Annual Report 2017 - 2018
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ANNUAL REPORT 2017 - 2018 FrF oom EdE Educaduduucacatcaatatioaatittiotionionn tto AcAActctiocttioonn Celebrating 80 Years While Focusing on the Future During 2017-2018, BJE celebrated the milestone of eighty years of Jewish educational leadership in Los Angeles. It marked this occasion not by looking backward but, as it has throughout the years, focusing on the future. Among the year’s initiatives were “Leading Together,” a leadership development program for board and professional heads of day schools; Project EnAble, aimed at enabling students with diverse learning needs to thrive in day school settings; the launch of a third cohort of First 36 Fellows, bringing deeper understanding of neuroscience to bear on meeting the developmental needs of young children; and the start of Reshet L.A., a project helping congregations re-imagine and introduce new models of part-time Jewish education. At the same Gil Graff time, such ongoing programs as BJE March of the Living, JKidLA/Concierge—connecting parents with Jewish educational experiences appropriate for their children—and BJE Impact, BJE’s service learning initiative, touched the lives of thousands of students and families. Nothing as significant as Jewish educational leadership for the Jewish communities of osL Angeles can be provided exclusively by a lone entity. BJE benefits from partnerships with schools, a number of foundations including the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles, the Jewish Federation and a wide variety of allied institutions. Jewish education is not about institutions; it is about individuals and families. The support of Jewish education, likewise, is not only institutional; it owes much to the individuals and families who share in this project. Thank you for your partnership and support, enabling BJE to engage successive generations in Mark S. Berns meaningful Jewish learning experiences. With best wishes in 2018-2019 (5779), Gil Graff, Executive Director Mark S. Berns, President BJE 2017-2018 Board of Directors Table of Contents Herb Abrams* Dr. Simona Heumann Linda Resnick 3 ...................................Increasing Access Michael Adler Eileen Horowitz Nurit Robin Kathi Barnhard Phalen G. Hurewitz* Marc Rohatiner* 3-4 ........................... Enhancing Quality Susan Baum Miriam T. Istrin Craig Rutenberg Mark S. Berns Dr. Ernest R. Katz Jay Sanders 5-6 ............ Encouraging Participation Mayer Brenner Mark Lainer* Nancy R. Schulman 7 ...........................................Looking Back Max Candiotty* Lisa Lainer-Fagan Liz Rosman Schwartz Rhea Coskey* Jill Lasker Steve Shapiro 8-10 ............................Looking Forward Cheryl Davidson Jill Lefferman Bonnie Smigel-Derin Keren Dunn Amy Leibowitz Bennett L. Spiegel 11-14 .................Honor Roll of Donors Dr. Bruce Ellman Dr. Elaine Lindheim* Marci Barnhard Spitzer 15 .......................Financials at a Glance Janet Farber* Linda Goldenberg Mayman* Dr. Alan M. Spiwak* Faith Gershbock Adrian Miller Sheila Baran Spiwak 16 ..........................................BJE Off icers Todd Gindy Sheilah Miller Jay Stein Herbert Glaser* Donna S. Nadel* Tammy Temkin Ilana Goldschein Dorit Naftalin Nelson Ben Tysch BJE 2017-2018 Staff Dr. Rachael Gordon David Nimmer Sam Yebri Elizabeth Abramowitz Phil Liff-Grieff Marjorie Gross Mel Plutsky Parham Zar Lauren Adelson Monise Neumann *BJE past Chairs and Presidents Arlene Agress Alisha Pedowitz Maya Aharon Marie Perez BJE 2017-2018 Advisory Board Chen Bain Deborah Reissman Angie Bass Wesley Lester Susan Jacoby Stern Candace Brand Blythe Roque George Caplan Louis G. Miller Rabbi Avrohom Stulberger Ben Golden Leslie Silverstein Bonnie Duboff Jo Mintz-Seligman Shari Weiner Gil Graff Janice Tytell Dr. Mark Goldenberg Karmi Monsher Tami Weiser Miriam Prum Hess Liat Vorobiev Betty R. Hamburger Carole Oken Mel Wynn Rachel Kaplan Millie Wexler Ellen L. Jacobs Sandra Radoff-Bernstein Barbara Yaroslavsky David Lewis Betty Winn Stacy Reznikoff Kent Norman Saiger 2 INCREASING ACCESS Addressing the Needs of Diverse Learners As part of a multi-pronged effort to a grant from the Jewish Community in undertaking a comprehensive needs broaden and deepen attention to Foundation, provides day school assessments to strengthen their diverse learning needs, BJE organized students educational support services, approaches in meeting the diverse several opportunities for day schools: at reduced costs to parents, enabling learning needs of students. BJE’s Project EnAble, funded through students to succeed in the day school More than 50 educators from 10 setting. During the 2017-18 academic schools also participated in a day-long year, Project EnAble partnered with professional development program four day schools: Cheder Menachem, featuring Jonathan Mooney, a leader Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy, in advocating inclusive education to Kadima Day School, and Pressman meet the needs of those who learn Academy, to serve students with differently. The day focused on diverse learning needs. Building a Community of Inclusion Three schools, Adat Ari El, Emek within our day schools. Hebrew Academy, and Pressman BJE looks forward to expanding Academy are also participating in its work to assist diverse learners by B’yadeinu, an 18-month program increasing the numbers of schools and sponsored through BJE with Boston’s students who will benefit from Project Gateways. The program assists schools EnAble in 2018-19. ENHANCING QUALITY Board Development Cohort: Leading Together On March 13, over 40 lay leaders and fundraising and was conducted by heads of schools, representing 10 Rae Ringel, a faculty member at the L.A. Jewish day schools, gathered for Georgetown University Institute for the second session of BJE’s Leading Transformational Leadership. Together: Board Development Cohort. The program kicked off in November This 18-month BJE program, funded 2017 with a presentation by Pat Bassett, through a grant from the Diane P. former Executive Director of the Lay and professional leaders from Pressman Academy and De Toledo High School and Guilford Glazer Fund, focuses National Association of Independent specifically on the Head of School/ Schools. Pat spoke about decision Nanette Fridman speaking on Board Board Chair partnership and how that making, diff icult conversations and crisis Leadership 101 and Creating School strong relationship can serve the school’s collaboration. A third session in October Ambassadors. Participating schools mission and community. 2018, will be open to the entire board of also have access to coaching and Board The second session focused on each participating school and feature Source’s Board Self-Assessment. The BJE leadership cohort helped prepare me as The workshops gave us a lot of help with our the incoming VP of Education at Pressman Academy. strategic vision. By attending these“ workshops This robust program“ provided expert coaching on together [school administrators and lay leaders], “how to build a strong board with both the how and “it’s a shared experience, in which we’re able to the why behind each initiative. The guest speakers grow together— it gives us a common language conveyed leadership as a process and provided a we can use to move forward. framework. –Larry Kligman, Head of School, –Jennifer Elad Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School 3 Building Resilience in Children through BJE Professional Development The 2018 BJE Bebe Feuerstein Neurogenetics, Institute Simon Early Childhood Institute for the Developing Mind, built upon BJE’s learning and Children’s Hospital partnership with the Simms/Mann Los Angeles, as the Institute’s The First 36 Project to keynote speaker and focus on “The Whole Child” with the facilitator at BJE’s 37th aim of nurturing a new generation Annual Early Childhood of more resilient children. BJE was Institute. Nearly 300 fortunate to have Dr. Pat Levitt, early childhood Dr. Pat Levitt Simms/Mann Chair in Development educators from across Los Angeles gathered for The First 36 Project the day of professional inducted its third cohort of thirteen development, and an awards early childhood educators from nine ceremony for distinguished BJE-aff iliated schools, bringing the early childhood educators. total number of trained educators to 36 Dr. Levitt’s keynote, and participating schools to 18. “Seeing the Whole Child”, The First 36 Project curriculum uses focused on the development cutting-edge neuroscience research to of an early childhood provide a select group of parent-and-me curriculum. His research instructors with an exclusive professional 3rd Cohort of The First 36 Project points to a child’s physical development experience designed Top Row (left to right) Chana Blugrind - Yaldei Yisroel, and brain development to strengthen their ability to support Juliette Portnoy - Valley Beth Shalom, early in life as being one of parents as they build strong, meaningful Chana Herzog - Gan Israel, Tarzana, the key indicators of future bonds with their children. Fellows engage Elana Banafsheha & Genene Turndorf - Wise School, educational outcomes. in cohort-based learning experiences, Kira Rappaport - Pressman Academy, Participants also attended and receive one-on-one coaching and Andrea Segall & Edita Leifer - Temple Aliyah, workshops which explored consultation, including class visits, Paula Hoffman - Ilan Ramon. this relationship, including observation and feedback. In addition, Bottom Row (left to right) “Children and Media: How it Rachel Tuch - Alice and Nahum Lainer School, fellows have access to lectures and a Ailee Dembo -