Jan Koum Donates $36M to Expand Milken Community School in Los Angeles

Milken Community School in Los Angeles has secured a new high‑school campus in Bel Air after a $36 million contribution from Jan Koum's foundation. The property, formerly owned by American Jewish University, sits at 15,600 Mulholland Drive and will become the Jan Koum Campus. Students from grades 6 through 12 will now share three campuses spread over 28 acres. The expansion was announced at a ceremony attended by families, donors and community leaders on Sunday.

Jan Koum, who fled Kyiv in 1992 to escape anti‑Jewish persecution, has quietly funded Jewish causes for years. His foundation donated roughly $17 million to the European Jewish Association between 2019 and 2020, according to a 2022 JTA investigation. The latest gift brings the school’s total capital campaign to $152 million, a record for Jewish education in the U.S.

The Jan Koum Campus will feature state‑of‑the‑art science labs, a performing‑arts center, and a rooftop garden that will double as an outdoor classroom. It lies half a mile from the school’s existing Ruby Family and Saperstein Campuses, and directly across from the Stephen Wise Temple. The addition will allow Milken to accommodate up to 800 students, a 40% increase in capacity.

Lowell Milken, co‑founder of the school, warned that rising antisemitism is a threat to students and faculty. He urged school leadership to maintain vigilance and support Jewish identity. Shulkind, the school's head, said the new facilities will help shield students from hate and reinforce community resilience.

One freshman, Daliya Eigler, sang the U.S. anthem and “Hatikvah” during the opening ceremony, a moment that underscored the school’s commitment to cultural pride.

With the campus set to open for high‑school classes in early September, Milken plans to launch a new admissions drive to fill the expanded spaces.