Head of School Blog
Crafting Adult Jewish Identities
The vast majority of American Jews are raised non-Orthodox, and their primary experiences with Judaism come from home (or their grandparents’ home), Jewish preschools, synagogue schools as they prepare for Bar/Bat Mitzvah, and sometimes Jewish camping. A tiny minority (around 2-5%) of non-Orthodox children attend Jewish Day Schools in the US. Studies have demonstrated that […]
We are not perfect
I was privileged to serve as Vice Chair for a Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) Accreditation Team this week for an independent school in Richmond, VA. VAIS member schools are accredited on 10 year cycles, with an interim visit in year 5. Gesher recently received re-accreditation through our own 10-year site visit back in […]
Wise-hearted
As an educator with background and training in both science and religion, I am often struck by the fact that so many people can’t wrap their heads around how these two domains connect and intersect. The general impression I get is that most folks believe that science and religion are diametrically opposed, and that if […]
Spread light
This week’s Torah Portion, Tetzaveh, begins with a verse that introduces the concept of the Ner Tamid, the everlasting light that burns next to arks holding Torah scrolls around the world. Light is often used as a metaphor for divinity and holiness in many traditions, including Judaism. One of the reasons I love working in […]
I disagree
Respect. Listen. Breathe. Open mind. Ask questions. Validate. These are some of the pieces of advice offered by our faculty after spending time studying texts on productive disagreement during a Professional Development day this week. They may seem obvious, but of course they can be the most challenging to hold on to when we are […]