BT Leadership Collaborate with Peers at Jewish Day School Conference

Beth Tfiloh’s Director of Education Mrs. Zipora Schorr, Lower School Principal Mrs. Nina Wand and Director of Development Mrs. Mandi Miller joined more than 700 leaders and educators from Jewish day schools across the Jewish spectrum at the third annual North American Jewish Day School Conference (NAJDSC) in Atlanta on January 15-17.

“This important conference highlighted current issues and challenges that are shared across the broad field of Jewish day school education,” remarked Mrs. Schorr, who delivered a stirring D’var Torah to educators and professionals from over 300 schools and professional organizations.

As part of Friday night Shabbat services, Mrs. Nina Wand gave a dvar torah that explored the connection between shalom — peace — and Shabbat. Mrs. Mandi Miller accepted the $25,000 2011 PEJE Challenge Award grant, awarded to BT as one of only three schools recognized nationally for its legacy giving development efforts.

This year, the conference focused on “Current Landscapes—Changing Horizons,” with sessions addressing topics such as 21st century skills, the Jewish day school value proposition, re-imagining and sustaining day schools, and innovations in Jewish education. Equally important was the networking time that allowed participants to meet and hold in-depth discussions with other practitioners, funders, and education professionals. “I cannot overstate the importance of collaboration in today’s marketplace,” asserted Amy Katz, Executive Director of PEJE. “I hope that our coming together will demonstrate to the field the power of uniting behind a common interest.”

Dr. Marc Kramer, Executive Director of RAVSAK, noted with pride that “with more than 700 day school leaders and supporters convening in Atlanta, we have solid evidence that the day school movement is anything but stuck in neutral. The vibrancy and importance of day schools is more evident than ever before.”

The conference was jointly planned by RAVSAK: The Jewish Community Day School Network, the Institute for University-School Partnership at Yeshiva University, the Schechter Day School Network, PARDeS: The Progressive Association of Reform Day Schools, and PEJE, the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education. The North American Jewish Day School Leadership Conference is supported by the AVI CHAI Foundation, The Covenant Foundation, ERB, the Kohelet Foundation, Measuring Success and several anonymous funders.

For more information on the conference, including multimedia materials from many of the sessions, please visit: www.jewishdayschoolconference.org.