St. Louis Friends of Israel is offering an incentive grant for local support of Israel through a new initiative. The Nathanne Senturia, z”l – Israel Grant will offer matching gift funding of up to $2,000 for any St. Louis-based organization that holds a pro-Israel event or engages a speaker that advocates for Israel or educates the St. Louis community about Israel.

Funding is provided by Richard Senturia, in memory of his late wife Nathanne. Senturia, a philanthropist, is a member of U. City Shul and one of the founding members of St. Louis Friends of Israel. The grant is intended to create awareness and understanding of Israel’s role as the Jewish state and its complex geopolitical status.

The grant application is open to any St. Louis-based congregation or organization, according to Galit Lev-Harir, co-president (along with Traci Goldstein) of St. Louis Friends of Israel.

“We are a grassroots group focused on education and advocacy,” Lev-Harir said. “Since our formation in 2017, we have hosted more than 40 events to engage the community and to develop a better understanding of Israel’s important role. Since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, our work has taken on even greater importance.

“St. Louis has a strong pro-Israel community with many supporters,” she added. “Thanks to the generosity of Richard Senturia, we are able to reach out to other groups and encourage other groups to develop programs that support our mission.”

Organizations may submit multiple applications for the Senturia grant. Lev-Harir said preference will be given to first time applicants.