Beth Tfiloh Congregation & Community School

Ark web header

Build the Ark, Carry the Future

Since October 7, BT has been our anchor. A place where we’ve turned to - to pray, process, and keep going. BT has been more than a school or synagogue. It’s a place where Jewish identity is accepted, supported, celebrated, and deepened. But the threats we facing now aren’t temporary. They aren’t headlines or passing tensions. They’re deep-seated and generational so our response needs to be just as lasting.

Jewish professionals facing open hostility at work, families are navigating complicated conversations in their neighborhoods, friendships, and social circles. Jewish students on walking onto college campuses where anti-Jewish sentiment shows up in classrooms, student groups, in gathering spaces, and in quiet moments between friends and even instructors. In a world like this, the difference between surface-level Jewish education and deep, identify-shaping Jewish formation is not just academic but existential.

The data is clear and the impact is real. Jewish day schools work. According to the January 2025 Prizmah January 2025 study, “Jewish Day School Alumni on Campus: A Comparative Analysis of Engagement and Identity”:

81% of day school alumni say Jewish identity is very important vs. 35% who didn't attend day school.
56% of day school alumni feel "very close" to the Jewish community vs. 19% of other Jewish college students.
Day school alumni are 4x more likely to feel strongly connected to Israel (61% vs. 16%).
Twice as many day school alumni engage actively in Jewish campus life (53% vs. 23%).

Generations before us have invested tremendously to build the foundation of Beth Tfiloh, but if we’re serious about helping Jewish life survive and flourish, we have to keep building - boldly and intentionally. Our children must see in our actions and choices, that Beth Tfiloh isn’t just a school or a synagogue. It’s the bedrock, the place where Jewish identity is rooted and nurtured so that it can continue to grow strong. Let’s make sure it has everything it needs.

With the ARK Initiative, we’re preparing the next generation of unmatched education in both Jewish and general studies. We’re investing in extraordinary teachers, stronger security, deeper connections to Israel, a more engaged alumni network, and expanded scholarship opportunities so that every child who belongs at BT can be here.

Now is the moment to give more, to go above and beyond and raise the bar even higher so that one day we can look back and say: American Jewish life - and life at BT - changed after October 7. It didn’t get weaker. It got better.

In his State of World Jewry Address earlier this year, Dan Senor praised a massive gift to Tel Aviv University, and asked, “Who will be next? And here in America? Who will make that bet on American Jewish life?”

The answer is us. We’re asking you to make BT one of your top three philanthropic priorities. Every commitment is a plank in the ARK - a teacher hired, a student supported, a program expanded, a bond with Israel strengthened. Let’s build our ARK together.

We’re building something that matters. We’re asking you to add your plank to the ARK.

Ark Initiative Introduction with Jordan Hirsch

State of the World Jewry Podcast

Join the Ark Initiative

Ark Pledge Signers 2

Stuart and Lori Abell

Ivy and Chris Ammann

Jonathan and Tara Attman

Deborah and Louis Baer

Stephanie and David Baron

Talia Berkowitz and Berkowitz

Brooke and Brian Berman

Victoria and Scott Blumberg

Lauren and David Braunstein, Steering Committee

Michael and Rivka Bresler

Tara Brown and Ari Mittleman

Jan and Andy Cardin

Joe and Angelica Carliner

Lois and Gary Cassel

Michelle and Scott Cherry

Jesse and Steve Cleveland

Joel Cohn and Jill Spector

Mandy and Gary Diamond

Sharon and Robert Dondes

Ann Dreyer and Rich Hanna

Jill and Gary Eidelman

Talia Lefkowitz and Byron Edwards

Nicole and Sidney Glick

Carly and Jeffrey Greenberg

Liz and Josh Greenwald

Johanna Gruenhut and Jonathan Flombaum

Jayne and Jonathan Havens, Steering Committee

Midge and Lowell Herman

Vicki and Jesse Hervitz

Samara and Jordan Hirsch, Steering Committee Chairs

Ken Hornstein and Larraine Bernstein

Jordana and Andrew Hurwitz

Linda and Steven Hurwitz

Jessie and Michael Jaskulsky

Robert and Shelley Kaye

Heather and Aaron Levinoff

Laurie Lieberman and Robert Segal

Deena and Dan Lubelski, Steering Committee

Allison and Aaron Magat

Batsheva and Shimmy Messing, Steering Committee

Mandi and Brett Miller

Huppit and David Miller, Steering Committee

Deborah and Searle Mitnick

Laurie and Seth Okin

Rabbi Chai Posner and Rachel Posner

Shoshi and Brian Ponczak

Miriam and Yoni Rose

Sarah and Yaakov Rubin

Dodi and Joey Samuel, Steering Committee

Julie and Josh Schenker, Steering Committee

Henry and Ruthanne Sheller

Jeremy and Jenna Sperber

Vered and Marty Taylor, Steering Committee

Amir and Tamar Tsemach

Holly and Steven Venick

Eileen and Morris Wise

Kimberly and Jason Wynn, Steering Committee