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€50m Jewish Education Hub to Break Ground in Limassol

A private education project worth over €50 million is advancing in Polemidia, Limassol, with construction preparations underway for a new school funded by the Yael Foundation.

Work is expected to begin in September, as the final architectural designs are now being completed in parallel with the school’s licensing application to the Ministry of Education.

International Education Standards

According to information from the Yael foundation, the response from the Ministry has so far been positive, with the school set to follow international education standards.

As stated on the foundation’s official website, the project aspires to create a flagship Jewish school in Limassol, a point of reference for Jewish education both in Cyprus and abroad.

A Beacon of Excellence

The institution will combine Jewish values with modern pedagogical methods in a high-standard academic environment, with the Foundation describing it as a future “beacon of excellence.”

The school is expected to open in 2027 and will host up to 1,500 students from Cyprus and overseas.

Facilities and Leadership

Its facilities will include modern classrooms, science laboratories, creative studios, a library, sports infrastructure, and places of worship, forming a fully integrated learning and development space across primary, middle, and secondary levels.

Leading the new institution will be Rabbi Yehoshua Smukler, originally from Israel, who brings experience from similar educational projects in Australia.

In his statement, the Rabbi said that “The school will be the cornerstone of the Jewish community of Cyprus, making it an even more attractive place to live.”

He frequently travels between Israel and Cyprus to oversee the project and is widely known for his commitment to academic excellence and Jewish education.

The Yael Foundation

Founded in 2020 by Uri and Yael Poliavich, a Jewish couple who have settled permanently in Cyprus, the Yael foundation is dedicated to strengthening Jewish identity through accessible, high-quality education.

The foundation is currently active in 35 countries, supporting around 13,000 Jewish students worldwide.

According to the organisation, it provides funding to 55 day schools, 18 catechism schools, 10 kindergartens, and 17 after-school programmes.

Foreign Firms Contribute €3.5 Billion To Cyprus Economy In 2023

Recent Eurostat data reveals that Cyprus remains an outlier within the European Union, where foreign-controlled companies contribute minimally to the nation’s employment figures and economic output. While these enterprises have a substantial impact in other member states, in Cyprus they account for only 10 percent of all jobs, a figure comparable only to Italy and marginally higher than Greece’s 8 percent.

Employment Impact

The report highlights that foreign-controlled companies in Cyprus employ 32,119 individuals out of a total workforce that, across the EU, reaches 24,145,727. In contrast, countries such as Luxembourg boast a 45 percent job share in foreign-controlled firms, with Slovakia and the Czech Republic following closely at 28 percent.

Economic Output Analysis

In terms of economic contribution, these enterprises generated a total value added of €3.5 billion in Cyprus, a small fraction compared to the overall EU total of €2.39 trillion. Notably, Ireland leads with 71 percent of its value added stemming from foreign-controlled firms, followed by Luxembourg at 61 percent and Slovakia at 50 percent. On the lower end, France, Italy, Greece, and Germany exhibit values below 20 percent.

Domestic Versus Foreign Ownership

The data underscores Cyprus’s heavy reliance on domestically controlled enterprises for both employment and economic output. However, it is important to note that certain businesses might be owned by foreign nationals who have established companies under Cypriot jurisdiction. As a result, these firms are classified as domestically controlled despite having foreign ownership or management components.

Conclusion

This analysis emphasizes the unique role that foreign-controlled enterprises play within the Cypriot economy. While their overall impact is limited compared to some EU counterparts, the presence of these companies continues to contribute significantly to the island’s economic landscape.

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