Paul is Prizmah’s founding Chief Executive Officer. Learn more about Paul here.

Small Schools Sharing Meaningful Conversations

When leaders from “small schools” (with enrollments under 150) get together, as they did last March for breakfast at the Prizmah Conference and at previous Prizmah gatherings in recent years, the conversation never stops. In two weeks, many of these leaders will convene again at a retreat in Austin to continue sharing ideas, brainstorming strategies to address shared challenges, and working with each other towards greater sustainability.

No doubt, some of them are already getting ready to pack. They are bringing their most “intimate” institutional documents: budgets, school handbooks, by-laws, etc. They are coming ready to open up and share.

Some of the challenges facing these schools are unique to their size: training faculty to manage multi-age classrooms, having to reach every eligible family, meeting the needs of all students with limited faculty, dealing with false perceptions of the school, attracting Jewish studies and Hebrew staff in areas without a large Jewish population. Many of the issues they will discuss—from fundraising and endowment-building to attracting and retaining staff—are relevant to every Jewish day school.

For schools with small enrollments, whether they are the only Jewish school in a small Jewish community or a “niche” school in a community with many schools, remaining sustainable depends on breaking down isolation--on not “going it alone.” Small schools know better than most that they are intricately connected to their community and that their success requires deep, meaningful engagement with all their stakeholders, from parents to faculty to synagogues and the broader community.

What makes this gathering special—and what makes it a model that Prizmah seeks to promulgate—is that the participants are themselves setting the agenda and delivering the majority of the content. We are thrilled that independent school advancement guru Starr Snead will be joining the group. The planners have told us to keep outside speakers to a minimum, though; they want to learn from each other. Breaking down that sense of isolation, opening lines of frank communication, and real grassroots networking are at the core of this event.

Personally, I am delighted to be able to join these schools in Austin. I believe deeply that small schools have a lot to offer the broader Jewish day school field and that the needs of these schools and others can be well met through just this type of focused networking and sharing. It is truly an inspiring way to begin life after the rush of all the fall holidays, to return to our routines with the support that comes from connecting with peers.

I must admit that my head is still ringing with the tunes from the High Holy Days, particularly the Yom Kippur piyyut, “Mar’eh Kohen,” which describes how glorious the high priest (Kohen Gadol) appears as he leaves the Holy of Holies in peace, whole, as it were. We sing this in the middle of the musaf service, when our hunger is at its worst and our energy most depleted. It is almost as if we are seeing the Kohen Gadol himself, that we are celebrating with him, accompanying him back to his home, where he will return to the peace of everyday living removed from the life-and-death intensity of the Holy of Holies.

The contrast between the solemnity and solitariness of the high priest in the Holy of the Holies and the exuberant, crowd-raising chorus depicted in the piyyut is striking. While the high priest can only perform his service alone on behalf of the entire community, it is the people themselves who help him make the transition back to reality. Judaism is not a religion of solo stars or “individual contributors.” We are sustained by the strengths of our communal endeavors and by the way we cultivate connections and community. My hope for the year ahead—inspired in no minor way by the Small Schools Retreat—is that across the day school field we are able to nurture those connections that lead to true sustainability.

Success Anxiety

Context is everything. We are living in a time where our students are experiencing record amounts of stress and anxiety. And the context of this stress is the key to unlocking its cause. There are causes of stress with systemic roots: poverty, violence, abuse, addiction. But the stress among the students who lack these “clear” causes: where is that stress coming from? 

The stakes for answering this question are likely high, as the stress to which I refer may be one of the factors behind the rise of anxiety and suicides among young people in our country. As an educator at a Jewish day school, I can’t help but throw my own concern into the mix, and my own thoughts into the solution. 

The parents raising kids now with the aid of the Internet feel their own pressures—to parent in a particular way, to demonstrate their children’s successes publicly, to show that their own success is trickling down to the next generation. And say you have achieved in your own right: you hold a highly regarded place in your profession, you own a comfortable home in a lovely neighborhood and you are able to take your family on educational and world-expanding vacations. Then what does success look like for your kids? Can they achieve at the levels that you’ve achieved?

Well, there’s some anxiety there. What is success then? Is it financial? Is it achievement of academic pursuits? When you have reached these heights of success yourself, then it can be hard to imagine how your children are going to top that. In fact, that might be what keeps you up at night. It might be something that makes you wonder if you are parenting “correctly.” It might make you worry that you aren’t doing enough to help your kids get ahead.

When I was in middle school, students who were in accelerated math were in algebra in eighth grade. Now, that’s our regular eighth grade math class. No wonder then, that parents want their students in accelerated math classes, even though it’s unclear where the acceleration is heading. It’s not necessarily the end results, it’s the idea of getting to be at the top that’s the goal itself. When we as a society elevate particular types of success over others, it’s a breeding ground for rebellion, mental health issues, and this generalized anxiety that we, as educators, are seeing much more often in students.

Challenge Success has worked to combat this. Based in a research center at Stanford, they know intimately the issues presented. This is an organization working to balance the lives of children. The image of success for success’s sake can be an all-encompassing and never-ending search for a fulfillment that won’t come, a misplaced drive for “results.” The result is the part that we have the least amount of control over, both as parents and as human beings. The result is the part that can only come from the living of life, the struggle.

As a parent, I can understand the impulse to want our children to succeed; who doesn’t? We want them to have what we have, what we didn’t have, what we should have had. I’ve had to re-think all this, though. My youngest son has cystic fibrosis; I very quickly needed to shift my understanding of the value of his life and what success might look like for him. Having a child with a terminal illness has helped me to move more easily from the idea of success that looks like money, achievement, and outward signs of inward growth. It’s not that I don’t want to see the fruits of whatever labor my kids engage with as they grow, but I hope that my children are able to bring some light into the world, be good people, and to work through their difficulties with as much grace as possible. The anxiety that children experience often stems from a concern they won’t be able to handle things. They will, but we have to give them loads that they can handle, without heaping on our own unforced errors. 

When we push our students to achieve beyond what is developmentally appropriate, we aren’t helping them to learn that they can manage what they will need to tackle. Will my son be able to manage the difficulties that will inevitably be thrown his way? I hope he will. He will certainly have practice dealing with physical and emotional challenges. Will he be able to do algebra in seventh grade? Eh. 

So what does success look like for this generation of students whose parents have achieved the pinnacle of success? Let’s remove, for a moment, the outward trappings of success: how were those things achieved? Were there tears and long nights? Were there conversations? Mentors? Trial and error? Books? Exploration? Resilience? Hardship?

We don’t want our students to experience difficulty, but when we peel back our own experience, we can see that any success we’ve achieved is made manifest by those difficult circumstances we experienced to get there. We achieved because we worked through the difficulty that is natural and inevitable in our lives. Taking away our students opportunity to experience difficulty does not make them more likely to be successful; it makes them more likely to feel anxious that they won’t be.

We can give students the space to experience those feelings of life: feelings that bring them their own individual versions of success, and even more importantly an ownership of their achievements, instead of deciding they must do things in one particular way. The paths to success are numerous, riddled with difficulties, potholes, and we can all end up in different places. The important part is that students are able to look around and appreciate the walk on the way to their success—whatever it ends up looking like—because being able to manage oneself on that walk is the only thing that students actually have control over.

Bergen County Heads of School Joint Statement on Device Usage

Bergen County Heads of School Joint Statement on Device Usage
By: Rabbi Daniel Alter, Rabbi Chaim Hagler, Rabbi Jonathan Knapp, Rabbi Daniel Price, Rabbi Tomer Ronen, Rabbi Saul Zucker

We stand together in a unified communal approach to address the significant challenge of technology and social media usage among our children.

The research is unequivocal. Children's social media habits are linked to higher levels of aggression, anxiety, addiction, ADD and developmental delays. Social media conversations among our children bring out the worst in our community, are aggressive, are lacking in empathy and concern for others, and are often very inappropriate.

The following research based recommendations and best practices are designed to draw new lines on device usage and help our children navigate their online world in a healthy, safe fashion. Based on current research as well as a growing desire among our parents to address this issue, we are creating new norms and an improved social media culture for our parents and students regarding device usage.

Below are the 4 primary recommendations that we are sharing and disseminating:

What Age to Give Your Child Their Own Smartphone or Similar Digital Device? - Not Before 6th Grade!
While we recognize different approaches to this issue, we feel strongly that there should be a publicly recognized "minimum age" for our children to be given the responsibility to have their own web-enabled devices. We strongly recommend that families do their best to delay giving their children their own devices even longer than the minimum threshold described here, but we do feel strongly about advocating for a minimum age threshold of the sixth grade. For those who delay giving a child a device even longer, we applaud you.

Should a parent decide a younger child absolutely requires a mobile device for safety purposes, the device purchased should allow for calling and basic texting only and not have full internet access.

Once Your Child Has A Phone - What Parents MUST Do! A Few MUST-DOs.
The Need to Institute and Implement Real, Meaningful Controls and Restrictions.
Once your child has a full web-enabled device, responsible parents will:

  • Adopt and use parental control apps. Basic parental controls are built into almost every device or come with the basic operating software.
  • Regularly monitor children's usage through filters and active oversight of children's activities and group chats.
  • Use apps that easily enable monitoring, managing and limiting device activity.
  • Adhere to recommended age requirements for the existing social media platforms that you allow children to use.
  • Collect all of the devices at bedtime and store them in a safe place (i.e. - parents bedroom) until the morning.
  • Continue to discuss issues surrounding social media usage with your children.

Preventing Overuse & The Need to Make Our Children Disconnect:
Overuse of digital devices places children at risk for a number of complications including poorer school performance, sleep problems, and lack of physical movement and exercise. We ask and request that elementary school-aged children's devices must be shut down or inaccessible for a half hour to an hour before bedtime. Additionally, we must have device-free spaces in our homes, especially in one's bedroom. Children must understand that devices have no place at social gatherings where face to face interaction is expected. This includes playdates, sleepovers, and parties.

Last But Not Least - A Call For Changing Parent Behavior and Parent Modeling For Our Kids:
Without question, our children model what they see their parents do and device usage is no exception. We are calling today for parents to serve as ''media mentors" for younger children by serving as role models and guides. Parents must also limit their own device time, not in an excessive fashion, but at designated times such as meal times, carpools and family activities. For some families, creating a personalized family media plan can also demonstrate a shared commitment to healthy digital behavior and will have a positive impact on children. Research indicates that parents who are immersed in their devices are often short with their children or unaware of what is going on around them.
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Each of us, as school leaders and parents ourselves, are deeply committed to the growth and success of our children. We believe there is a need to aim higher and push harder both within and without the walls of our schools when it comes to our personal devices. All that we wrote above is largely an appeal to you, our parents and school community, to help us "move the needle" on how all of us view and treat the devices we carry today.

Join us in this community-wide effort and stay tuned for events and other initiatives led by each of us and our schools to advance and further this mission.

Click here for the video: A Joint Statement on Device Usage from the Bergen County Elementary School Heads of School 

About the Authors:

Rabbi Daniel Alter is the Head of School at the Moriah School in Englewood NJ.  He was previously the founding Rabbi of the DAT Minyan, a Modern Orthodox Shul in Denver Colorado, and the Head of School of the DAT school, where he founded a new high school as an extension of the existing elementary school.  He lives in Bergenfield, NJ with his wife and seven children.

Rabbi Chaim Hagler is the founding Head of School of Yeshivat Noam, founded in 2001. Rabbi Hagler graduated from Yeshiva College and received a Master’s degree in Education from the Azrieli Graduate School, and Semicha from Yeshiva University.  Prior to being named principal of Yeshivat Noam, Rabbi Hagler was Headmaster of the Ramaz Lower School in New York.  Previously, he served as Director of Judaic Studies at the Hebrew Academy of Montreal and had taught at SAR in Riverdale, NY.  Rabbi Hagler believes in the importance of getting to know his students and establishing meaningful relationships with them. Rabbi Hagler and his wife, Chavie, live in Bergenfield with their five children.

A thoughtful and inspirational leader and educator, Rabbi Jonathan Knapp has been the Principal and Head of School at Yavneh Academy since 2006. His visionary approach to Jewish education and his warm and welcoming manner enrich the Yavneh family. Rabbi Knapp previously served as assistant principal of Judaic studies at Yavneh, supervising all aspects of the Judaic studies program, working with the teachers on enhancing the curriculum and monitoring student growth. Before joining the Yavneh community, Rabbi Knapp served as the director of student activities and as director of student life at the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy in Livingston, NJ. Rabbi Knapp graduated from Yeshiva University with a bachelor’s degree in economics, and he holds a master’s degree from Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education. He has presented on contemporary topics in Jewish education and moderated at many conferences organized by PEJE, the Orthodox Union and Yeshiva University, among others.  

Rabbi Daniel Price has been the Head of School of RYNJ for the past 7 years and oversees every aspect of the Yeshiva. A passionate and strong educator Rabbi Price leads by example. Rabbi Price is dedicated to the success of every child and making sure that their religious, social and emotional needs are met both in and out of the classroom. Before joining the RYNJ family, Rabbi Price was a Rebbe and Middle School Assistant Principal at the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy in Livingston, NJ. Rabbi Price graduated from Yeshiva University's Sy Syms School of Business with a bachelors degree in Management Information Systems, has Semicha from Yeshiva University's RIETS, and holds a masters degree from Yeshiva University's Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education. Rabbi Price is a sought after speaker and lectures on topics relating to Jewish education, parenting and Tefila.    

A highly respected leader both locally and nationally, Rav Tomer Ronen has over 20 years of experience in Jewish education. Originally from Rechovot, Israel, Rav Ronen began his career in the United States as a teacher and Junior High School Coordinator at SAR Academy in Riverdale, NY.  Following SAR, he held the position of Rosh HaYeshiva at Ben Porat Yosef in Paramus, N.J. for ten years. In the beginning of the 2016/2017 school year, Rav Ronen joined Yeshivat He’Atid as Head of School. His devotion towards Jewish education shines through in all that he does and to all those around him.  He continually looks for innovative and progressive ways to excite children in learning. His passion to infuse his students with hebrew language immersion and to bring a love of Eretz Yisrael to the classroom is evident through the programming he develops and the Shlichim that join his school each year.  He is well-known for his ability to form authentic, lasting relationships with students, parents and his staff.
With the success Yeshivat He’Atid is seeing through the academic growth of their students, Rav Ronen’s larger vision and goal is to bring Yeshivat He’Atid’s educational model to those communities across the United States who feel passionately about providing their children with a high quality academic Jewish education in an affordable manner.

Rabbi Saul Zucker has had the privilege of working in Jewish educational administration for more than thirty years.  He has two semikhot, from Yeshiva Bnei Torah and from HaRav HaDayan Meir Gruenburg, zt"l, as well as a Masters Degree from the University of Washington School of Education. In addition, he has completed all doctoral coursework at the Azrieli Graduate Institute of Yeshiva University.  Rabbi Zucker is passionate about educational methodology and students' skills development, and takes great enjoyment in seeing students grow so much beyond their own expectations.

Let’s Follow this Kind of GPS for a Strong Jewish Future

Have you ever thought you knew where you were going, but ultimately ended up driving in circles? Now we are accustomed to depend on GPS because it recalculates mistakes and redirects us. A wrong turn here or there, and we are lost; then the GPS seems to navigate us magically back on course.

Imagine if we had such a directional system for our Jewish day schools—a GPS that guides a school by mission and vision, mapping the way forward most effectively. This GPS would provide continuous evaluation of a school’s actions so when a miscalculation or misguidance occurs, the school would be redirected. When a school is not heading in a direction consistent with its values, it could recalibrate and readjust its route to maintain maximum alignment of its espoused and applied values. This kind of GPS is a dream, but not a fantasy. This kind of GPS is a “God-Powered School.”

What is a God-Powered School (GPS)?

אִם־ה' לֹא־יִבְנֶ֬ה בַ֗יִת שָׁ֤וְא עָמְל֣וּ בוֹנָ֣יו בּ֑וֹ
Unless God builds the house, those who build toil in vain. Tehillim 127:1

A GPS is one that is guided by the sum of our holy texts, time-tested over thousands of years. A GPS is informed by the teachings of eternal Jewish wisdom and embodies Jewish values. A GPS steers students to develop a relationship with the Divine—whatever their concepts of God might be—and a strong Jewish identity. A GPS emphasizes Jewish values and relevance as much as text study and skills. It also demands that all systems throughout a school—from policies to content to pedagogy—support students’ journeys of Jewish discovery.

This journey of Jewish discovery extends far beyond the obvious, beyond the usual Judaic studies content and tefillah-related skills we typically assign as the periods for Jewish learning. A GPS’s educators and staff prompt students to consider God and tap into their individual curiosity about the Divine in all aspects of their school experience. From classrooms to the cafeteria to STEM labs to ballfields, a GPS’s holistic approach ensures a strong Jewish future. A GPS guides our students toward a destination that prioritizes fulfillment of each one’s unique strengths and talents—all inspired by Jewish wisdom, beliefs, and values.

The result of so many schools navigating decision-making without a God-inspired road map is that they don’t even realize they are not always headed in the right direction. Too many day school and yeshiva graduates get the “what” of Jewish knowledge but are missing the “how” and the “why.” They are missing the relevance of material for living our best lives and avoid addressing the core struggles with God they should embrace. To accomplish its mission, a GPS must be clear about the end destination for our students. That means developing a whole human being comprised of potential that includes academic success, social-emotional well-being, and spiritual evolvement.

What fuels a God-Powered School?

אַהֲבָה רַבָּה אֲהַבְתָּנוּ...וְהָאֵר עֵינֵינוּ בְּתורָתֶךָ. וְדַבֵּק לִבֵּנוּ בְּמִצְותֶיךָ
With a great love, God has loved us...and open our eyes to Your Torah and cause our hearts to cling to Your mitzvot. Shacharit/morning service: Blessings before Shema

My collaborative work with school leaders, influencers, and educators through the Jewish Education Innovation Challenge points to these specific approaches a GPS would use to steer students toward their development of a positive Jewish identity and self-esteem.

1. Ensure all roads of student life lead to a personal exploration of faith and a struggle with God. Students access a higher purpose through an explicit awareness of God in all school pursuits―in and out of the classroom―because a divine purpose maximizes human potential. Students deserve prompting that gives them permission to grapple with God in all aspects of their lives and in all coursework they take. This will help them develop a stronger relationship with the Divine, feel they can be guided by God-inspired values, and own their partnership with God in repairing our world. Yes, this means educators of all disciplines need training to be comfortable with open, honest and continuous God-talk with students so that they have the capacity to guide students in their search for and meaning of God. While I’m not suggesting all God-talk will be perfect, I am suggesting that students should have the benefit of a real-life presence and presentation of God woven into their whole school experience.

2. Scaffold prayer experiences with individual spiritual development as the ultimate goal. Students should be free to develop their own concepts about and connections to God through accessible paths of tefillah. Since kavannah/intention cannot be mandated, teachers could be asking students more God-infused questions, prompting their personal reflection, or encouraging them to think about the role God plays in their lives and the world around them. School communities should strive to become an environment where students can feel secure about sharing their concepts of God. Going through some version of personal exploration to create a strong and lifelong bond with our Creator should be framed as a normative experience.

3. Tap into intrinsic motivation as the primary driver of student learning―particularly with Judaic studies. The research is compelling about the power of intrinsic motivation in boosting student learning―especially in school settings. The research on positive psychology is clear. Increased autonomy, feelings of being significant to the learning setting, relatedness to teachers and classmates and a sense of making progress can increase students’ positive experiences with Jewish learning, positioning our timeless tradition as a guide in their lives―now and in the future. Educators may need to employ new instructional strategies, projects, or curricula to help students find personal relevance and connection to Jewish wisdom and values. I recognize that may be a heavy lift. However, the outcomes of deeper student investment in and passion for Jewish learning far outweigh any of the challenges associated with shifting away from the conventional school-related reward and punishment systems we currently rely on. Imagine the possibilities when students see their achievement is measured by their efforts and growth.

4. Create a holistic school culture anchored by God-inspired decision-making. When you take a deep dive into school policies, you often surface some sobering realities about their misalignment with school values and―even worse―Jewish values. Running a school with God-infused policies, procedures, and planning requires a collaborative leadership approach (bottom-up and top-down) to ensure the messages we send to students and their families―both explicit and implicit―are consistent with the Jewish values and traditions we set out to teach. From the custodian to the classroom teacher to the front desk assistant to the principal, there should be an overarching ethic to speak, act, and engage in ways that reflect the Divine’s attributes we aspire to mirror through our being betzelem Elokim/in God’s image.

5. Keep Judaic studies distinct and holy. Judaism should not be compartmentalized as a subject area that students decide they either like or don’t like, are good at or not good at. To that end, Judaic studies should be treated differently from other subjects, positioning the learning and coursework as sacred and eternally valuable. It deserves better than the customary classroom conventions typically found in today’s school culture. We risk long-term damage to Jewish self-esteem by imposing academically focused, extrinsic motivators on the identity formation of young Jews, warranting a reconsideration of traditional evaluations, assessments, and grading practices.

6. Discipline with love, reflecting God’s care for the Jewish people. It is quite intentional that Moshe learned God’s 13 attributes―including being compassionate, slow to anger, and forgiving―when God expressed the everpresent possibility of repentance after the incident of the Golden Calf. In our tefillot/prayers, we illustrate in our hearts, minds, and souls God as a caring, nurturing, and loving parent, shepherd, redeemer, etc. This imagery points directly to the characteristics and traits we should be channeling as adults serving as role models and guides for children. Schools can help students learn the outcomes of their choices through positive, personal improvement instead of the common, punitive consequences we typically associate with school.

7. Support risk-taking in practical and theoretical terms. Perfection is not reflective of human beings or life in general. So why do we use practices that encourage students to strive for that instead of striving for their next level of growth and personal improvement? Students should be encouraged to reach beyond their comfort zones because failure, when it happens, is necessary for growth and preparation for life. Teachers equally should be encouraged to take risks by developing the courage to address head-on the unpredictable nature of student explorations around their evolving God concepts. People need permission to struggle and acknowledging growing pains helps people recognize them as signs of maturation and improvement.

8. Prioritize students’ individual Jewish identity development. Students’ inquisitiveness is a gift of youth that we all should nurture. Questioning and even skepticism are both normative and essential in exploring faith and belief. Schools should rely on talented educators to coach colleagues on how to encourage students to explore their uncertainties as part of their robust reflections about God―both in and out of the classroom. We also should strive to develop each student’s unique potential so their strengths and weaknesses are nurtured rather than fall into the trappings of conformity perpetuated by cookie-cutter educational approaches.

How do we create a God-Powered School?

וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם׃
They will make for Me a sanctuary and I will dwell among them. -- Shemot 25:8

The how is equally as important and the what and why.  A God-Powered School is possible if day school stakeholders—educators, funders, influencers and parents—demand a process of self-reflection and growth. It is an essential part of staying focused on where we are headed to prevent distractions that, frankly, don’t matter and veer us off course on our journey to our most meaningful destination.

We must make an honest assessment of how our schools measure up to their stated values and mission of developing a whole person. Yes, academic achievement is important. Yes, schools should look at grades, scores, and rankings and the colleges, seminaries and yeshivot their graduates get into. But that addresses only part of the human being, and those are not the ultimate destination for our students—literally and figuratively!

We all have seen which Jewish educators are most successful with igniting a love of learning and sense of accomplishment in their students. They are the ones who make text relevant and meaningful and who view themselves not as teachers, but as developers of human beings. These are the ones who guide our students most effectively on their Jewish journeys.

I had the honor of exploring these topics with 100 Jewish day school provocateurs at the 2019 Jewish Education Innovation Challenge’s 7th Annual Innovators Retreat. Under the theme of “Values Illuminating Actions,” we dove into conversations around schools valuing both the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. We imagined schools where individual potential is realized and celebrated, where Jewish self-esteem is built and not destroyed. We shared what it takes to ensure that all of our students can reach the destination of a lifelong love of Jewish wisdom, values and beliefs.

I invite you to take a ride with us. Imagine a God-Powered School where values and actions align in policy, in practice, and in spirit. Imagine a school where our connections to the Divine help us stay on course and navigate the beautiful, yet sometimes challenging landscape. Imagine a school where our students are developing relationships with God to support a solid and enduring Jewish identity. Imagine with us how a God-Powered School would enhance young Jewish lives today and build a thriving and enduring Jewish future.

Manette Mayberg is a trustee of the Mayberg Foundation, which supports Jewish education and engagement initiatives, including the Jewish Education Innovation Challenge, which aspires to reignite students’ passion for Jewish learning and improve the way Jewish values, literacy, practice and belief are transferred to the next generation.

Paul is Prizmah’s founding Chief Executive Officer. Learn more about Paul here.

Shana Tova from Prizmah!

School is back in session, and we at Prizmah are also starting the year with enthusiasm and excitement.

I am pleased to announce that Yehuda Neuberger, a Prizmah board member since the organization's launch, has been named Chair of the Prizmah Board of Directors. Yehuda’s deep involvement in and impact on the Baltimore Jewish community and day schools, along with national organizations including AIPAC and the Orthodox Union, demonstrate the incredible passion, wisdom and skill that he brings to Prizmah. Together, we will lead Prizmah towards greater fulfillment of our mission to support the Jewish day school field. 

Just a few days from now, right after we hear the blasts of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, we traditionally say aloud these words from Psalms 89:16:

אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם יֹדְעֵי תְרוּעָה   
Happy are the people that know the t’ruah

In a simple phrase, we capture so much of what we hope and pray for at this sacred time of year. We aspire for joy, not individually in this context, but on behalf of the community (“happy are the people”). And, we understand that joy, for the community, comes through knowledge (“people that know the t’ruah," not just hear it), from direct experience of the shofar blasts and all they represent.

As an organization dedicated to Jewish day school education, Prizmah embraces the idea that strong Jewish communities and strong Jewish day schools are inextricably linked. We believe deeply that knowledge does in fact lead to joy, individually, communally, and as a people. 

In support of that conviction, Prizmah is launching an initiative seeking to transform the way that the impact of day schools is appreciated, and hence day schools are valued, in the broader Jewish community. By studying day schools, their students and alumni, and their extensive impact, we are embarking on a major campaign to make a powerful case for Jewish day schools.

We know that Jewish day schools and yeshivas play a crucial role in ensuring a vibrant Jewish future; we see first-hand, for example, the disproportionate roles that alumni play in Jewish leadership.  The communal narrative does not fully appreciate this impact when talking about the challenges, so we need up-to-date, powerful data to support our cause. We must conduct a large-scale research project, measure day school education’s impact on individuals, communities, and the broader North American Jewish world. More than a research endeavor, this initiative, which will include rigorous data collection and analysis as well as gatherings to disseminate the findings in schools and communities throughout North America, can turn the tide for communal perception of Jewish day schools for years to come. Evidence-based knowledge will reveal just how important day schools are to our community’s joyful future. 

With enthusiasm for the launch of this initiative, and in the spirit of “ashrei ha’am”--“happy are the people,” I wish you a very festive Rosh Hashanah and look forward to another year of growth and extraordinary impact.

Shana Tova, 
Paul Bernstein
CEO

Rachel is Prizmah's Director of Educational Innovation. Learn more about her here.

The Courage to Reach

I love how the Ramchal begins the Mesilat Yesharim: he says that he is not here to share anything new, but to remind us of things we already know that we forget. In the month of Elul, leading up to the Yamim Nora’im, I found myself coming back to the words of the Ramchal often, and I wondered how I forgot what was important to me. I did a cheshbon hanefesh and wondered: If I were to look at my life, what values would my actions show? For so many teachers, the opening lines of The Rav (zt”l) in The Lonely Man of Faith, where he admits to feeling alone, even among many people, and of Parker Palmer in his book The Courage To Teach, when he admits that as a teacher he often feels like a fraud or an imposter, strike such a powerful chord. After all, who am I to talk and to lead, when I myself am so imperfect?

I must admit that I don't like to dwell on these thoughts too long, but they do come up, especially in this season of teshuva. So what do we do with them? How can we harness this healthy imposter syndrome to elevate us rather than allowing it to hold us back?

Moshe Rabbeinu anticipated this insecurity in the end of Devarim, and told us that there would be times when we want some one else to tell us what to do--to guide us; to find the answer; to do the difficult, vulnerable work of living our values. In answer to that, we are told that this doing, belonging, and this life of service and mitzvah, is not beyond us in any way. In fact, he says:

14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

It is close to you. Note: he does not say that doing the right thing is easy or smooth or even clear. Moshe Rabbeinu says it is close to us, in our mouths and hearts--it is accessible. Why use the language of "karov" or "close" to describe our ability to access the mitzvot?

The Orchot Tzadikim explains that this word "karov" parallels another time we say "karov"-- in fact, three times a day in Ashrei--that Hashem is "karov" to those who call out to Him. There are so many things that we have within our reach, so many opportunities that are just a little outside of our comfort zone that we have to reach for them, and we are told that if we have the courage to reach out, to push ourselves, then serving Hashem and being close to Him is, indeed, within our reach. But, we must be willing and open to reaching, every single day, again and again and again. The key to serving is to be willing to reach, because doing good is within our grasp if we push ourselves and try.

May Hashem grant us the courage to reach every day to do more and be better, as individuals, teachers and servants of Hashem.

Shanah Tovah: How to Grant New Teachers a Sweet, New Year

 

Beginning a new job as a Judaic studies teacher at a Jewish day school is among the most exciting feelings in the world. You are embarking on a journey to study and teach the subjects that you love, to engage with colleagues who have similarly decided to dedicate their lives to sharing their knowledge and passion with the next generation, and to connect with students primed for inspiration and growth. 

But that same job can also be daunting and anxiety-inducing. You might be teaching subjects you have never taught or even studied before. You might encounter policies and regulations that are foreign to you or colleagues who come from different backgrounds. You might have some students who are easily engaged, but others who are disinterested, skeptical, or even at times disrespectful. 

The question is, What can Jewish day school administrators and Judaic studies departments do to increase the excitement and alleviate the anxiety for new teachers?

The answer, I would suggest, lies in three categories of support: curricular guidance, background information about students, and mentorship.

1. Curricular Guidance
Before new teachers begin their position, it is helpful for school administrators to meet with them about the specifics of each curriculum they will be teaching. Most day schools offer a first year teacher between two and three curricula to prepare and then teach, which can at first feel overwhelming, especially if the subjects are new to the teacher. Providing the teacher with a clear outline of the curricular goals, with books, websites, and other resources to help the teacher feel ownership over the material, and even with specific handouts that other teachers have used successfully in the past, can all help lessen the new teacher’s workload and stress level. 

Moreover, this preparation leaves room for the new teacher to engage with students outside the classroom as well, through clubs, special programs, shabbatonim, and even just at lunch or other free periods. Giving new Judaic studies teachers the freedom to interact with and contribute to students in a more well-rounded fashion will help these teachers acclimate to the school that much faster and in a far more meaningful way.  

2. Student Information
In addition to studying various curricula, new teachers have the important task of learning about their new students. As any seasoned teacher will tell you, one can only prepare so much ahead of time for a new school year, because a great deal of the teaching experience is dependent upon the character of an individual class. While teachers will form their own opinions about their students, it is also helpful for schools to provide new teachers with vital information about where their students are ideologically, academically, and emotionally and to supply teachers with tips for helping their students find success both inside and outside the classroom. 

If a student is confronting a family member with a serious illness, the teacher should know about it. If a student has behaved better in the past sitting at the front of the classroom without distractions or working with a specific partner on a project, the teacher should be informed. If a student struggles with making friends, it makes a difference if the teacher knows when and how to offer support. Having a heads-up about significant student information is vital for new teachers to feel confident about the realities they will face and how best to educate the specific personalities in their care. Because Judaic studies teachers in particular have so many contact points with students throughout the day (tefillah, class, religious programming and guidance), it is especially important that they are aware of information that can make or break a student’s holistic experience at school. 

3. Mentorship
All teachers, especially new ones, can benefit from mentorship. Even if a school properly equips new teachers ahead of time with information about their curricula, the general school process, and background about their students, ongoing support is crucial to a new teacher’s empowerment and his or her overall success. First year teachers’ days are often spent running from class to class, staying up late finishing that last worksheet or preparing that final Smartboard slide, or making sure they fully grasp the difference between Rashi’s and Ramban’s approaches on a topic. Regular meetings with a mentor allow new teachers the opportunity to have the time and space to check in about how things are going and what help is available to make things even better. 

Mentors help teachers perfect specific teaching techniques: how often they are calling on individual students, whether they use the board effectively, or how well they structure and clearly articulate the goal of a given lesson. They also provide guidance for how to develop and deliver content more effectively. If presented from a nonjudgmental and constructive perspective, this feedback can give new teachers valuable insight about where they are doing really well and where they can continue to improve. As teachers, our fundamental job is to help our students learn and grow; we cannot fully accomplish this task if we are not willing to do so ourselves. The teacher-mentor relationship is an important model for how to integrate growth into everyone’s school experience.

Curriculum guidance, background information about students, and mentorship are essential to helping new teachers embark on a successful journey. Equipped with tools to help them develop their curricula, new teachers can spend more time devising creative and engaging ways to package and present their content and make it impactful for their students. It also affords them the flexibility to engage with students in powerful ways outside the classroom. With sufficient background knowledge about students, new teachers can focus on supporting students through their challenges, big or small, and find ways to help them shine academically and socially. And with present and comprehensive mentorship, new teachers can reflect upon and learn from their experiences, gain valuable wisdom, and continue to grow. 

New teachers will undoubtedly be anxious at the start of their first year of teaching. If administrators and departments support new teachers in these three crucial areas, they will be doing what they can to help our newest, best, and brightest offer their students the most enjoyable and enriching educational experience in the year to come.

By Tammie Senders
Judaic Studies teacher and Israel advisor at the Ramaz Upper School

Reimagining Back to School Night

Back to School Night is an important part of launching each new school year. It’s an opportunity for teachers and administrators to meet and communicate with parents, begin to build the partnerships we value so much, and get families excited about what is in store for their children. At our school, we are very fortunate to have an active and engaged parent community. Every year, our faculty spends an enormous amount of time preparing for Back to School Night. Teachers understand that first impressions matter, and they want to get the school year off to a great start with our parent community.  In past years we have not always done the best job of giving parents insight into the amazing learning their students engage in at DJDS. Parent feedback on this event had understandably not been particularly strong. This year, however, Denver Jewish Day School tried something different and we could not be more pleased with how it went. 

We decided not to TELL parents what their students might expect this school year, but rather to SHOW them. We encouraged faculty to put any important information that could be communicated in writing into handouts and on their classroom websites. Instead of standing up in front of the parents and going through the usual slide presentation, teachers were asked to teach. Yes, teach, just like they would with their students. Our fifth grade team, who piloted a similar presentation at last year’s Back to School Night, gave a short demonstration to faculty during our August Faculty Preparation Week. Teaching teams then collaborated to create a 50 minute experience in which the parents engaged in typical classroom activities that their child might participate in. They got to see first hand a Morning Meeting, Hebrew class with Ivrit b’Ivrit, collaborative activities, critical thinking tasks, and many other highly engaging student-centered classroom practices. 

Our parents were amazed. The evening of Back to School Night several families told us “That was the best Back to School Night I have ever been to!” and “I really feel like I know the teachers so much better now!” On our follow up survey we had record-breaking positive feedback, with a whopping 94% of our parents reporting being satisfied or very satisfied with the classroom presentations. 

One of the most striking things to me about the new format is how much more comfortable and relaxed our faculty seemed during their presentations. With our previous format, teachers often felt apprehensive in front of parents. Walking into classrooms, administrators could often see that these professionals--who can keep a room of five to eleven year olds absolutely riveted--did not maintain the same ease and charisma when charged with presenting reams of factual information to adults. When these same teachers were able to do with parents what they do so well every day with their students, however, they clearly felt much more in their element. They were able to shine at Back to School Night in a way I have never seen before. In speaking with faculty afterward, some reported that they were initially wary of asking parents to “do school work” at Back to School Night. They were afraid that the parents would be dubious or maybe even refuse to engage in the learning tasks. Nevertheless, they took a risk and tried it, and our parents jumped in and participated enthusiastically, creating a level of parent engagement I have never seen before. As we reflect on the changes we made this year, we have ideas about what went well and how we might improve upon it for next year’s program. We are all very excited to have taken a chance on something new and different, as we continually urge our students to do, and we are so pleased with how it turned out!


Image courtesy of Denver Jewish Day School, Eric Einstein Photography.

Overcoming the Imposter Syndrome

By Rabbi Alan Berkowitz
Principal of Magen David Yeshivah, Brooklyn

“I’m afraid they’ll find out that I’m faking it.” Every summer as I observe another group of international school leaders work through an Immunity to Change protocol, I am struck by how many of them express this same fear. Anecdotal observation affirms that a significant number of talented and successful education experts express self-doubt. They report that they have refrained from taking a much desired critical career step or from attempting to actualize a dream because it will expose them. They think everyone will know that they are phonies, “faking it” or incompetent. Most striking to me about this comment is that it comes from numerous successful school leaders. In fact, without a proven track record, they could not be in the course. Hearing this comment from so many colleagues has prompted me to connect with them and to tell them that while their fear has no basis in reality, I admire their humility as well as their courage to now admit this. I also want to tell them about two insights that have helped me move past this same obstacle.

About ten years ago, the board of directors of my school gave me an opportunity to work with an executive coach, and as part of our work together the coach suggested a 360-degree assessment. I was terrified; I knew that if I agreed to this, I would no longer be able to fool anyone. I was certain that the combined data from the people with whom he would speak would unmask me. Nevertheless, I submitted to vulnerability, and the result was both enlightening and liberating. My coach interviewed my head of school, board members, colleagues, teachers who reported to me, personal friends and my wife, then reviewed his findings with me. 

With data in hand, I quickly understood that I had not fooled anyone and all these people indeed saw my weaknesses. But what I hadn’t considered was that they also saw strengths in skill and character that I had denied. It seemed that I had taken up so much of my own bandwidth holding onto my hidden fear of being exposed that I didn’t have the capacity to recognize that I have strengths that contributed to my success to that point. Yet the assessment was real, and I really had to accept it. While I still have inadequacies and challenges that I have not yet overcome, at the same time, I also have skills that I can use in performing my job as an educational leader. 

I am sure that there are many outstanding educators who don’t need coaching or some other personal development opportunity to appreciate their own strengths, but I know now that among colleagues and peers, my feelings were not unique. With this in mind, I want to say to colleagues who share similar doubts, if for a moment you cannot fully trust in yourself, trust that the people around you are as smart and perceptive as you think they are. You have not fooled them: they see your inadequacies; trust that their perceptions of your strengths are equally valid.

I learned another thing from my coach that I hope will be helpful to other self-doubters and introverts. We have a professional obligation to step out of our comfort zones. After we reviewed the results of my Myers-Briggs personality assessment and agreed that I have strong tendencies towards introversion, my coach explained the facts of professional life to me. I learned that I have the right to be shy and I may always be one of those people for whom it is painful to engage in small talk. However, I cannot be that person professionally. Ironically, on this issue I always thought that I had fooled no one, and that people understood that my introversion was behind my reticence to open conversations. According to my coach, though, while I was standing alone being my shy self, parents and board members saw me as being standoffish and judgmental. My silence to them was a sign that I did not think much of them. To remedy this and properly do my job as a school leader, I had to get outside my comfort zone. 

Since then, I have followed his advice, and it has made a difference in my professional relationships. I have found that by pushing myself to initiate small talk and thus building even superficial relationships, the familiarity I have with more parents and colleagues has created an opening for what are at times difficult conversations. The initial delivery of the message that I am open to others allows them to be open to me and establishes the mutual trust we need to work together. My wife and my children and my closest friends allow me the personal space to be with them and in quiet, but at work there’s no space for that; introversion may actually be a trait of leaders, but it is not a leadership quality or behavior.

Introversion and self-doubt may be connected to humility, which we view as a positive character trait, and I think that most people are wary of others who lack humility. So I would not suggest that good leaders must eliminate their feelings of self-doubt or that they must seek help to become full extroverts. However, emerging leaders who wish to learn the art of successful leadership need to know how to stretch beyond their personal comfort zones to engage in the behaviors appropriate for the challenges before them.