Privacy Policy

Kollel Toronto / Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies
Friends of Institute For Advanced Talmudic Studies (FIATS)

Last updated: September 4, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect personal information when you visit kollel.com, related pages (including the IAJS academic pages), any FIATS website or donation page, or when you give, subscribe, email us, or otherwise contact us.

We respect your privacy and handle information in line with Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), applicable Ontario law, and, where FIATS or U.S. donors are involved, applicable U.S. privacy and nonprofit rules.

Who we are

Kollel Toronto – Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies (IAJS)
515 Coldstream Avenue
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6B 2K7
Tel: 416-789-1853
Email: office@kollel.com / info@kollel.com

IAJS is the academic arm of Kollel Toronto (historically known as Kollel Avreichim / Institute for Advanced Talmudic Study). It is a Canadian educational and religious institution offering advanced Talmudic and Judaic study, community learning, and related programs.

Friends of Institute For Advanced Talmudic Studies (FIATS)
FIATS is a supporting / friends organization that helps raise funds and awareness for the Institute and its Torah-learning mission. FIATS may operate mailing lists, donation pages, and campaign emails separately from or together with kollel.com.

In this policy, “we,” “us,” and “our” means Kollel Toronto / IAJS and FIATS, as applicable.

If you have a privacy question, email office@kollel.com and put “Privacy” in the subject line.

Scope

This policy covers personal information collected through:

kollel.com and related subpages
FIATS websites, landing pages, and donation forms
email newsletters, campaign emails, and event invitations
online or offline donation forms
contact, inquiry, shiur, or event-registration forms
phone, mail, and in-person conversations with the office

It does not replace student academic-record rules in the IAJS Academic Calendar. Student education records are handled under those internal policies and applicable education/privacy law.

Information we collect

Information you give us

Depending on how you interact with us, this may include:

Name, title, and household or family names
Mailing address, email address, and phone number
Donation amount, date, designation (e.g. general support, fellowship, building, event), and receipt details
Payment method details needed to process a gift (we do not store full credit-card numbers if a payment processor handles the card)
Event RSVPs, sponsorships, tribute / dedication names
Messages you send through a contact form or email
Preferences (how you want to be contacted; language; shul or community affiliation if you choose to share it)
For students or applicants only: academic and administrative information collected for admission, registration, and records

Information collected automatically

When you visit our websites we may collect:

IP address, browser type, device type
Pages viewed and referring URL
Date and time of visit
Cookies or similar tools used for basic site function, security, and (if enabled) analytics

You can control cookies in your browser. The site may not work fully if essential cookies are blocked.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children for marketing. Our fundraising and email lists are intended for adults.

How we use your information

We use personal information to:

Operate kollel.com and FIATS online pages
Respond to inquiries and administer programs, shiurim, events, and community services
Process donations, issue official tax receipts, and keep required charity records
Send updates you requested or that you reasonably expect as a donor, member, or subscriber (newsletters, zmanim and schedule notices, campaign appeals, dinner/event invitations, learning resources)
Maintain our relationship with supporters and the community
Improve the website and measure whether emails and pages are working
Meet legal, accounting, audit, and regulatory duties
Protect the security of our systems and prevent fraud or misuse

We do not sell your personal information. We do not rent or trade our donor or email lists.

Email and other electronic messages (CASL)

If we send you commercial electronic messages (appeals, event promotions, newsletters with fundraising content), we do so only with:

express consent you gave (for example, a subscribe form or a checked opt-in box), or
implied consent where the law allows it (for example, you donated, registered for an event, or have an existing relationship), for as long as that implied consent remains valid

Every such email will identify us and include a working unsubscribe link. You can also email office@kollel.com and ask to be removed from marketing emails.

Transactional messages (donation receipts, ticket confirmations, replies to a question you sent) are not marketing and may still be sent after you unsubscribe from campaigns.

Donations and payment processors

Online gifts are processed by third-party payment providers (for example, a donation platform or card processor). Those providers collect the payment data needed to complete the transaction under their own privacy policies and security standards (including PCI-DSS for cards).

We keep the donor and gift information needed to:

thank you
issue a Canadian official donation receipt where applicable, or a U.S. acknowledgment where FIATS is the recipient
meet CRA / IRS record-keeping rules

We do not use your payment-card number for marketing.

Service providers (including email marketers)

We use trusted vendors to help us operate. These may include:

website hosting and security providers
email marketing platforms (the service your marketer requires this policy for)
donation / payment processors
accounting, bookkeeping, and receipting tools
analytics tools, if used on the site

Vendors may store data in Canada, the United States, or other countries. When data is stored outside Canada, it may be subject to the laws of that country, including lawful access by foreign authorities. We use vendors only as needed to provide the service, and we expect them to protect the information they process for us.

Email platform note (edit to match your tool):
If we use an email service such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or a similar platform, that company acts as our processor for subscriber names, emails, and engagement data (opens, clicks, unsubscribes). Their role is to send mail on our behalf, not to use your address for their own unrelated marketing.

When we share information

We may share personal information only:

with service providers acting on our instructions
within Kollel Toronto / IAJS and FIATS when needed to process a gift, issue a receipt, or run a joint campaign
when you ask us to (for example, a public dedication listing you approved)
if required by law, a court, or a regulator
in an emergency to protect someone’s safety
as part of a reorganization of the organization, with privacy protections continuing

We do not publish donor names without a reasonable basis to believe the donor is comfortable with recognition. You may request anonymity.

Student directory information (name, dates of attendance, degrees) may be treated as described in the IAJS Academic Calendar unless the student objects in writing.

How long we keep information

We keep information only as long as needed for the purpose collected, plus any period required by law.

Typical examples:

Email list records: while you remain subscribed, then a short period after unsubscribe so we can honour the opt-out
Donation and tax-receipt records: generally at least six years after the relevant tax year (longer if a law or audit requires it)
Event registration: through the event and a reasonable follow-up period
Student academic records: as required by IAJS policy and applicable law

When records are no longer needed, we destroy or de-identify them in a secure way.

How we protect information

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards, including restricted staff access, secure connections where donations or forms are submitted, and vendor due diligence. No online system is perfectly secure. Please use a private device when submitting donation or personal details.

Your choices and rights

Subject to applicable law, you may:

ask what personal information we hold about you
ask us to correct inaccurate information
withdraw consent for marketing emails or other optional uses
ask us to delete information where we are not required to keep it
complain to us first, and if unresolved, to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (and, for U.S. matters involving FIATS, the appropriate state or federal authority)

To make a request, email office@kollel.com with enough detail for us to identify you. We may need to verify your identity before responding.

Third-party links

Our sites may link to other organizations, payment pages, video platforms, or social media. Their privacy practices are their own. Review those policies before you share information there.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top will change. Continued use of the site or remaining on an email list after an update means you accept the revised policy, to the extent permitted by law.

Contact

Privacy inquiries
Kollel Toronto / Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies
515 Coldstream Avenue, Toronto, ON M6B 2K7
Tel: 416-789-1853
Email: office@kollel.com

Please also use this contact if your request concerns a FIATS mailing or donation record and we will route it to the right office.