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Too Jewish? Not Jewish Enough? The RAVSAK Magazine HaYidion שבועות תשס “ ז • Shavuot 2007 Too Jewish? Not Jewish Enough? In This Issue: It’s All in the Packaging – Can a Jewish Community Day School Really be Too Jewish? • by Leon Covitz, page 4 Balancing “Too Jewish” with “Not Jewish Enough” • by Dr. Barbara Davis, page 6 What if Our Schools Are Too Jewish? • by Dr. Marc N. Kramer, page 8 The Language of the Hebrewman • by Naomi Stillman, page 10 My Vision of a Secular Jewish Day School • by Michael H. Steinhardt, page 12 Liberal Jews Want Jewishness, Too • by Nancy Bossov, page 14 Board Leadership and the Shaping of School Culture • by Rabbi Jay Moses, page 16 School Culture Audit: A Tool for School Improvement • by Dr. Susan Shevitz, page 17 A Word from the Editor, Page 3 • President’s Message, Page 3 • School Culture Surveys, Pages 18-21 Mazel tov to the second cohort of Project SuLaM. We are honored by your participation and look forward to learning with you and from you over the course of the next year (as of May 2007) Steven Adleberg, Senior Administrator Idit Moss, Student Program Coordinator AtA school, Gesher Jewish Day School, Fairfax, VA Yavneh Day School where Nora Anderson, Head of School Patricia Schwartz, Principal we are Westchester/Fairfi eld Hebrew Academy, Greenwich, CT Portland Jewish Academy watchinwatching the Cindy Benedek, Early Childhood Director Marilyn Sherman, Principal clock and putting JDS of Metropolitan Seattle, Bellevue, WA David Posnack Hebrew Day School, Plantation, FL out fi res, there is Susan Cohen, Middle School Director Dr. Deborah Starr, Head of School no time for deep Hebrew Day School of Central FL, Maitland, FL Heritage Academy, Longmeadow, MA professional and Amir Eden, Chair, Hebrew Department Claire Steingo, Primary School Director personal growth. It Donna Klein Jewish Academy, Boca Raton, FL David Posnack Hebrew Day School, Plantation, FL is so refreshing to Gayle Green, Middle School Director Wendy Waxman, General Studies/Primary Director be the student again David Posnack Hebrew Day School, Plantation, FL Hillel Academy of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON - to learn, share, Howard Haas, Head of School (new appointment) Miriam Weissberger, Head of School refl ect, laugh Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, Overland Park, KS Hebrew School of Monterrey Mexico, Monterrey and plan.” Dr. Janice Johnson, Head of School Jess Schwartz Jewish Community H.S., Phoenix, AZ Larry Kligman Mazel tov to the “SuLaMites” from the fi rst cohort of Project SuLaM. Although your program has Abraham Joshua offi cially ended, we hope that it is just the beginning of your path to Judaic enrichment. Heschel Day School Middle School Director Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School, Northridge, CA Lerner Jewish Community Day School, Durham, NC Betty Winn, Head of School Dr. Alice Maniloff, Head of School Larry Kligman, Middle School Director Ofra Sheetrit, Director of Judaic Studies Bonnie Smigel-Derin, Board President Ben Soloway, Educator, Hebrew/Judaic Studies Julie Harris, Member, Board of Directors Donna Klein Jewish Academy, Boca Raton, FL Karen Feller, Head of School Milwaukee Jewish Day School, Milwaukee, WI Carol Kolsky, Middle School Director Judy Miller, Head of School Lesley Zafran, Vice President, Board of Directors Diane Wolfson, Middle School Principal Moshe Katz, Educator/Lay Leader Greenfi eld Day School, Miami, FL Sue Einhorn, Middle School Director Shalom School, Sacramento, CA Dr. Lee Binder, Head of School Dr. Joan Gusinow, Director Shelli Lavender, Vice Principal, K-6 Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle, Miri Levine, Judaic Studies Coordinator Bellevue, WA Lisa Breslau, Board President Tom Elieff, Head of School Laurie Minsk, Board President Vancouver Talmud Torah, Vancouver, BC Myra Michaelson, Judaic Studies King David School, Scottsdale, AZ Coordinator Mitch Flatow, Head of School Cathy Lowenstein, Co-Principal Sherry Saper, Middle School Coordinator Jennifer Shecter, Community Relations/ Amy Laff, Board President Development Participants listed in bold with their team members listed underneath. הידיעון • HaYidion [2] A Word from the Editor Once again, RAVSAK places in your our schools “feel” to their constituent in the papers presented hands an issue that will have both imme- communities. Michael Steinhardt’s ar- in HaYidion this quarter. diate and long-term value. Day school ticle is sure to provoke thought and re- We hope you will enjoy culture is the subject of this Shavuot is- sponse. The “triage” survey will prove them and benefi t from sue of HaYidion. All of us struggle with intriguing and stimulating. The articles them not only now but in the issues of school culture – of being on creating links, using Hebrew and re- the future. “too Jewish” or “not Jewish enough.” thinking and repackaging our product As one head of school humorously will be of use both to heads of schools Dr. Barbara Davis commented at our January conference, and to boards. Shavuot is a holiday that Dr. Barbara Davis “I have people on the left mad at me has evolved from an agricultural fes- is the Secretary of RAVSAK, Editor and I have people on the right mad at tival to that that celebrates study and of HaYidion and Head of School at me. I fi gure I must be doing something commitment to the tenets of Judaism. the Syracuse Hebrew Day School in correctly.” Levity aside, the articles in Its pivotal fi gure, Ruth, is a convert. The Dewitt, NY. Barbara can be reached at this issue deal with the theme of how many facets of this holiday are refl ected [email protected]. From the Desk of Susan Weintrob, RAVSAK President Living for over two decades in Okla- RAVSAK helps all of us answer these (high school); Rory Paul homa and Indiana, I was asked many questions with a “yes” by supporting (Canada); Rachel Keller times, “Why are you so Jewish?” In those of us who are professionals in (Judaic Studies) and Dr. those days, I was less observant, less Jewish education, and by reaching out Bob Berk, VP of educated and not a Jewish profession- to our trustees and schools. Working Finance. al. Yet the question persisted. with RAVSAK’s Executive Board has Susan Weintrob been a time of development for both my Our new executive board has expanded Few ask why individuals are so rich, so school and me. It has been a privilege in important areas to support more educated or so lucky. Yet, the question to work with members of our outgoing schools in more ways. Our new high about Judaism may not be a bad one to Executive Committee: Bathea James, school division will help teachers and answer. When we ask ourselves why we president; Jack Sparks, treasurer; administrators network and collabo- commit ourselves to Judaism, in what- Lynn Raviv, past president. I look for- rate in programs. Our Judaic Studies ever form we do, we should include in ward to collaborating with our continu- Executive member will work with He- that question what we do with our Jew- ing and new executive board members, brew, Jewish texts and the diverse top- ishness, just as we ask ourselves what as RAVSAK continues its growth from ics covered under this discipline. Our we do with our wealth, our education a grass roots organization to an inter- Canadian division will help our impor- and our opportunities. Do we welcome nationally respected network of Jewish tant Canadian schools work together and support others? Do we model professionals and supporters: our con- and connect with the schools from the moral behavior? Do we celebrate our tinuing exec. members, Bathea James, US. Jewishness? Are we part of the Jewish Dr. Ray Levi, Dr. Barbara Davis, and community? our new members - Dr. Rennie Wrubel [Continued on page 5] HaYidion: The RAVSAK Magazine Editor: Dr. Barbara Davis For advertising information, please is a publication of RAVSAK: The Jew- Production: Robin Feldman contact Marla Rottenstreich at marlar@ ish Community Day School Network. It Design and Layout: Adam Shaw-Vardi ravsak.org or by phone at 646-496-7162. is published quarterly for distribution to RAVSAK member schools, associate Contributors: Nancy Bossov, Leon RAVSAK members, and other Jewish and gen- Covitz, Dr. Barbara Davis, Ezra 120 West 97th Street eral education organizations. No arti- Kopelowitz, Dr. Marc N. Kramer, New York, NY 10025 cles may be reproduced or distributed Rabbi Jay Moses, Dr. Susan Shevitz, p: 212-665-1320 without express written permission of Michael H. Steinhardt, Naomi Stillman, f: 212-665-1321 RAVSAK. All rights reserved. Christopher R. Wagner e: [email protected] • w: www.ravsak.org [3] הידיעון • HaYidion It’s All in the Packaging – Can a Jewish Community Day School Really be Too Jewish? During the Passover they may learn a smorgasbord of Jew- environment in my Jewish commu- break, which I was ish topics and experience a few Jewish nity day school? First of all, cultural Leon Covitz spending with my fam- festive occasions. Therefore, this begs change does not happen overnight. It ily in London, I received an email from the following questions: What really is takes time and patience and is ongoing. the RAVSAK head offi ce requesting me a Jewish community daysSchool, and The following are a few of the cultural to create an article on how my school to what extent should Judaism perme- changes have been introduced into has created its culture and how I grap- ate the different facets and disciplines our daily school life over the last few ple with the issue of how to make all of school life? years: involved with the school comfortable 1. When the students and teachers in the level of culture that has been cre- My school, proudly, claims to be a Jew- enter the school in the morning, ated.
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