Thought Leadership on Community Collaboration

September 5, 2024 // 2 Elul 5784

Prizmah and the whole day school community mourns this week as we bury six more hostages who were victims of terror:

Carmel Gat
Eden Yerushalmi
Hersh Goldberg-Polin
Alexander Lobanov
Almog Sarusi
Ori Danino

Through the darkness, the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, both extraordinary alumni of North American Jewish day schools, have found strength in their values, their strong community, and dedication to the state of Israel. In times like these, we see how our day school communities undeniably tether us in the diaspora to Israel, and to each other as Jewish people. We mourn with them and alongside all of Klal Israel.

Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh, all of Israel are responsible for one another (Shevuot 39a). One community.

This month we have highlighted the importance of community collaboration. Community collaboration is the cornerstone of successful and thriving Jewish communities and schools. Our communities hold us up, foster growth, and enable day schools to continue to lay a strong foundation for a thriving Jewish future. May we know no more pain.

Baruch Dayan Ha’emet, may their memories be a blessing, and may all the hostages return home safely as soon as possible.

In This Issue

Commemorating October 7th
Thought Leadership on Community Collaboration
Upcoming Programming and Learning Opportunities
Mazel Tov Moments
Jewish Day Schools in the News
Don’t Miss This

Commemorating October 7th

UnitedEd Global Mifgash: An October 7th Commemoration
UnitedEd has developed a live commemorative program designed for elementary and middle school students happening at 1:00 PM ET // 10:00 AM PT on Monday, October 7th. It will focus on hope and resilience while commemorating the tragic events and aftermath of October 7th. Learn more and register.

Local Programming

Jewish Federation of MetroWest NJ is holding a community-wide gathering on Monday October 7th to mark the moment.

JCC Denver is holding a family program on Monday October 7th to commemorate together with the Denver community.

Jewish Federation of Greater Washington is hosting an evening of remembrance, reliance, and hope for a brighter future on Monday October 7th in Washington DC.

Jewish Federation of St. Louis is hosting “From Darkness to Light” on October 7th. Registration is required ahead of time.

Reach out to your local Federation to find a commemoration event near you.

Thought Leadership on Community Collaboration

Collaboration 2.0, by Melissa Rivkin

In recent years, the Greater Seattle Jewish day schools made a deliberate shift towards collaboration, turning individual institutions into a cohesive, thriving network. For Jewish education professionals across the country, this community’s journey offers a practical roadmap for enhancing collaboration and strengthening ties within their own communities.

The transformation in Seattle was the result of a strategic shift in mindset and operations, from viewing collaboration as a tactical necessity to embedding it as a core cultural value. This shift has led to tangible outcomes, from increased student mobility between schools to broader community engagement. Read more.

Community Benchmarking Strengthens Schools and Builds Trust, by Odelia Epstein

In the nonprofit sector, adopting strategies from the for-profit world can lead to improvements in efficiency, effectiveness, and overall impact. This is particularly true in education, where understanding financial and operational data is critical for informed decision-making and long-term sustainability. At Prizmah, we have developed an approach to achieving financial and operational excellence through data-driven insights obtained from financial and operational benchmarking. Read more.

New Research on Why Jewish Day School Matters: Collaboration to Measure Day School Outcomes, by Zivya Feifel Mosbacher

Every ten years, the Jewish United Fund (JUF) sponsors a study to understand the unique needs of the Chicago Jewish community. The 2020 Metropolitan Chicago Jewish Population Study included a new set of questions to understand how day school alumni and non-day school Jewish adults engage in Jewish life differently. Findings indicate that day school alumni exhibit a stronger Jewish identity, greater commitment to the Jewish community, and more positive attitudes toward Israel.

The following is a summary of key research findings and highlights how JUF collaborates with local day school leadership to apply outcomes based measurement to their work. Read more.

Community Collaboration: Raising All Boats

In this podcast, learn about Stronger Together, an initiative of Prizmah, Combined Jewish Philanthropies, and The Beker Foundation that works collaboratively with the 14 Boston-area Jewish day schools and yeshivas. This initiative aims to foster a culture of collaboration and explore opportunities for shared success. Explore how the project came about, how it functions, what it has accomplished so far and where it might develop moving forward.

Upcoming Programming and Learning Opportunities

Level Up Your Lay Leadership

For school board members

Strong board members are the partners every community needs to build successful Jewish day schools and Prizmah is committed to supporting lay leaders in their vital roles.

Our new lay leadership task force, composed of previous board chairs from across the country, is introducing three new vehicles to level up your lay leadership.

Encourage your school’s board to join a free series of four virtual training sessions designed to address leadership questions and enhance skills. Session 1 starts Tuesday, September 24th. Learn more and register.
Join the Board Leadership Reshet, an online community for board members to chat and share resources directly with one another from communities across North America
Attend specially curated lay leader sessions at the Prizmah Conference in February 2025.

Day School Leadership Training Institute Alumni Retreat 2025

For Day School Leadership Training Institute Alumni

Before the Prizmah Conference in February, DSLTI Alumni from the last 13 cohorts are invited to come together for this pre-conference retreat. Enjoy shabbat meals, singing, spiritual chevrutah, and discussion about the challenges and opportunities of leadership. Engage with alumni leaders in authentic ways, continuing to enhance your leadership skills and recentering before the Prizmah Conference. Learn more and register.

Save the Date: Prizmah Conference 2025

The Prizmah Conference is only five months away. Join over 1,100 professionals and stakeholders from the Jewish day school and yeshiva network. Mark your calendars now, and lookout for more information about the program and experience over the next few months. Registration will open after Sukkot. Visit prizmah.org/prizmahconference for more information about registration fees and frequently asked questions.

Mazel Tov Moments

Mazel Tov to the school leaders participating in Prizmah 2024-2025 cohorts of Engage: Growing School and Community Partnerships and Orthodox Women in Leadership.

Mazel Tov to Prizmah’s Orthodox Women in Leadership Cohort 2 Alum Gila Ogle on her appointment as the incoming Head of School at Silver Academy in Harrisburg, PA.

Through Engage, admission professionals work with Prizmah and local PJ library partners to increase their potential for expanded recruitment, stronger retention, and higher enrollment by positioning their schools as central hubs for Jewish communal life through grant supported programming initiatives. Congratulations to these 18 schools who are taking their admissions strategy to the next level.

Orthodox Women In Leadership is a uniquely designed cohort program tailored to support, engage, and grow the leadership of Orthodox women in Jewish day schools. We are thrilled to welcome 19 women into this year’s new cohort of leaders, and can’t wait to continue watching these women build their leadership capacities and make impacts in school communities across North America.

Mazel Tov to David Martinez, Director of Athletics and Facilities at Rochelle Zell High School on being named one of Jewish Chicago’s 36 under 36.

Jewish Day Schools in the News

Our Experiment with Shared Recruiting to Address the Educator Pipeline, JNS
Classrooms Without Borders Invests Year in Day School Educators Before Taking Them to Israel, Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle
Start-up Classrooms Aim to Ensure Jewish Pupils Choose Jewish Schools, JNS
Emet Classical Academy, NYC Jewish School Focused on ‘Great Intellectual History of the West’ is Opening With 40 Students, JTA
Legacy Lives On: Beth Yeshurun Day School Renamed in Honor of Beloved Rabbi Jack Segal, Jewish Herald Voice
Shorashim Subs to Help Jewish Day School Educators, The Jewish Herald Voice

Don’t Miss This

Educators Track at IAC Summit in Washington DC
IAC National Summit’s Educators Track, September 19-21 in Washington, D.C. invites educators to explore innovative strategies, network, and grow professionally. Focus on Israel education in a changing world. Register at iacsummit.org

Free Professional Development in Israel for Young Professionals
Birthright Israel Onward, in partnership with M², brings Sullam Israel Residency: a new professional development opportunity for Jewish community professionals in the early stages of their careers. Professionals with 18 months-5 years of experience working in the Jewish community will benefit from the opportunity to learn about and process the profound shifts in Israel and the Jewish world post-October 7. Engage with and reaffirm the core principles of Zionism and the Jewish collective, as well as develop critical thinking through an authentic interaction with Israel and Israelis. Learn more.

Cohort 1: January 27–February 23, 2025
Cohort 2: July 7–August 4, 2025 (great for educators!)

Ensure your Prizmah Network affiliation is up to date to continue enjoying the benefits and connections of the entire Jewish day school and yeshiva network.

To view the full list of current Prizmah Leadership Searches, or to learn about the Prizmah search process, click here or reach out to [email protected].

Explore resources, templates, and videos curated and created for Jewish day school professional and lay leaders in Prizmah’s Knowledge Center.

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Phone: 646-975-2800

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