Paulo-based businessman, Mr. Meyer Nigri, for whom both schools are named, said he committed to partner with the Online School after being approached by Rabbi Yossi Schildkraut, Director of Beit Chabad Itaim in Sao Paulo. The agreement was to be a five-year partnership,  but that was thirteen years ago. 

“This is one of the most important projects of my life,” he said. He describes his partnership with the school as a privilege. “I’m not so Orthodox, but I believe in keeping Judaism alive, and the online school is how we ensure that Jewish children are educated no matter which far-flung corner of the globe they are in.”

When he decided to continue to lend his support to the school, after the conclusion of the first five years, Mr. Nigri requested that the school bear his family name. He felt it would be a gift to his children and grandchildren. “When people see a name on a project,” he explained, “it will inspire them to follow suit and support an organization of their own.”