HaYidion 6XPPHU Ğ"ĥĦ ġĕģ Identity Tzedakah Zionism Hebrew Math Literacy Community Arts Passion History The Educated Jew HaYidion: The RAVSAK Journal this issue: is a publication of RAVSAK: The Jewish Community Day School in Network. It is published quarterly for distribution to RAVSAK member schools, associate members, and other Jewish and general education vision organizations. No articles may be reproduced or distributed without express written permission of RAVSAK. All rights reserved. Visions: Past, Present, Future Subscriptions are $36/year. t*OUFSWJFXXJUIDaniel Marom, page 6 Aspirations for Our Graduates Executive Editor: Dr. Barbara Davis Editor: Elliott Rabin, PhD tCZSusan Kardos, page 10 Design: Adam Shaw-Vardi Should Jewish Schools Aspire to Create Educated Jews? tCZJon A. Levisohn, page 12 Editorial Board Jason Ablin, Milken Community High School, Los Angeles, CA Bridging Vision, Curriculum, and Student Learning Nora Anderson, Westchester Fairfield Hebrew Academy, Greenwich, CT tCZCharlotte Abramson and Alex Sinclair, page 16 Nadine Breuer, Brawerman Elementary School, Los Angeles, CA Tzivia Garfinkel, Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School, Chicago, IL Martin Buber’s Secular Vision of the Educated Jew Gayle Green, David Posnack Hebrew Day School, Plantation, FL tCZJudah Levine, page 18 Nehemia Ichilov, The King David School, Scottsdale, AZ Dr. Michael Kay, Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Rockville, MD The Vision of a Jewish Educational Leader Dr. Ray Levi, Amos and Celia Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School, Minneapolis, MN tCZDaniel Pekarsky, page 22 Dr. Joyce Raynor, Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex & Union, West Orange, NJ values Patricia Schwartz, Akiva School, Nashville, TN Paul Shaviv, Tanenbaum CHAT, Toronto, ON Jewish Day Schools as Incubators of Kavannah Dr. Deborah Starr, Heritage Academy, Longmeadow, MA tCZSaul P. Wachs, page 28 Judith Wolfman, Vancouver Talmud Torah, Vancouver, BC Creating Jewish Citizens Contributors tCZJill Jacobs, page 32 Charlotte Abramson, Rabbi Steven M. Brown EdD, Howard Farber, Women and Gender in Jewish Education Diana Ganger, Rabbi Eric Grossman, Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Dr. Susan M. tCZJudith Rosenbaum, page 34 Kardos, Dr. Ray Levi, Dr. Judah Levine, Dr. Jon A. Levisohn, Dr. Daniel Marom, Dr. Daniel Pekarsky, Leslie Pugach, Dr. Judith Rosenbaum, Cross-Curricular Learning in the Jewish High School Rabbi Eve Rudin, Dr. Rebecca Shargel, Dr. Alex Sinclair, Rabbi Jeremy tCZRebecca Shargel, page 36 Stavisky, Dr. Saul P. Wachs. Praying Without the Lake Advertising Information tCZEve Rudin, page 40 Please contact Marla Rottenstreich at [email protected] or by phone at 646-496-7162. Vision of the Graduate in Our Schools Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School 3PDLWJMMF .% QBHFtCharlotte RAVSAK Jewish Day School $IBSMPUUF /$ QBHFtDonna Klein Jewish 120 West 97th Street, New York, NY 10025 Academy #PDB3BUPO '- QBHFtNew Community Jewish High School, QtGtFJOGP!SBWTBLPSHtXXXXSBWTBLPSH West Hills, CA, page 45 practice RAVSAK would like to thank our associate members: Envision Ideals, Not the Graduate tCZEric Grossman, page 46 %\ QH Characteristics of the Ideal Barrack Graduate tCZSteven M. Brown, page 52 Importance of Vision in Early Childhood Education tCZDiana Ganger, page 54 Building Character and Leadership in an Israeli School tCZJeremy Stavisky, page 58 Adult Jewish Learning: Modeling Risk and Growth tCZLeslie Pugach, page 60 How a School and Board Create “A” Human Beings tCZHoward Farber, page 62 ěđĞĕďĕĐ Vision in Development tCZRay Levi, page 64 A Word from the Editor From the Desk of Arnee Winshall, )B:JEJPOr 1BHFt [2] RAVSAK Chair 1BHFtMoot Beit Din 2010, Page 26, Bookcase, Page 66 From the Editor ¿ by Barbara Davis s Jews, we have always had dreams, and as Jewish educa- the Jewish spirit may radiate and give to the Jews scattered throughout the world tors, we believe, as did Herzl, that ĐďĎČ đĒ ěĕČ đĢĤĦ ęČ— that inspiration which springs from the If you will it, it is no dream. Thus it is fitting that this memories of a great past and the hope of Shavuot issue of HaYidion—which will reach you a great future.” during commencement season—examines Dr. Barbara Davis the “Vision of the Graduate,” and asks the is the Secretary of RAVSAK, Ex- ecutive Editor of HaYidion and question, What does it mean to be an edu- Head of School at the Syracuse cated Jew? Hebrew Day School in Dewitt, NY. Barbara can be reached at [email protected]. But the articles in this issue appeared in my editorial inbox just as my school was celebrating Yom HaAtzmaut. This caused me to wonder what connec- tion, beyond Herzl, might exist between our journal’s theme and our Jewish home- Like the passionate and deeply felt words land. Googling “educated Jew,” I was surprised to discover a 1915 speech by Supreme of Brandeis, the articles in this issue will Court Justice Louis Brandeis entitled “A Call to the Educated Jew.” resonate with readers. The perspectives, as always, are varied, even contradictory, Addressing an audience of American Jews of German descent, Brandeis said: “Our but all have the underpinning of a deep intellectual capacity was developed by the almost continuous training of the mind commitment to Jewish learning, and ac- throughout twenty-fi ve centuries. The Torah led the ‘People of the Book’ to intellec- complishment, and a Jewish future based tual pursuits at times when most of the Aryan peoples were illiterate. Religion imposed on educational achievement. Strikingly, the use of the mind upon the Jews, indirectly as well as directly. It demanded of the when taken together, they form a mul- Jew not merely the love, but also the understanding of G-d. This necessarily involved ticultural model which, as Paula Hyman, a study of the Law.” professor of modern Jewish history at Yale, has noted, “is particularly appropri- What further interested me was the linkage that Brandeis then established between Jew- ate to the ambiguous position of Jews ish education and Zionism: “[T]hough the Jew make his individual life the loftiest, that in Diaspora, who create Jewish culture alone will not fulfi ll the obligations of his trust. We are bound not only to use worthily in the space between being a part of the our great inheritance, but to preserve, and if possible, augment it; and then transmit it larger society and apart from it.” I am to coming generations. …Jewish life cannot be preserved and developed, assimilation certain you will fi nd them fascinating cannot be averted, unless there be reestablished in the fatherland a center from which reading. ¿ Do you know people who should be reading HaYidion? The foremost journal of Jewish education is now available for subscription! To subscribe, go to www.ravsak.org/hayidion RAVSAK strengthens and sustains the life, leadership and learning of Jewish community day schools, ensuring a vibrant Jewish future. Please support RAVSAK. ěđĞĕďĕĐ r)B:JEJPO Online: www.ravsak.org | By mail: RAVSAK, 120 West 97th Street, New York, NY 10025 [3] From the Desk of Arnee Winshall, RAVSAK Chair hevra, leaders in the committee work. And with Marc Kramer and RAVSAK’s history of It is hard to believe that more than three months have passed since the connecting and making a difference in so Leadership Conference. We have celebrated Purim, Pesach, Yom Hashoah, Yom many community schools, we are con- Hazikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut and are counting the Omer until Shavuot. The tinuing to attract wonderful board and counting of the Omer is intended to remind us of the link between Pass- over, which commemorates the Exodus, and Shavuot, which commemo- Arnee Winshall is the Chair rates the giving of the Torah. This period of transition has also been an of RAVSAK’s Board of Direc- tors, and Founding Chair of opportunity for the new RAVSAK board to benefi t from the wisdom that JCDS, Boston's Jewish Commu- comes with wandering and inquiry, study and learning and, ulti- nity Day School. Arnee can be mately, a focus on priorities. reached at [email protected]. I am in awe of the time and commitment the new board members are in- vesting in this time of counting. We have weekly phone meetings, each de- voted to a different aspect of the unfolding responsibilities, and also gath- ered for a one-day retreat hosted graciously by the Donna Klein Jewish Academy in committee member candidates. Boca Raton. Our focus has been on identifying the strategic priorities of RAVSAK at the professional leadership level, the organizational level, and the board level. As our priorities unfold, I look forward to sharing them with you and I very much One of the pressing priorities is that of building the board. Each board member has welcome your thoughts and feedback as undertaken a leadership role. We are very fortunate to have Bruce Powell as chair we continue to work together to ensure a of the Committee on Trustees, Paul Levitch acting as Treasurer and chair of the Fi- vibrant and strong RAVSAK and, in turn, nance Committee, Lesley Zafran chairing development and marketing, and Barbara an exciting Jewish future. Davis heading up the Executive Director Support and Evaluation Committee. B’shalom uvrachah, A key strategic priority, not surprisingly, is the expansion of the board. Each of the current board members is looking to involve RAVSAK professionals and lay Arnee ¿ RAVSAK'sěđĞĕďĕĐ Board and Staff wish you a happy Shavuot )B:JEJPOr [4] SubsidiesGenerous Available! 2010 North American Jewish Day School Leadership Conference 4BWFUIF%BUF]'FCSVBSZ ]-PT"OHFMFT $" A collaboration of RAVSAK, PARDeS, SSDSA, YU. Generous Subsidies Available. Stay updated at www.jewishdayschoolconference.org ěđĞĕďĕĐ r)B:JEJPO [5] Visions: Past, Present, Future ¿ Interview with Daniel Marom ell us about yourself. What inspired you to become It had to invest its energies and resources a professor of Jewish education? as well in rearticulating the very purpos- es of Jewish education and to redesign the realities on the ground accordingly.