A Gesher supporter recently asked me to define ‘Institutional Advancement’ (IA). It’s a term referenced in many different settings and can take on different meanings depending on the organization. A quick Wiki look-up provides a broad definition: “the division of an institution focused on the improvement of the entity, primarily involved in fundraising activities. It […]
Happy New Year, Gesher community! The beginning of a new year — indeed, a new decade — is naturally a time for reflection. The past year, as any, has had its share of highlights and challenges. For me and my family, 2019 ended on a high note. In early December, we celebrated my son’s Bar […]
Welcome to the Hebrew month of Elul! Excited?! Meh, not so much. There is nothing particularly significant for you to observe this month. The high holidays are next month. This time of year is somewhat quiet on the Jewish calendar. As a result, Jewish tradition has elevated Elul to become a reflective time of year […]
This week, I read a powerful Facebook post by Lori Palatnik, a local and national community leader, It read, “Jews have two memorial days: #YomHazikaron to remind us of the cost of having Israel, and #YomHashoah to remind of us the cost of not.” I am a proud Jewish, Zionist woman. I wear this identity […]
Teacher collaboration increases a school’s ability to impact the students! As a school, we have worked hard to create a shared vision of good teaching, which, in turn has shaped collaboration and changed the professional culture at Gesher JDS. Most people think of professional development as teachers learning from the outside and bringing it back […]
This week we attended the 2019 Prizmah Conference in Atlanta. Over three days, we engaged with 1100 Jewish day school educators and leaders to DREAM BIG about the future of Jewish education, the day school world, and to talk about our own personal dreams for our school and for our children. On Monday, we used […]