Welcome to the group and I am excited to be participating with you at ISI. This is an amazing opportunity to learn together, envision how we can blend LRP with leadership, and plan for the introduction of new ideas across the field.
Thank you Avi Chai!
Please take a moment to introduce yourself to the group by commenting below.
I am Jonathan Cannon. I am married to Gilly, a writer and blogger, and we have three children. Benjy-19, a sophmore at UMD Honors (currently at the DNC!), Aron-17 a high school senior and volunteer firefighter and Jacob-11 in 6th grade and an avid rock climber. I am the Head of School of the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, MD, and am particularly interested in Leadership Development, 21st Century Education and Meeting diverse learning needs in the framework of a vibrant Jewish environment.
ReplyDeleteAfternoon! I'm Jon Mitzmacher. Married to Jaimee, a public school special needs educator. We have two children - Eliana, in Second Grade, and Maytal in Pre-Kindergarten. I am the Head of the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School in Jacksonville, FL, and to be repetitive, am keenly interested in 21st century learning as well as inclusive special needs. I am looking forward to sharing his experience with y'all!
ReplyDeleteBruchim Habaim! As a new program officer at AVI CHAI I am delighted that you have agreed to particpate in the ISI and help us think about LRP leadership in JDS. I served as head of two Philadelphia area day schools for 19 years and did a 12 year stint at JTS as Director of the Melton Research Center for Jewish Edcuation and later as Dean of the Wm. Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education. To get right to the point of all this, I include here AVI CHAI's Aspirations for LRP lead JDS. You were invited because we beieve you hold these aspirations as wel,l and we hope you can help us spread this approach far and wide in the field of JDS in North America. I am grateful to
ReplyDeleteJonathan for agreeing to facilitate this experiment and look forward to getting to know all of you a bit better through your work together.
AVI CHAI is a private foundation that believes a vibrant Jewish future depends on a commitment to Jewish living, learning and Jewish peoplehood. Our grant-making is guided by our research-based belief that the best hope for attaining this vision of the future is through a focused investment in educational experiences for Jewish youth which are Jewishly meaningful and full of joy.
Our aspiration is that Jewish youth, as the next generation:
• are knowledgeable about ancient and modern Jewish history
• are conversant in modern Hebrew.
• appreciate the significance of the State of Israel and her centrality for Jews everywhere.
• feel part of a distinctive People who share a common heritage, history, culture, religion, language and homeland.
• feel a unique bond to and responsibility for Jews around the world
• continue a tradition of independent study of biblical and rabbinic texts, ideally in Hebrew.
• appreciate the sacredness of those texts and the texts’ role in the Jewish People’s timeless grappling with theological, spiritual, existential and practical questions.
• are guided by Jewish values and mitzvot that are integrated into all aspects of their lives.
• become adults committed to lifelong Jewish intellectual and spiritual growth.
• take responsibility for transmitting their Jewish heritage to future generations
• engage in and/or lead the Jewish community
• bring a Jewish voice and Jewish values into the discourse of humankind.
Shana tova and Hatzlacha! Steve
I am thrilled to be joining you all. This is Zippy Schorr, reporting from Baltimore. I am the Head of School (though my official title is Director of Education-go figure)at Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community Day School, which is a pre-school-12th grade school, with a robust Adult Education Program as well as a Hebrew School (not so robust).I have been in the education field forever, and all of my siblings are either teachers or principals in Jewish Day Schools.
ReplyDeleteI , too, am a firefighter and I climb rocks--but only metaphorically. I think the same could be said of all of us in Jewish education.
I too am interested in Leadership Development and have the same aspirations for Jewish youth as Steve articulated. We all know that these are ambitious goals--but that hasn't stopped any of us before.
I look forward to working with all of you towards those goals.
Hi, all! I'm starting my 6th year as the Head of School at the Margolin Hebrew Academy in Memphis, TN. We have a co-ed early childhood program and elementary school as well separate boys and girls high schools - all small and all on one campus. Our high schools both have dormitory programs which focus on kids from smaller Jewish communities that either have no Jewish high school at all or do not have a Modern Orthodox high school option.
ReplyDeleteEducationally speaking, we're in year two of a school-wide curricular overhaul in which we're challenging ourselves to consider what it is our students are going to need in order to succeed - academically, professionally, emotionally, and spiritually - in the world they are headed for, rather than the world we came from. It's been quite a ride.
Looking forward to learning with you and from you!
Oops...forgot the personal part... Married to Melissa who heads Professional Development and Student Support through all of our divisions while also teaching Tanach and AP Psych in our high schools, AND caring for our four kids ages 12, 9, 6 and 2... She makes being a Head of School look easy...
ReplyDeleteHi there! I am Nora Anderson, married to Jordan Anderson, Communications and Marketing Consultant. We have five boys (men!) aged 30-19. Our 19 year old just went on aliya and joined 350 lone soldiers in a program called Garin Tzabar (yes, I am a proud mom!) the other four are grown and live "almost" adult lives! I am the head of school at Carmel Academy (www.CarmelAcademy.com) in Greenwich, CT. and I am truly excited to join this group.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone. My name is Jay Goldmintz and I am an administrator at Ramaz Upper School in New York City. My primary responsibilities these days revolve around overseeing Jewish Studies. During the past few years, I have taken particular interest int he subjects of spirituality in human development and the transmission of religious values by parents. I even went back to school for a while -- just to see what it was like to be a student again. The upcoming program is thus an exciting confluence of many interests: religious purposefulness, collegial sharing, and being a student yet some more.
ReplyDeleteI have been married to my wife Linda for 32 years (and to Ramaz for 31 years.) We have four children, the youngest of whom just got engaged last week so that we are soon to experience an empty nest.
Looking forward to meeting you all!
Hi Everyone,
ReplyDeleteHappy to report that we had a good opening day today, at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County, and that is why I am only now arriving at my desk..This is my fifth year as a Head of School ,with almost 400 pre k- 8th grade students. As the world is changing ever faster,I am looking to lead our school community meaningfully, and to provide students with a Jewish compass and the tools to prepare them for the future.There is much to learn, and I am excited to join this group.
I am married to Yigal Gafni, a software engineer. We have two daughters, who are in their twenties. Looking forward to meeting you all, and wishing you a productive, positive and peaceful year.