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Winter 2002/2003 Published by JESNA, Jewish Education Service of North America, Inc. • Winter 2002/2003 JESNA: Non-Stop Action at the GA Continental Council: Improving Day School Education Joe Kanfer Completes Term As Chair — Maintains Close “Alignment” with he Continental Council for Jewish Day School Education, JESNA Board which was formed to strengthen national cooperative T efforts to improve day school education, sponsored a oe Kanfer has expertly guided JESNA with rare intelli- gence and superb management skills over the past three standing room only workshop at the 2002 General Assembly years. His quest for consistent excellence at JESNA and (GA), entitled “It’s Not the Same Old Day School Story: New J in Jewish education as a whole has inspired JESNA’s most Opportunities, New The Continental Council, ambitious Achievements.” The pro- endeavor ever: gram focused on three of convened by JESNA and the drafting and the Council’s five key con- UJC, includes implementation tent areas — marketing and of the agency’s representatives from a new Strategic advocacy, affordability, and wide array of key Plan, “Building community relations. stakeholders interested in Jewish Education for the 21st A highlight of the work- assuring the vitality of shop was a videotape Century.” appearance by Alan day school education. As president and Dershowitz, Harvard CEO of GOJO University Professor of Law, who spoke about the importance of Industries, Joe his day school has brought suc- education and cessful business how it shaped Joe Kanfer and Jon Woocher. models to his personal JESNA. He helped JESNA adopt the “alignment model,” which transformed and profes- the way the agency does its business. Through the use of this sional life. model, JESNA has been able to ensure that its strategies, He was such structures and processes serve to fulfill its purpose and vision. a hit that people are With the Strategic Plan now completed, Joe has turned his still sending attention to one of the key requisites for its successful imple- in requests mentation: the need to raise substantial new resources to sup- port JESNA’s new initiatives. He has accepted the position of for a copy Chair of the Financial Resource Development Cabinet and will of his Jaymee Alpert, a rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary remain an active, committed shaper of JESNA’s and Jewish videotape! (left), and Yehuda Kurtzer, a Wexner Fellow at Harvard University (right), education’s future. spoke about the significance of day school education in their lives. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 CHAIR’S COLUMN number of us who are con- age the wide array of part- committed staff, with Jon vinced that the future of our nerships and collabora- Woocher’s intelligence, ability, people depends on the quality tions between agencies and guidance at the helm. and scope of Jewish educa- with shared interests or Our Board has helped to tion we offer every Jew. complementary strengths. develop the vision delineated If we are indeed dedicated to 3. Our quest for excellence in in the Strategic Plan and has the collective vision of giving Jewish education will committed their time, their our youth a foundation on require a financial invest- collective wisdom and their Helene Berger which they will continue to ment as large as our finances to ensure that build throughout their lives, if vision. We look to every lay JESNA is the catalyst for Facing the Future Together we are seeking to make leader, not only for their transformation. Thanksgiving and Chanukah Jewish education relevant personal financial commit- Yet we know that we cannot allowed us time to step back, and alive, if we hope to touch ment, but to seek and accomplish the enormous task to be with family and come up the next generation spiritually encourage the communal before us alone. We shall for air after JESNA’s exhilarat- as well as intellectually, then and private dollars that will increasingly seek the guidance ing and multi-faceted sessions we, both lay and professional fuel the transformation. and support of the many orga- at the GA in Philadelphia. Our leaders, have a monumental As I begin my tenure as the nizations and institutions who Board and working sessions role to play. Chair of JESNA, I am cognizant are our partners and of the and the Hadesh conference, 1. We look to lay leaders of all the work that has been visionary funders who are sponsored by the Jewish throughout the country accomplished by so many to changing the face of Jewish Renaissance and Renewal who hold respected lead- bring the agency to this day. A learning and living every day. alliance, were all well attended ership positions at home, long line of remarkable lead- and well received. It is both a new beginning for to be effective advocates ers have preceded me. I par- me and for JESNA as together The universal positive com- for Jewish education in ticularly want to acknowledge we embark on carrying out ments from our many partners their communities. my deep gratitude to Joe our Strategic Plan which across North America who Kanfer who moved us to 2. We are proud of JESNA’s seeks a Jewish educational participated in our programs places we never dreamed role as a catalyst for an system of consistent excel- were a strong expression of were possible three years ago. expanding network of rela- lence. I truly believe that support for our common We are grateful for his leader- tionships that foster col- JESNA is ready to lead the agenda — seeking excellence ship, enthusiasm, financial laborative and systemic renaissance in Jewish educa- in Jewish education. In addi- commitment, and especially approaches to strengthen- tion that will bring greater tion to the concrete programs for his continuing significant ing Jewish education. We spirituality and meaning to and ideas that were high- role as the head of JESNA’s look not only to our Board our lives, thereby strengthen- lighted at these sessions, new Financial Resource members, but to all the lay ing and reshaping the Jewish there was a more intangible Development (FRD) Cabinet. leaders who serve on the community and insuring a but powerful sense of connec- We are also blessed with an boards of many of these vibrant Jewish future. tion between the growing extraordinary, dedicated and organizations, to encour- • Sunday, June 1, 2003 — JESNA Board Social Dinner, New York City Mark Your • Monday, June 2 through Tuesday morning, June 3, 2003 — JESNA Board Meetings, New York City Calendars! • Sunday, October 26 through Monday, October 27, 2003 — JESNA Board Meetings, New York City • Sunday, February 8 through Tuesday, February 10, 2004 (tentative) — Proposed Jewish Education Leadership Upcoming Summit, South Florida JESNA • Friday, February 6 through Sunday, February 8, 2004 — Proposed Pre-Summit Board Shabbaton, South Meetings Florida • Sunday, June 6 through Monday, June 7, 2004 — JESNA Board Meetings, New York City 2 Vibrant Jewish Life through Jewish Learning EXECUTIVE SUMMARY tepid parental support; and of quality Jewish education. achievements merely a har- the fact that significant num- There are day schools and binger of what is yet to bers of individuals never find congregational schools that come. their way into the educa- offer it, camps and youth The three principles for cre- tional system altogether. The groups, early childhood and ating consistently excellent problems are real, but so too adult programs, trips to Israel Jewish education are: 1) is one simple fact: We can and sites in cyberspace. So, leverage; 2) partnerships; solve them. We have reached why isn’t this everyone’s and 3) continuous improve- Dr. Jonathan Woocher a time in American Jewish Jewish educational experi- ment. life when we can have great ence? Because we haven’t Jewish education for every- yet insisted that it be so. Leverage enables us to take Why Not the Best? Getting one. We know enough (not Because we’ve tolerated advantage of what already Serious About Jewish everything, but enough), and mediocrity too often, and exists and use it to achieve Education we certainly have enough because we’ve failed to even greater results through Jewish education is vitally resources, both human and make the changes that multiplier effects. It means important for our future. financial, to create a Jewish would make excellence not a asking not only what the out- While Jews may disagree educational system whose rare exception, but a consis- comes of a specific program about many things, this is a hallmark is consistent excel- tent achievement. are, but how we can capital- proposition about which lence. And if we do this, we ize on those outcomes to there is little argument. Calls What do we need to do? A know that the payoff will be achieve something else. If for more Jewish education, lot. We need so much — enormous. Jewish education Jewish early childhood edu- better Jewish education, and new facilities, new programs, works — more and better cation programs, with their more spending on Jewish more and better personnel Jewish education means tens of thousands of partici- education emanate from — that it almost seems deeper and more enduring pants, made explicit efforts every quarter of the commu- impossible. I want to sug- Jewish commitment and to guide families into contin- nity. In fact, many good gest, though, that we look at involvement. What we need uing the early childhood things are happening in the challenge differently. are the vision and the deter- experience in Jewish day Jewish education. Day There are three principles mination to go after the goal schools, enrollment in these schools are proliferating, that if applied assiduously of consistently excellent schools would increase dra- Jewish summer camps are will enable us to create great Jewish education and the matically.

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