by Paul Bernstein

It is indeed noble to recognize those who dedicate themselves to serve our communities—they are our royalty. At Prizmah, we start this school year with a deep sense of gratitude for all that teachers and school leaders do, day in and day out, with appreciation for their incredible commitment and service. So many dedicate a lifetime to their students, and their teaching resonates through subsequent generations. According to Rambam: “There is no greater honor than that due a teacher, and no greater awe than that due a teacher.” Read More.

by Amanda Pogany

Every room in our new building was built in line with Luria’s mission, centering children and progressive education throughout all aspects of the project. We are still working on the finishing touches (including furniture!), but we’re thrilled to have students in the building. Read more.

by Johanna B. Shlomovich

Last year, faced with a slowly dissolving administrative team in my first year as a head of school, a very wise, successful and invested friend of our school sent me an email to give me strength and support. An excerpt reads: “Be kind to yourself. It’s easy to get caught up in a spiral of decisions you’d made months ago and the ‘what if’s’ had you made other decisions. Learn to refocus your thinking to a vision of how you want things to be and how to get there.” Read more.

by Rabbi Yaakov Green

Each year presents new challenges requiring innovative solutions. This year, the conversation has focused on a national shortage of qualified and aspiring Jewish educators. Where are they and why aren’t they entering the profession? Read more.

by Brian Cohen

More and more, we’re seeing schools fall short in preparing our children to meet the demands of young adult life and beyond: navigating the workforce, interpersonal relationships, rapidly changing geopolitical dynamics and the increasingly loud and pressing call for innovative thinking. Every student deserves to be prepared to face a yet unknown world, and it is up to each school to figure out how to make this happen. Read more.

by Ira Glasser

A Rodeph Sholom student’s experience of our Israel education program begins in our early childhood division and continues until they graduate in eighth grade. Like many North American Jewish day schools, Israel is incorporated into the broader fabric of school life. But until recently, there was no formal vision from which to tie together the various aspects of our Israel education program; in essence, the left hand did not always know what the right hand was doing. Read more.

by Rabbi David Teller

Shalvat HaNefesh (tranquility of the mind/soul) is an opportunity to engage all members of our high school community, students, teachers and parents, in essential but often neglected discussions surrounding adolescent health and wellness. This initiative brings together experts in the fields of physiological well-being and mental health to spark monthly communal conversations around fundamental topics in human flourishing and wellness. Read more.

by Jennifer Bernstein

Over the past few years, our middle school educational team has observed increasing signs of anxiety and depression in our students, a phenomenon educators and parents across the country have noted with growing concern. Read more.

by Ilisa Cappell and Cheryl Maayan

The first year of the Jewish day school headship is a challenging and pivotal moment in a leader's career, and supporting new heads of school as they transition into new schools and communities is essential for the field. This year, Prizmah and Day School Leadership Training Institute (DSLTI) partnered to forge The New Heads Initiative with the goal of doing just that. Read more.

Looking for quick and easy tips you can implement right away to increase your pipeline for enrollment? Join admission professionals and school leaders from Jewish day schools and yeshivas for a master class to help you develop an outreach frame-of-mind. You’ll gain ideas for how to best engage families of young children and generate buzz for your school, and will cultivate mindsets that will  help your team to increase interest in your school’s brand and foster greater retention. Learn more and register here.

Jewish organizational leaders all across the United States are joining an effort to combat societal polarization, ensuring a healthy democracy for the next generation. Civic Spirit and Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools invite you to join a conversation with Aaron Dorfman, Executive Director of A More Perfect Union: The Jewish Partnership for Democracy, a new, transpartisan effort to mobilize the American Jewish community to protect and strengthen American democracy.

Aaron will be describing A More Perfect Union’s work to engage the Jewish community in nonpartisan work to ensure free, fair, safe, and accessible 2022 midterm elections, and multiple shorter and longer term opportunities for Jewish day schools to participate in the process. Learn more and register here.

Your school’s website is your home on the web. In addition to asking friends and family for school recommendations, they are also doing extensive research on their own. What are you going to say above the fold on the homepage that will hook them into continuing their visit? On what cadence is new content added and existing content refreshed? Learn more and register here.

This series continues on November 3rd, February 2nd, and March 3rd.

Partnering with your Development Chair presented by Hannah Olson, Prizmah's Senior Vice President, Development and Lisa Popik Coll, Vice Chair, Prizmah Board of Directors

Join us for a monthly professional development, interactive learning experience, open to all development professionals. Topics and presenter information coming soon. Learn more and register here.

Join Judaic Studies leaders from day schools across North America to learn practical strategies for differentiation in the elementary and middle school Judaic Studies classroom (with a focus on grades 3-8) that you can bring back to your faculty. In collaboration with Hidden Sparks, we will also explore a checklist for observing lessons, steps for assessing what elements to prioritize and address, and tools for providing effective feedback using a strength-based approach. Learn more and register here.

This series continues on November 3rd, 7th, 10th, 14th, and 17th.

Your school’s brand is much more than just one visual marker. It’s the experience that families are having and what they say behind your back. On a micro level, it includes color palette, typography, iconography, photography. Not only visual, there are written elements–mission, vision, values, and key messages. On a macro level, it’s what you say, how you say it, and how it’s received. It all stems back to your school’s Why. Learn more and register here.

This series continues on February 2nd and March 3rd.

Registration closes today! Unpacked for Educators Collaborative

Transform your Israel Teaching Experience
Through the Unpacked for Educators Collaborative, you will access premium educational resources, advance your knowledge and skills through professional development, and network with an international community of diverse Israel educators. During the year-long program, a partnership between Prizmah and Unpacked for Educators, you and your team will engage with the Unpacked for Educators educational staff, the Prizmah team, and each other through meaningful and content-rich webinars, curated educational materials, and facilitated collaboration. Registration closes Thursday, September 15th. Learn more and register here.

We are thrilled to officially welcome back all of our schools across North America. We have loved seeing all the smiling faces, whether it be from this week, or the past month. Help us continue to collect pictures to share. Make sure to tag us on social media or email pictures to [email protected].