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Jewish Community Day Schools
By Ada Michaels
Ada Michaels
Since retirement as head of the Hebrew
Academy of Tidewater in June, 1996, I have
had the opportunity to travel in the United
States. And, what did I choose to visit?
Jewish Community Day Schools, of course.
After spending so many years "tied" to the
Hebrew Academy, it has been interesting to
compare the growth and development of day schools in other
cities. Besides visiting day schools, I am the national consultant
for the Jewish Community Day School Network (JCDSN) which
is comprised of 48 schools in the United States and Canada
representing over 10.500 students. Dr. Laurence Kutler, Head of
the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater. is currently serving as
chairman of the Network.
My most recent travels were in Florida where I visited the
David Posnack Hebrew Day School in Plantation and the Hebrew
Day School of Central Florida in Orlando. Previously, I visited the
Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Boca Raton and the Hillel
School in Tampa.
Florida has a booming economy and a rapidly expanding
Jewish population. The south Florida counties of Dade, Palm
Beach and Broward constitute the fourth largest Jewish population
center in the United States. (The largest is New York City,
followed by Los Angeles and Chicago.)
In this area there are five community day schools associated
with JCDSN and an equal number of day schools affiliated with
specific Jewish denominations. The increase of the young Jewish
population has led to an influx of students for day schools.'Three
day schools are adding ninth grades and/or expanding to a second
campus.
Dr. Gary Rubin, the Federation director of Broward County
and a previous director of our Tidewater Federation, spoke with
enthusiasm about the population explosion in his area and the
changes it has brought, particularly in the growth of the area day
schools. He noted that Jewish day schools are offering high quality
education surpassing other schools, both public and private. The
students' attendance in day schools make the families more
knowledgeable in Judaic ritual and practice. Roni Raab, Head of
the Upper School at the Donna Klein Jewish Academy, sees a
commitment in the families to Jewish education. He states',
"Families are looking for Jewish continuity and remaining at a day
school through high school encourages this."
Schools that are expanding do not have to be located in the
southern Florida thriving area. The Hebrew Day School of Central
Florida (Orlando) is planning to expand to a second campus. The
Hillel School of Tampa recently expanded its building to
accommodate the influx of students. And, it is not just in Florida
that I am seeing the increase in the Jewish day school population.
New schools are opening or established schools are increasing
enrollments in New Orleans, Portland, Maine, Durham/Chapel
Hill, and Lancaster, PA to mention a few. In addition to the high
schools planned at the David Posnack Hebrew Day School and the
Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Florida, there are new high
schools in Atlanta, Boston, and Irvine, CA to mention a few.
What does this mean for our future? How does this relate to the
Hebrew Academy of Tidewater? The young families of today are
CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
Tidewater National Jewish women's
organization join together for Symposium
By Annie Sandier
The overwhelming success of
women's programming and con-
ferences across the country --
be they spiritual, educational, or
practical and hands-on in nature
-- was the impetus for creating
a women's symposium in our
own Tidewater community.
Farideh Goldin and I attended
the first International Research
Institute for Jewish Women
(IRIJW) at Brandeis University
this past December. The invita-
tional conference was the inau-
gural event of the IRIJW and
signaled the beginning of a new
era in Jewish women's studies
around 'the world. Presenters
talked about the status of Jewish
women in their respective coun-
tries and offered insights into the
.......................................
Save
the
Date!
WHAT: Jewish Women's
S convened by tthe
United Jewish Fedation of
Tidewater
WHEN: Sunday, Aug. 30
WHERE: I-ldxew
Academy of T-'wat
myriad of challenges facing
Jewish women around the
world, including accommoda-
tion of the past, negotiation of
the present, and planning for the
future.
The presentations were so
powerful and pertinent to us that
we came home to Tidewater,
located underwriters and encour-
aged five national Jewish
Women's organizations to con-
vene the event. The coalition is
comprised of Women's Ameri-
can ORT, Hadassah, Jewish
Women International (formerly
B'nai B'rith Women), Brandeis
University Women. and the
Women's Division of the United
Jewish Federation of Tidewater
(UJA/CJF).
In today's world, women are
being pulled in many different
directions by jobs, by families,
and by community participation
and volunteerism at all levels. It
is becoming increasingly diffi-
cult for today's woman to find
Dr. Shulamith Reinharz
Director of Women's Studies
Professor of Sociology, Brandeis University
the time to leave home and trav-
el to out of town conferences.
However, we recognize that
there is still a need for interest-
ing, substantive, and provocative
discussion on current women's
issues affecting not only our-
selves, but our mothers, friends,
sisters, and daughters. In
response to this need, we have
scheduled our first Jewish
Women's Symposium: "Sharing
Voices: Strength in Unity." The
symposium will be held on Sun-
day, August 30 at the Hebrew
Academy of Tidewater.
Dr. Shulamit Reinharz, Direc-
tor of the IRIJW and the
Women's Studies Depamnent at
Brandeis University, along with
Dr. Sylvia Barack Fishman,
Judaic Studies Chair at Bran-
well, showcasing just some of
th amazing hm,town talent
and resources available in this
community. Part of the beauty
and strength of our community
is its wealth ol;human resources.
We are fommate to have women
volunteers and professionals
who are capable and talented,
welt-informed and opinionated,
active and tireless. The time is
right to run a terrific program
highlighting that talent and
offering an opportunity to build
and strengthen relationships
between ourselves as individuals
and among our wonderful and
diverse women's organizations.
Pooling resources and forging
stronger relationships, crossing
boundaries for the good of the
whole, will serve to make us a
deis, will facilitate the sympo-
sium and deliver the keynote
presentations. Internationally
recognized photographer Joan
Roth will document the sympo-
sium and also present at one of
the program's break-out ses-
sions. Ruth Knafo Setton,
author and professor, will also
conduct two break-out sessions.
Several of our own women
will present at the conference, as
stronger community, tt will aim
open up new lines of communi-
cation and provide a formn for
new ideas and conversations.
Please mark your day-plan,
nets and hold the date of Sun-
day Aug, 30. Tell a friend.
Bring a tiend. And keep read-
ins the South Eastern Virginia +
Jewish News for further updates
on the Jewish Women's Sympo-
sium.
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