KleinLife's Top 10 of 2025
This year was something special, especially for this list of 10 highlights!
With 2026 fast approaching, we're reflecting on how amazing 2025 has been. Our organization is vital and irreplaceable to the diverse community we serve, and this year was no exception. We achieved amazing new milestones in our efforts to support seniors, children, refugees, families, and vulnerable Jewish communities.
While it always feels impossible to put a year into a concise list, we managed to narrow down our Top 10 highlights, in no particular order, that made this year one of our best yet and emphasize the meaningful impact we’ve had:
1: A 50th Anniversary to Remember
2: Murray and Ann Spain Jewish Learning Center Opens Solidifying Jewish Learning and Culture
Jewish life at KleinLife deepened in 2025 through the opening of the Murray and Ann Spain Jewish Learning Center. This program gives hundreds of local families the opportunity to cultivate Jewish education and traditions through expanded holiday programming, educational offerings including trips, and religious services. On top of this, our free High Holiday services this year brought together more than 2,000 Jews to observe in a safe space.
3: STEM Academy Grows for the Community’s Youth
우리의 STEM 아카데미 programs, in partnership with 펜스테이트 애빙턴 그리고 GWHS, continued to mature into a credible educational pathway, providing hundreds of students, including immigrants and refugees, with access to rigorous academics, mentorship, and college-level opportunities.
Before winter break, plans for 2026 are underway to provide additional classes and offerings to expand its program reach. 여기를 클릭하세요 프로그램과 과정에 대한 자세한 정보를 확인하세요.
4: An Engaged, Mission-Driven Board Led by Chairperson Stephen Klein
Throughout 2025, KleinLife benefited from a deeply committed board that provided strategic guidance, financial leadership, and steady governance. Stephen Klein’s leadership, rooted in legacy, responsibility, and vision, was instrumental in navigating a complex year and positioning KleinLife for its next 50 years.
5: Continued Providing Stability to Immigrants and Refugees
KleinLife has been serving thousands of immigrants and refugees from more than 40 different countries by providing a safe space with programs and resources for them to feel “at home” in the US. Many of them are Jews, and specifically for Jewish refugees from the Former Soviet Union, KleinLife is often the place where Jewish identity, language, tradition, and community are rediscovered and sustained.
6: Best of Jewish Philadelphia Winner for 2nd Year!
KleinLife was named 베스트 오브 쥬시 필라델피아, as voted by 유대인 지수 readers, in the Senior Center category and runner-up in the Senior Programming category, a recognition of decades of work supporting older adults with dignity, connection, and care. These programs serve more than 3,000 seniors through a wide range of wellness, cultural, and educational offerings.
7: Renewal of Major Institutional Grants and External Validation
In a challenging philanthropic environment, KleinLife secured extensions of major grants from the Greater Philadelphia 유대인 연합, 필라델피아 노령화 협회, 북미 유대인 연합, 사라 랄스톤 재단, and others.
8: Fifteen Consecutive Years Operating in the Black, with an 8% Overhead Rate
In 2025, KleinLife marked 15 consecutive years of operating surpluses while maintaining an overhead rate of approximately 8%. This level of fiscal discipline is rare in the nonprofit world and reflects our long-standing commitment to stewardship, accountability, and maximizing every dollar entrusted to us.
Also accomplished in 2025, KleinLife achieved a perfect 100% score on Charity Navigator, “the world's largest, most trusted nonprofit evaluator.”
9: Securing Ownership of the KleinLife Building in Northeast Philadelphia
Under the leadership of their board chairperson, Stephen Klein, KleinLife is in the process of acquiring its building from the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. This once-in-a-generation milestone secures KleinLife’s physical home, strengthens its financial foundation, and ensures that the building will remain a Jewish communal asset for decades to come.
10: National Recognition Through PBS and Additional JFNA Storytelling
All of these milestones and more wouldn't be possible without the incredible support of our community, donors, partners, and dedicated staff. These highlights are a testament to the impact we’ve made together, and we look forward to even greater accomplishments in 2026 as we continue to serve and uplift those who need it most. Wishing everyone a joyful and prosperous New Year—may 2026 bring new opportunities, growth, and continued success in everything we do. Thank you for continuing to be a part of our journey!
