Louie Rabinowitz Creates “Dreams Come True” for Jewish College Students
Access to a warm, welcoming, supportive Jewish community on a college campus has never been more important than it is today. Yet, the price tag of a degree has skyrocketed. According to recent data, the average annual cost for tuition and fees is $36,400. That’s roughly $146,000 over the course of four years. And that doesn’t cover all-in expenses such as for food, supplies, transportation, and more.
Frequently, higher education students and their families face financial barriers or underestimate these expenses. While many colleges and universities are unable to designate financial assistance specifically for Jewish students, Hillel International helps donors create scholarships from current gifts and estate plans, making college financially possible for many Jewish students. These gifts often create (named) endowment funds, providing scholarship resources in perpetuity.
Louis E. Rabinowitz (“Louie”), who passed away in December 2023, connected with Hillel campuses in his beloved South Carolina, and had a deep understanding of the challenges facing the Jewish student population. Louie worked closely with Hillel International to create scholarships that would help future generations of Jewish students attend college, seamlessly incorporating them into his estate plan. His three named endowment funds will support tuition for Jewish students attending The Citadel (Louie’s alma mater), Clemson University, and the University of South Carolina.
Born and raised in South Carolina, Louie grew up proud of his Jewish faith and his small-town roots in Beaufort, South Carolina, where his family contributed to the founding of Beth Israel Synagogue in 1908. Louie proudly clung to his Jewish roots at military school as a teenager, and while achieving distinction at The Citadel and beyond.
His wife, Sarah Rabinowitz, recalled how her husband often showed his faith on his lapel with a pin of the Israeli and American flags. She said he often ended conversations with the phrase, “You do well,” and had a reputation for being kind-hearted and generous.
That generosity was evident in his desire to help Jewish college students.
“Louie wanted to explore ways to open doors and make college more accessible to Jewish students across South Carolina,” said Charles Miller, JD, AEP®, Hillel International’s senior director of planned giving, who works closely with generous donors like Louie to create scholarship endowments for undergraduate and graduate students.
During their conversations, Louie shared with Miller the joy of knowing his philanthropic vision would come true, saying his heart was full. “It’s wonderful knowing that the blessings of my lifetime will create dreams come true for aspiring Jewish college students,” Louie said at the time.
Future generations of Louis E. Rabinowitz Scholars will have an opportunity to “do well,” due to the tuition assistance from a Hillel International scholarship. These scholarships provide the means for students to make a meaningful impact on the future of the Jewish people and the world while they grow intellectually, socially, and spiritually. By creating his legacy gift at Hillel, Louie’s Jewish values will continue l’dor v’dor — from generation to generation.
Learn more about Hillel International’s past and present scholarship recipients here.