DOCSLIB.ORG

A Jewish Day School Surfing the Edge: an Autoethnographic Study

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Jewish Day School Surfing the Edge: an Autoethnographic Study 1 A JEWISH DAY SCHOOL SURFING THE EDGE: AN AUTOETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY A Doctoral Thesis presented by Sharon Pollin to The School of Education In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education In the field of Education College of Professional Studies Northeastern University Boston, Massachusetts February 2017 2 Abstract A thriving Jewish day school is a vital cornerstone of a flourishing Jewish community. Particularly in communities with small Jewish populations, Jewish day schools are able to play roles that extend beyond the lives of their own student body, and they often serve as a hub for community connection and engagement. In July 2013, with a student enrollment of 27, a nationally recognized day school feasibility expert recommended that the Community Day School of New Orleans close its doors. The research problem I intend to study is my experience as leader of the K–5 (renamed) Jewish Community Day School of Greater New Orleans, as it endeavors to achieve viability and strength. Although many recent studies focus on the sustainability of Jewish day schools, there is a gap in the literature about the journey of a school poised at the edge of the wave between viability and impossibility. This autoethnographic account of my experience will contribute to the growing body of scholarly literature on Jewish day school sustainability. Complexity leadership theory serves as the theoretical framework for this research project. Keywords: Complexity leadership theory, autoethnography, Jewish day school sustainability, New Orleans 3 Acknowledgments I would like to thank Rabbi Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed for the persistence of her support and guidance as my professor at Hebrew College and as my doctoral advisor at Northeastern University. Her encouragement made it possible for me to continue this work despite the many disruptions in my life, and I am deeply grateful. I would also like to thank my second reader, Dr. Billye Sankofa, for taking the time to deeply peruse my work and suggesting that I read the book, Sweetwater: Black Women and Narratives of Resistance, by Robin M. Boylorn. Dr. Boylorn’s intimate ethnographic writing helped open the window for personal vulnerability in my own. I wish to express my appreciation to Rabbi Dr. Shira Leibowitz for taking the time to serve as my third reader, and Gail Naron Chalew for her generous offer to edit this work; her attention to detail has served to enhance this thesis, and any remaining errors are entirely my own. I thank as well the members of my Hebrew College cohort for their support and for teaching me, a digital immigrant, how to tweet. Finally, I wish to acknowledge and thank the warm, gracious, and tenacious members of the extraordinary Jewish community of Greater New Orleans for sharing their stories with me and for working together with me in support of the treasure that is Jewish Community Day School. Dedication 4 To my father, whose life exemplifies generosity, wisdom, and grit. To my children, who daily inspire me to be my best self, and without whom my life would be incomplete. Finally, to the many and diverse members of my beautiful family, each a complex adaptive system in his or her own right. 5 Table of Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………… 2 Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………………………………3 Dedication………………………………………………………………………………………… 3 Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………………………. 5 Chapter One: Introduction ………………………………………………………………………...8 Statement of the Problem…….……………………………………………………………………8 Research Problem……………………………………………………………………………… 8 Justification of the Research Problem…………………………………………………………..9 Deficiencies in the Evidence…………………………………………………………………..11 Relating the Discussion to Audiences…………………………………………………………11 Significance of the Research Problem………………………………………………………... 12 Positionality…………………………………………………………………………………... 13 Research Central Question…………………………………………………………………….15 Theoretical Framework: Complexity Leadership Theory……………………………………..16 Chapter Two: Literature Review………………………………………………………………... 16 Overview of Proposed Study…………………………………………………………………. 16 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………… 17 Jewish Day Schools in the United States……………………………………………………... 19 Jewish Community Day School of Greater New Orleans……………………………………. 20 Complexity Leadership Theory………………………………………………………………. 27 6 Examining the Evidence……………………………………………………………………… 29 Complexity Leadership Theory and Schools…………………………………………………. 32 Complexity Leadership: Theory into Practice………………………………………………... 33 Limitations……………………………………………………………………………………. 34 Conclusions…………………………………………………………………………………… 36 Chapter Three: Research Design………………………………………………………………... 36 Methodology………………………………………………………………………………….. 36 Reflections on Autoethnography as Research Methodology…………………………………. 38 Data Collection……………………………………………………………………………….. 40 Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………. 41 Trustworthiness………………………………………………………………………………. 41 Protection of Human Subjects………………………………………………………………... 42 Chapter Four: Report of Research Findings…………………………………………………….. 43 A View from the Balcony: Jewish New Orleans……………………………………………... 43 Modern Infrastructure………………………………………………………………………… 46 Financial Snapshot 2006–2013……………………………………………………………….. 48 Agents of Change: Year One…………………………………………………………………. 58 Findings………………………………………………………………………………………. 73 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………. 78 Chapter Five: Discussion of Research Findings………………………………………………… 79 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………… 79 Research Questions…………………………………………………………………………… 80 7 Autoethnography as Methodology: Three Vignettes…………………………………………. 81 Complexity Leadership Theory Revisited……………………………………………………. 90 Vignettes: Viewed Through the Lens of Complexity………………………………………… 92 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………... 102 APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………………………. 104 Appendix A………………………………………………………………………………….. 104 Appendix B………………………………………………………………………………….. 105 Appendix C………………………………………………………………………………….. 109 Appendix D………………………………………………………………………………… 113 References……………………………………………………………………………………… 115 Figures and Tables Table 1. JCDS Enrollment, Tuition, and Contribution Income, 2001–2014…………………... 49 Figure 1. Logos of NOJCS (2005), CDS (2012), and JCDS (2014)…………………………….64 Figure 2. Selected Portraits of Community Leaders from the JCDS “We Believe” Marketing Campaign……………………………………………………………………………………..….65 Figure 3. An Ever-Expanding Frame of CAS Agents……………………………………………78 Figure 4. Jewish Community Day School as a Complex Adaptive System……………………..94 8 Chapter One: Introduction Statement of the Problem The New Orleans Jewish Day School welcomed 86 students in grades K–8 to a new school year on August 15, 2005. Two weeks later, on August 29, the flooding activated by Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the surrounding area. Families evacuated the city, and most remained where they had landed, enrolling their children in schools that were open and ready to receive them. Twenty percent of the evacuees stayed away from New Orleans for the long term. The school was not spared the devastating damage wrought by Katrina. Drenched materials, destroyed equipment, staggering amounts of muck, and blooming colonies of mold shuttered the school for twelve months of repairs. In August 2006, the New Orleans Jewish Day School reopened with an enrollment that had tumbled from its pre-Katrina high of 86 in May 2005 in nine grades to 22 students in kindergarten through grade three. Supported by national funds and the determined work of local leaders, the school slowly rebuilt, its enrollment reaching 51 students in grades kindergarten through five by August 2010. In July 2013, enrollment had dipped to 27. Two months later, a nationally recognized day school feasibility expert recommended that the school close its doors. What follows is an autoethnographic account of my experience as leader of this school. Research Problem In the summer of 2013, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans initiated a feasibility study designed to ascertain Community Day School’s potential as a sustainable community institution; its findings would guide future investment by the Jewish community in 9 its community Jewish day school. The impetus for the study was the recent change in school population and demographics. Enrollment had risen steadily for 3 years following the traumas of Hurricane Katrina, largely supported by very generous tuition subsidies made possible through post-Katrina grants from national Jewish organizations. Suddenly, within a two-year period, enrollment numbers plummeted by 48%, from an enrollment of 51 in 2011–2012 to just 27 for 2013–2014: The majority of Jewish families who had been committed to the school had withdrawn. Against the wishes and advice of Jewish community stakeholders and RAVSAK: The Jewish Community Day School Network, the name of the school was changed to Community Day School, the word “Jewish” eliminated from its title. Voucher and non-Jewish students were courted and enrolled. By the time I arrived as the new Head of School in July 2013, non-Jewish students outnumbered Jewish students, 55% compared to 45%. Two months later came the holiest day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur, the day our liturgy asks, “Who will live, and who will die?” It was at this existentially fragile moment that the school’s sustainability committee was advised by its consultant to spend the current academic year winding down, in preparation for shutting its doors. She believed that the problems
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Calendar No. 238
    Calendar No. 238 110TH CONGRESS " ! REPORT 1st Session SENATE 110–107 DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATION BILL, 2008 R E P O R T OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS U.S. SENATE ON S. 1710 JUNE 27, 2007.—Ordered to be printed Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriation Bill, 2008 (S. 1710) Calendar No. 238 110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! 1st Session SENATE 110–107 DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERV- ICES, AND EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPRO- PRIATION BILL, 2008 JUNE 27, 2007.—Ordered to be printed Mr. HARKIN, from the Committee on Appropriations, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. 1710] The Committee on Appropriations reports the bill (S. 1710) mak- ing appropriations for Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes, reports favor- ably thereon and recommends that the bill do pass. Amount of budget authority Total of bill as reported to the Senate ............. $605,536,474,000 Amount of 2007 appropriations ........................ 545,857,321,000 Amount of 2008 budget estimate ...................... 596,378,249,000 Bill as recommended to Senate compared to— 2007 appropriations .................................... ∂59,679,153,000 2008 budget estimate ................................. ∂9,158,225,000 36–285 PDF CONTENTS Page Summary of Budget Estimates and Committee Recommendations ...................
    [Show full text]
  • ?Mg HI JAV 13 Compensation of Officers, Directors, Trustees, Etc 14 Other Employee Salaries and Wages
    Return of Private Foundation OMB No 1545-0052 Form 990 -PF or Section 4947(a)(1) Trust Treated as Private Foundation Do not enter social security numbers on this form as it may be made public. Department of the Treasury ► X015 Internal Revenue Service ► Information about Form 990-PF and its separate instructions is at www.irs.gov/form990pf. • ' ?I ITPT-M trM For calendar year 2015 or tax year beginning , 2015, and ending , 20 Name of foundation A Employer identification number Monsanto Fund 43-6044736 Number and street (or P 0 box number if mail is not delivered to street address) Room/suite B Telephone number (see instructions) 800 North Lindbergh Blvd. 314-694-4391 City or town, state or province, country, and ZIP or foreign postal code q C If exemption application is ► pending , check here. St. Louis, MO 63167 G Check all that apply Initial return Initial return of a former public charity D 1 Foreign organizations , check here . ► El Final return Amended return 2 Foreign organizations meeting the Address change Name change 85% test , check here and attach computation , , . ► H Check type of organization X Section 501(c)(3) exempt private foundation E It private foundation status was terminated Section 4947 ( a )( 1 ) nonexem pt charitable trust Other taxable p rivate foundation 0 under section 507(b )(1)(A), check here . ► I Fair market value of all assets at J Accounting method X Cash Accrual F If the foundation is in a 60-month termination q end of year (from Part Il, col (c), line Other (specify) under section 507(b )( 1)(B), check here .
    [Show full text]
  • A Medley of Cultures: Louisiana History at the Cabildo
    A Medley of Cultures: Louisiana History at the Cabildo Chapter 1 Introduction This book is the result of research conducted for an exhibition on Louisiana history prepared by the Louisiana State Museum and presented within the walls of the historic Spanish Cabildo, constructed in the 1790s. All the words written for the exhibition script would not fit on those walls, however, so these pages augment that text. The exhibition presents a chronological and thematic view of Louisiana history from early contact between American Indians and Europeans through the era of Reconstruction. One of the main themes is the long history of ethnic and racial diversity that shaped Louisiana. Thus, the exhibition—and this book—are heavily social and economic, rather than political, in their subject matter. They incorporate the findings of the "new" social history to examine the everyday lives of "common folk" rather than concentrate solely upon the historical markers of "great white men." In this work I chose a topical, rather than a chronological, approach to Louisiana's history. Each chapter focuses on a particular subject such as recreation and leisure, disease and death, ethnicity and race, or education. In addition, individual chapters look at three major events in Louisiana history: the Battle of New Orleans, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. Organization by topic allows the reader to peruse the entire work or look in depth only at subjects of special interest. For readers interested in learning even more about a particular topic, a list of additional readings follows each chapter. Before we journey into the social and economic past of Louisiana, let us look briefly at the state's political history.
    [Show full text]
  • Jewish Sanctuary in the Atlantic World: a Social and Architectural
    Jewish Sanctuary in the Atlantic World The Carolina Lowcountry and the Atlantic World Sponsored by the Program in the Carolina Lowcountry and the Atlantic World of the College of Charleston Money, Trade, and Power Edited by Jack P. Greene, Rosemary Brana-Shute, and Randy J. Sparks The Impact of the Haitian Revolution in the Atlantic World Edited by David P. Geggus London Booksellers and American Customers James Raven Memory and Identity Edited by Bertrand Van Ruymbeke and Randy J. Sparks This Remote Part of the World Bradford J. Wood The Final Victims James A. McMillin The Atlantic Economy during the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries Edited by Peter A. Coclanis From New Babylon to Eden Bertrand Van Ruymbeke Saints and Their Cults in the Atlantic World Edited by Margaret Cormack Who Shall Rule at Home? Jonathan Mercantini To Make This Land Our Own Arlin C. Migliazzo Votaries of Apollo Nicholas Michael Butler Fighting for Honor T. J. Desch Obi Paths to Freedom Edited by Rosemary Brana-Shute and Randy J. Sparks Material Culture in Anglo-America Edited by David S. Shields The Fruits of Exile Edited by Richard Bodek and Simon Lewis The Irish in the Atlantic World Edited by David T. Gleeson Ambiguous Anniversary Edited by David T. Gleeson and Simon Lewis Creating and Contesting Carolina Edited by Michelle LeMaster and Bradford J. Wood Jewish Sanctuary in the Atlantic World A Social and Architectural History Barry L. Stiefel With the Assistance of David Rittenberg Foreword by Samuel D. Gruber THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA PRESS © 2014 University of South Carolina Published by the University of South Carolina Press Columbia, South Carolina 29208 www.sc.edu/uscpress 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Stiefel, Barry, author.
    [Show full text]
  • Panelist Biographies
    Violence, and particularly gun violence, has become a tragic hallmark of St. Louis summers. Traditional methods of violence reduction are not achieving the outcomes the community hoped for. New approaches, like Cure Violence, are gaining ground, but can be difficult to implement. Entrenched systems are slow to change, and funding for fresh approaches is scarce especially now. Despite this, some new initiatives are growing, and regional coordination is gaining ground. This forum brings together some of the leaders in this arena to discuss their initiatives, the difficulties of challenging established thinking on violence prevention, and opportunities to effectively address the issue and move the region forward. Panelists: Sal Martinez, Chief Executive Officer of Employment Connection Marcus McAllister, International Trainer for Cure Violence Global Serena Muhammad, Director of Strategic Initiatives at the St. Louis Mental Health Board Poli Rijos, Initiative Lead for the Gun Violence Initiative at Institute for Public Health at WUSTL Panelist Biographies Marcus McAllister, International Trainer for Cure Violence Global Marcus McAllister joined CeaseFire Illinois (the program delivery partner for Cure Violence in Illinois) as a Violence Interrupter, and after serving in the position of Violence Interrupter was promoted to Outreach Worker. Shortly thereafter, Marcus was promoted to Program Manager where he managed two sites with a combined staff of 14 people. After successfully managing these sites, Marcus was asked to interview for a position as one of only three Cure Violence national trainers to help hire, train and set up replication Cure Violence sites throughout the world. Today Marcus serves in that capacity and oversees sites in NY, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Trinidad.
    [Show full text]
  • Techreport Cultural Resources
    ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES REPORT FOR THE PROPOSED PLANK-NICHOLSON PROJECT, BATON ROUGE, EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA UNDER CONTRACT TO HNTB CORPORATION BATON ROUGE, LA AND KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI FOR FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION REGION 6 OFFICE 819 TAYLOR ST., ROOM 14A02 FORT WORTH, TX 76102 AND THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE-PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE (CITY-PARISH) 222 ST. LOUIS STREET BATON ROUGE, LA 70802 MARCH 2020 ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROBABILITY STUDY FOR THE PROPOSED PLANK-NICHOLSON BRT PROJECT, BATON ROUGE, EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, LOUISIANA PREPARED BY SARA A. HAHN AND THURSTON H.G. HAHN III COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS, INC. 1260 MAIN STREET BATON ROUGE, LA DAVID B. KELLEY PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR UNDER CONTRACT TO HNTB CORPORATION BATON ROUGE, LA, AND KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI FOR FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION REGION 6 OFFICE 819 TAYLOR ST., ROOM 14A00 FORT WORTH, TX 76102 AND THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE-PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE (CITY-PARISH) 222 ST. LOUIS STREET BATON ROUGE, LA 70802 MARCH 2020 ii ABSTRACT These investigations were conducted to document the identification and evaluation of historic properties that may be affected by the proposed Plank-Nicholson BRT system, and in part, to meet the requirements of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 as amended (54 U.S.C. §306108); and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) implementing regulations 36 CFR 800. The FTA is the lead Federal agency for this project and in partnership with the City-Parish and Capital Area Transit System (CATS), will be implementing Baton Rouge’s first Bus Rapid Transit route.
    [Show full text]
  • The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews
    The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews Volume One The Nation of Islam Boston 1991 AAARGH Publishing House Internet 2006 The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews Prepared by The Historical Research Department The Nation of Islam P.O. Box 551 Boston, MA, U.S.A. 02119 1-800-48-TRUTH @ Copyright, 1991 by Latimer Associates; All rights reserved Fourth printing, March 1994 Published by The Nation of Islam Chicago, Illinois All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any in- formation storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Latimer Associ- ates. ISBN 0-9636877-0-0 Printed in the Nation of Islam Blacks and Jews have recently begun to question their relationship and its strategic role in their individual development. This report is an examination of documented historical evidence and is intended to provide an historical perspective for intellectual debate of this crucial social matter. This report was prepared by The Historical Research Department of: The Nation of Islam 1991 ALL PRAISE IS DUE TO ALLAH WHY WE REPUBLISH THIS PRECIOUS BOOK This book has been published fifteen years ago in the United States, at a time when the Black Movement was reaching a new phase in the century-old struggle for freedom. It created a huge scandal and all the resources of the Zion- ist lobby were directed against this book, to destroy it in order to keep the Afro- Americans under the traditional yoke of submissiveness to the interest of the Jewish community, a situation which had become obvious to all in the US.
    [Show full text]
  • 43-6044736 990PF 200912.Pdf
    Return of Private Foundation OMB No 1545-0052 F... 990-PF or Section 4947(a)(1) Nonexempt Charitable Trust Department of the Treasury Treated as a Private Foundation Internal Revenue Semce Note: The foundation may be able to use a copy of this return to satisfy state reporting reqwrements 2009 For calendar year 2009, or tax year beginning , 2009, and ending G Check all that apply Initial return LJ Initial return of a former public charity |_' Final return Amended return m Address change Name change Name of foundation A Employer identification number Usethele Monsanto Fund 4376044736 label. ; o‘herWisev Number and street (or P 0 box number if mail is not delivered to street address) Room/smte B Telephone number (see pane '0 0' "2 minors) PM 800 N. Llndbergh Blvd. 314—694-4391 or type. See Specific instrucuons. City or town. state. and ZIP code C 392*di$?'é12€i”32f2"°?‘5 . > H St . LOU]. S , MO . 63 l 67 D 1 Foriaign organizations. check here _ ’ 2 Foreign organizations meeting the 85% test. check here and attach |:| H Check type of organization l_X_| Section 501(c 3 exempt private foundation computation . F Section 4947(a)(1) nonexempt charitable trust Other taxable private foundation E It private loundation status was tenninated Fair market value of all assets at end J Accounting method til Cash l_l Accrual under section 507(b)(1)(A), check here . > of year (from Part II, col. (c), line Other (spec'fY) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~ . _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ .
    [Show full text]
  • Driving-Miss-Daisy-G
    The Jefferson Performing Arts Society Presents A Study Companion 1118 Clearview Pkwy, Metairie, LA 70001 Ph 504.885.2000 Fx 504.885.3437 [email protected] www.jpas.org 1 | P a g e TABLE OF CONTENTS TEACHERS’ NOTES……………………………………………………….3 LOUISIANA CONTENT STANDARDS………………………………….5 BACKGROUND…………………………………………………………….6 The New Georgia Encyclopedia Driving Miss Daisy ……………………………………………………..7 Gefilte Fish in the Land of the Kingfish: Jewish Life in Louisiana………………………………….10 Oy! Such a home, Multicultural Identity…………………… ……………………………………………….17 The Jews of New Orleans………………………………………………………………………………….………..22 The Krews and the Jews………………………………………………………………………………….………….25 THE GOLDRING WOLDENBERG INSTITUTE OF SOUTHERN JEWISH LIFE ……………………….31 Jewish Virtual Life………………………………………………………………………………….………….……….38 The Code Noir………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………….41 19th-century American Women, Voodoo & Tignon Laws in Louisiana………………..54 Arts Integration Background………………………………………………………………………………………62 DRIVING MISS DAISY Monologues……………………………………………………………………………..65 LESSONS…………………………………………………………………………67 Exploring Monologues, Karel Sloane-Boekbinder…………...………68 Power, Privilege and Responsibility…………………………………..72 Developing Monologues, Karel Sloane-Boekbinder…………………91 RESOURCE LIST…………………………………………………………………….60 2 | P a g e TEACHERS’ NOTES The Jefferson Performing Arts Society is delighted to present DRIVING MISS DAISY, by Alfred Uhry; STARRING JANET SHEA, DONAL LEWIS and CHRIS SHAW. Winner of the 1988 Pulitzer Prize and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off- Broadway Play and later, an Academy Award-winning film, DRIVING MISS DAISY is a warm-hearted, humorous and affecting study of the unlikely relationship between an aging, crotchety white Southern lady: and a proud, soft-spoken black man. The place is the Deep South, the time 1948 - just prior to the civil rights movement. Having recently demolished another car, Daisy Werthan, a rich, sharp-tongued Jewish widow of seventy-two, is informed by her son, Boolie, that henceforth she must rely on the services of a chauffeur.
    [Show full text]