KSA Blog

KSA Israel: Haifa

2012-02-10T06:03:00.000-08:00

Today we spent most of the day in Haifa. We met the kids this morning and it was so great to see smiling, tired faces who had a wonderful night with their host families and the amazing amount of food that each host packed for our kids' lunches--like every other day, everyone was well satiated--one student even had six sandwiches, so that he could eat throughout the day!

After meeting everyone, we took a tour of Haifa, stopping at several points for beautiful views of the Mediterranean Sea. We also stopped at the Cave of Eliyahu, one of the religious spots of Haifa. As we are in the winter season here in Israel, we were darting in and out of raindrops, but our hosts assured us that the rain is over and that we will have a beautiful Shabbat. Our last stop of the morning was a visit to the Technion where we heard a lecture from a member of the Rambam Medical Center faculty about stem cell research and heart muscle regeneration processes that are being studied there. This was a key part of the research that the 8th graders are doing for their science fair projects this year.

We stopped for lunch at a gorgeous seaside park, where we ate, the kids played games and we took in a close up of the waves crashing against the shore. The warm weather (by Boston standards) was a real treat for everyone.

We are now at Nachsholim, just prior to when we will gather with our friends, who are no longer new, and welcome Shabbat together. We came to Israel ten days ago as a group of 8th graders and their teachers; we are now spending Shabbat as a close-knit community that has grown in depth and one in which many friendships have started and many others have blossomed.

To view today's video, click here.

As the sun sets over the Mediterranean and we prepare to welcome Shabbat, we wish you all a Shabbat Shalom. May it be a peaceful one for us, for you and for all the world.

Marc Medwed
Head of School

KSA Israel: The Golan and HAIFA

2012-02-09T10:36:00.000-08:00

We had a great night at Kibbutz Gonen and we loved our day today. We began our day at Har Bental. The overlook is beautiful and provides stunning views of Mount Hermon and the Golan. From the overlook one can see Mount Hermon (3,000 meters above sea level), several Druze villages as well as a network of old bunkers and trenches. Just to the east of Mount Bental is Syria, with Damascus lying just 60km away. We learned about the strategic nature of the Golan and what took place in the Yom Kippur War. Because of the intensity of the war here, the long stretch of valley in between Mount Bental and Mount Hermon became known as the Valley of Tears. The Israelis did eventually prevail, but not without suffering heavy casualties from the Syrians.

From there we went to the Tel Dan Nature Preserve where we enjoyed some hiking and learned a lot about the area. The modern day preserve is on what is believed to have been the biblical city of Dan, and was in modern times a site that was important to the events of the Six Day War.

After our great morning, we traveled into Haifa and met our friends from Ironi Gimmel at Bet Halochem, a rehab center for injured soldiers that has locations throughout Israel. Prior to leaving school, our 8th graders collected money to be donated to Beit Halochem and we had the opportunity to present $450 to the center to help in the work that they are doing. We also heard the first-hand story of a soldier who was injured and is at Beit Halochem. The story was very moving and struck home with quite a few students and teachers in our group.

After Beit Halochem, we went back to Ironi Gimmel where we were greeted with a wonderful reception. We were welcomed by the local representative of the Boston-Haifa Connection who facilitated some getting to know you games and we were treated to a sumptuous spread of Israeli foods (because no Jewish parent wants their guests to go hungry!). Our kids were very excited to have the opportunity to really connect with their new friends. Tonight, many of the kids came to the mall, called here the "Grand Kenyon," where it is great to see packs of American and Israeli kids talking, laughing and walking around the mall.

The connections with Ironi Gimmel are a definite highlight for everyone and we are looking forward to spending tomorrow and Shabbat with our new friends!

To view today's video, click here. As you will see in the video, we had a really great day and are so excited to be with our new friends from Ironi Gimmel.

Marc Medwed
Head of School

KSA Israel: Tel Aviv and northbound

2012-02-08T10:44:00.000-08:00

Today involved a lot of travel! We left Masada this morning for the two hour drive to Tel Aviv where we enjoyed a walking tour of Old Yafo. We walked along the water, learned about the history of the area, got a close up look at the gentrification and the rebuilding of the area and enjoyed seeing the contrast of the old and the new as we looked up the coast towards Tel Aviv.

Following our tour, we were treated to a special lunch in Tel Aviv--some of us opted for schwarma and others opted for pizza. Both options were great and were a nice change of pace from the youth hostel food that we had been eating. From lunch, we headed to the Palmach Museum. The Palmach was the elite unit of the underground military organization of the Jewish community prior to the founding of the State of Israel.

From the museum, we headed north towards Kibbutz Gonen, where we will be spending the night. On the way, we were welcomed with open arms to our tour guide's house. Thanks to Avner and his wife for opening their home to us in such a warm way.

We ended our day with a celebration of Tu B'Shvat--where else but Israel to enjoy all of the fruits from the trees but directly where they are grown? And, truth be told, they all taste better here in Israel!

Tomorrow we will finally have the opportunity to meet our new Israeli friends from Ironi Gimmel, enjoy some wonderful home hospitality and of course do some more shopping!

To see today's video, click here. Looking forward to tomorrow and to spending another Shabbat in Israel!

Marc Medwed
Head of School

KSA Israel: Masada and the Dead Sea

2012-02-07T10:10:00.000-08:00

I am excited to turn the blog over to a few of our 8th grade students who asked if they could share their thoughts and impressions of the day. It has been a great day here in Israel and I am happy to share their words with you:

Instead of waking up at 4:30 to see the sunrise that was not there on Masada, we got extra sleep and breakfast before our climb today. We started our journey by leaving the hostel and walking to Masada which is located right next door. We started the hike with an easy path up to the base of Masada. Little did we know that we had a whole lot in store for us, for the path was quite steep and treacherous, but we pushed with perseverance. During the hike up, we were faced with the challenge of navigating the narrow snake path. Finally we reached our destination, the summit.

We started our adventure with a davening that was so powerful that we even had other groups of kids taking pictures of us and singing along (or as some say, making fun of us ;-)). When we got to the Amidah we were given the opportunity to spread out across the mountain and have our own space. We continued on with a tour of Masada learning the history of our martyrs. At the end of our time up on the mountain, we were given the choice to take the easy way down on the cable car or hike down the mountain. When we got to the bottom, we enjoyed a delicious treat of ice cream and iced mocha lattes. And of course, we also went to the gift shop, as what kind of tourists would be be if we didn't continuously support the Israeli economy?

We took a quick trip to the hostel to prepare for our visit to the Dead Sea. We then took the bust to a hotel next to the Dead Sea and ate a quick lunch. Then, we walked down to the beach to enjoy a freezing, yet relaxing float. Unfortunately for some of us, it burned and scorched our cuts, but after a few minutes in the water the pain subsided.

All of us soon applied mud to our bodies and enjoyed our new "smooth as a baby's butt" skin, as it was called by our tour guide, Avner.

On the way home to the hostel we took an avatiach break which is a popsicle that tastes exactly like watermelon. Now we are writing this blog in the lobby and are looking forward to the rest of the trip.

By Wesley, Adina , Sasha, Aviatal, Kaitlyn, and a little bit of Natalie
with my deep and sincere appreciation for taking away from their precious moments of free time...

To see today's video, click here. Tomorrow, we head north to spend the day in Tel Aviv and then it is up to Kibbutz Gonen for the night. We are getting closer to Haifa and to meeting our new friends from Ironi Gimmel!

Marc Medwed
Head of School

KSA Israel: Making our way back to the north

2012-02-06T14:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, truth be told it was a disappointing night for us here in our part of Israel and so many of us are tired from having woken up for the 1:30 am kickoff and watching the game. Although we had a later start today, we were all a little sluggish for the first part of the day.

We began with a rousing rendition of "Boker Tov," a fabulous song of greeting and waking up that got our blood flowing and our bodies moving. Replete with hand gestures and a lot of yelling, we couldn't help but put smiles on our faces! We then were ready for another wonderful tefilah in at Park Timna, located about twenty minutes north of Eilat, where we enjoyed the spectacular sandstone, granite and rock formations that surrounded us on three sides. The rocky terrain gave us places to sit, stand and daven and provided us with a majestic backdrop for our daily conversation with God. Today, as we focused on listening to what God was saying to each of us, it was incredibly powerful that for a single moment, nobody in our group was moving, no rocks falling and no sound coming from any place that we could see or hear. The silence was golden, yet it said so much to us.

After tefilah, we learned all about scorpions and many of our children decided to see what it would be like to have a scorpion touching their face...don't worry, the stinger was held on the opposite end, so there was no danger to anyone. And yes, as you watch the video, that is me declining to participate in the activity--creatures like these are just not my thing.

From there, we participated in three short hikes around the various formations and copper mines, learning about the chemical compound, erosion and the land on which we were walking. It was a slower pace, but interesting elements nonetheless. We enjoyed a lovely lunch of felafel and fabulous Israeli salads. For many of our kids, this trip is the first time that they are trying foods out of their comfort zones and they are doing a great job!

Of course, consistent with other days, our next stop was a trip highlight--a stop at the Yotveta store. Yotveta is a dairy kibbutz located about twenty minutes north of Park Timna. The kibbutz is famous for its chocolate milk and so many other dairy products. We bought souvenirs and everyone was treated to an ice cream.

We then got back on the bus for the approximately two hour bus ride to the Masada Youth hostel where we are staying for the next two nights. We had originally planned to wake up early and climb Masada in order to see the sunrise, but as today has been cloudy and foggy and that is the forecast for tomorrow, the group opted to sleep a little later, have breakfast and then begin the climb up to the top to daven and to learn about the rich history.

You can click here to see today's video and I look forward to sharing more with you tomorrow after we spend our day atop Masada, floating in the Dead Sea and hiking in Ein Gedi!

Marc Medwed
Head of School

KSA Israel: The Desert

2012-02-05T11:06:00.000-08:00

We got an early start this morning and thus continued the wonderful growth of our group as we were up, packed, cleaned up, satiated and out of our hotel. The kids were amazing, working together as a group to load the bus and to be sure that everyone in the group was feeling included and a part of the community.

Our first stop was at the grave of Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion. We had a beautiful tefilah overlooking the Negev--hearing our kids voices and taking in the fantastic panoramic views around us made for a very spiritual moment in time. The highlight was each person's individual Amidah, where we left the group to find out own personal space to daven, reflect, and stand alone, yet very much together. What a spiritual treat and a great opportunity to enjoy nature.

Following our lesson about Ben Gurion's vision, we went for camel rides! A highlight for everyone to be sure and many stories that our kids will be able to tell about how they got to know their camels, each one with a name and personality traits by the time the rides were done.

And then, it was on to another highlight--I guess it is a day of highlights, when we had our first supermarket lunch. You might be wondering what is so special about a supermarket lunch, so let me share: it begins with fresh baked pita. If you've eaten it right out of the oven, you know that is a treat unto itself! But add hummus, chocolate spread, white chocolate spread, Israeli cheese, Israeli pickles, cucumbers, tomatoes, potato chips and some shoko b'sakit (chocolate milk in a bag) and you've got what several kids termed, "the best meal they have had since arriving in Israel!" It is so exciting to see our kids enjoy these special Israeli foods!

From there, we drove to Machtesh Ramon, where we enjoyed an almost two hour jeep ride through the crater. It was bumpy, but filled with a lot of fun and a great landscape. By now, as you can imagine, the kids are exhausted and many fell asleep on the bus to Kibbutz Lotan, a ecological kibbutz that is affiliated with the Reform movement. We enjoyed dinner and now everyone is in for an early bedtime, as many are planning to wake up in a few hours to watch the Superbowl! Many are wearing their Patriot's shirts and jerseys and are excited to wake up to hopefully see a victory for our team!

So all in all, a really great day and we are looking forward to a fun night and an exciting day at Timna tomorrow as we continue our trek throughout the south. Did I mention that we have internet access here in the middle of the desert?

To enjoy today's video, click here.

From deep in the Negev and rooting for the PATS!,

Marc Medwed
Head of School

KSA Israel Trip: Shavuah Tov!

2012-02-04T14:22:00.000-08:00

Shavua tov! We had a great shabbat and a fabulous start to the new week!

The South Area Solomon Schechter Day School/Kehillah Schechter Academy alumni network stretches wide and far! Friday night for dinner, we welcomed 10 of our alumni who currently reside in Israel. They hung out with us throughout the evening and some stayed overnight and joined us for various parts of Shabbat today. It is a special treat when we can see our alumni "all grown up" and it is a true testament to the education they received as students in our school and a clear reflection on the community in which they were raised.

This morning we visited two shuls: some of us davened at Moreshet Yisrael, the Conservative Synagogue at the Fuchsberg Center for Conservative Judaism where we were welcomed with open arms, listed in their program and two our students were honored with opening the Aron Kodesh. The other part of the group davened at The Great Synagogue, which is located just around the corner from the Fuchsberg Center. We all returned to our hotel for Shabbat lunch and then a bit of rest time for everyone, as we are all still catching up on our sleep! Afterwards, some of us went on a walk to the Old City and walked atop one of the outer walls, others went the park to hang out and play some basketball and others hung out around the hotel.

Later in the afternoon, we enjoyed the snacks that everyone bought in the shuk and I am pleased to say that each group fully understood the directions and aside from the foreign apple, we had all of the foods that we wanted to have!

We joined together to end Shabbat with Havdalah in the courtyard and we really began to feel the group coming together as a whole. As a community that rarely gets to celebrate Havdalah together, it is a really special time that just brings everyone together as we formed a circle of friends and shifted from the quiet of Shabbat to the hustle and bustle of the week. On a trip like this, there are of course challenges that emerge as we live together 24/7 in very close and tight accommodations, but the power of the group is taking over and we are seeing some wonderful growth for so many of the kids.

After Havdalah, we wrote some more in our journals and then we headed out to Ben Yehuda Street for a fabulous evening on the town. While there, we ran in to friends and family from various walks of Jewish life, as Ben Yehuda is the place to be Motzei Shabbat in Jerusalem. We gave the kids money for dinner and they enjoyed local cuisine and we were warmly welcomed by the store owners, as along with every other American group in Israel who was on Ben Yehuda Street tonight, we gave a welcome boost to the Israeli economy!

It was a long day, but a great day and we are looking forward to heading south tomorrow. To enjoy today's video, click here.

Marc Medwed
Head of School

KSA Israel Trip: Erev Shabbat in Jerusalem

2012-02-03T06:01:00.000-08:00

Wow, did we all sleep last night. I am sure most of us would agree that it was a good sleep, but after our travels not long enough! That didn't stop us from getting up and going this morning. We started with tefilah and then made our way into Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust Museum. On a trip that is generally light-hearted and fun, our morning at Yad Vashem is always a very powerful time that we experience together, as our kids are well prepared from their Humanities class as well as from the years at KSA in our learning about and observances of Yom HaShoah.

Today's visit was no different in the level of engagement of our kids, their interest in everything that that the museum had to offer and the opportunity to experience this as the 8th grade KSA kehillah, community. The museum was packed and as we began our guided tour, we stayed together. As we moved further in, some of our students asked to stay back, to take a bit longer in some areas and to listen to their own hearts and minds as to what was impacting them at the moment. Before long, our group split into smaller groups and it was almost as if I was able to see the wheels turning and the hearts getting heavy. Usually I can tell a lot by watching their faces, but this time it was not so easy to see what was going on beneath the surface.

Our visit to the main museum ended with the charge for the future, for accepting responsibility for sharing the stories with future generations and to bring forward the memories of those who died and those survivors who will die one day as well.

As the grandson of survivors, this is one of the most intensely emotional places I have been, outside of my tour of Poland. Having been to this museum quite often, I spent some time reflecting on my various experiences. For me, a visiting with a group of students like ours is the reason I can and must continue to visit and support Yad Vashem, as amidst the darkness of the past, walks the bright sunshine of the future. Together we walked out of the main museum and the sun was shining as we walked to the Warsaw Ghetto Plaza.

From there we made our way over to the Children's Memorial which had a tremendous impact on so many of our kids. During the short walk through the dark room, you could hear a pin drop. When we left, we gathered outside and wrote in our journals and then had a short debrief where the kids shared their thoughts. Not that I was surprised, but the comments were so insightful and were so on target about some of the larger questions related to the Holocaust and human behavior around it and the enormity of the tragedy. Many kids talked about the first-hand accounts having the greatest impact, as they had a face to go with the story and were blown away by what they learned about some of the choices kids their age had to make during the war, as well as what some parents felt they needed to do for their children.

And then, in true Israeli fashion, we transitioned from the seriousness of the Holocaust to lunch and shopping at Machane Yehuda, the large open market in Jerusalem. For the quintessential Israeli experience, we gave groups of kids money to buy themselves lunch and we gave them an assignment, written in Hebrew, to buy something for the group to share for our Shabbat afternoon snack. The market was packed and it was no easy feat to get up to each stand. Hopefully everyone bought what they were supposed to, but I did hear something about a special apple from Swaziland that looked a lot like a turnip to me--it wasn't on the list, so I am not sure what will be with it!

As the stores began to close down, we returned to our hotel to prepare for Shabbat. In a little while, we will gather together to light shabbat candles and begin our walk to shul.

As we watch the beautiful sunset over the buildings of Jerusalem, I wish you all Shabbat Shalom and look forward to to writing again after our night on the town Moztei Shabbat. In the meantime, please enjoy today's video.

Shabbat Shalom,

Marc Medwed

Head of School

Has it really only just begun?

2012-02-02T13:25:00.000-08:00

It feels like so long ago that I wrote about my eager anticipation for our Israel trip. Now, it is about 11:30 at night in Israel at the end of our first day. For those of you who don't know about our travel, we left Norwood by bus yesterday at 10 am (East Coast Time), took off from JFK at 6:00 pm (East Coast Time) and arrived in Israel at 11:30 am (Israel Time, which is 7 hours ahead of East Coast Time). Our travels were smooth and uneventful--pretty much what every traveler would hope for. And as much fun as everyone had traveling together, it was more than enough time and we were ready for Israel!

After our arrival today, it took our group an additional two hours to get off the plane, through passport control, out of baggage claim and out to the bus. Let me not forget to mention the need to load the bus twice, as in their eagerness, our kids "loaded" the bus quickly, but for some reason could only fit about half of the suitcases on the bus and of course the receiving of our Israeli cell phones. We also met our tour guide Avner who will be with us for various components of our trip.

Logistics taken care of, we headed towards Jerusalem with a stop in Latrun for lunch. We were all hungry and enjoyed a healthy amount of food. After this, we drove to the Tayelet overlooking Jerusalem where we sang a Shehechiyanu--for about 1/3 of our group who are in Israel for the first time and of us who have not been in Israel in a long time. From here, we drove to the walls of the Old City, visited King David's tomb and walked through the Jewish Quarter to overlook the Kotel. As the hour drawing late, we headed back to the bus and headed back to our hotel for check in and finally freshening up. The accommodations are lovely, but not nearly as nice as the view from our rooms:

After a brief respite and in the hope of getting over our jetlag as quickly as possible, we ate some dinner and then headed out to the Mamilla Mall for a bit of an Israeli experience and then we took a stroll down to the Kotel for the first time for our kids to experience the rich history and ambiance of this special site. Then, we ended the evening with a tour of the Kotel tunnels.

It has been an incredible start to our journey together and our kids have been completely amazing. It is so great to see how they rise to the occasion and how much fun everyone is having together.

As it is late and I am tired, I am not sure I remembered everything! Luckily, we have Rabbi David with us who has been taking video and created a short montage of video that is chronicling our trip. Please be sure to watch it and feel free to pass the link along to others! Click here to see the first day video!

From Jerusalem,

Marc Medwed
Head of School

Only a few more hours...

2012-01-31T18:44:00.000-08:00

It is the night before we leave for Israel with our 8th graders and I am so excited to be traveling with such an amazing group of students and staff. Each time I prepare for a trip to Israel, I am still amazed at how it comes together and the excitement that it generates for me, as even though my trips follow a similar pattern, there is nothing like feeling the plane land in Israel after a long flight and feeling that I am visiting an old friend.

The real magic of our school trips to Israel though, are in the eyes of our children. Whether students have been to Israel before or not becomes a non-issue as they gather their belongings and make their way into Ben Gurion Airport, exhausted from our travels, but exhilarated with anticipation, excitement and pure joy.

For the parents of our 8th graders, this is a milestone event. Some kids are away from home for the first time; others have been away before, but never this far; and for everyone, this is a jewel in the crown of their day school education. As educators, we have the privilege of being there when the kids make connections to the material they have been studying in Tanakh and when we see glimpses of independent growth in each child as they take on traveling without their parents and gaining confidence in who they are and who they have become.

Perhaps most important though, is that we are doing it together, as a Kehillah, a community. While I wish you could all join us on this trip, it just isn't possible. But I do hope that you will travel with us virtually through blog postings right here and by watching our daily videos.

Israel is always an incredible place, but how much more so when we have the privilege of bringing our students, our children together to walk the land, breathe the air and take in everything that it has to offer.

I look forward to writing to you next time from Jerusalem!

Kol tuv,

Marc Medwed
Head of School

Post Conference Reflections

2012-01-20T05:54:00.000-08:00

It has been a few days since I returned from the North AmericaJewish Day School Conference in Atlanta. The conference was the third of its kind where all of the major dayschool networks joined together for learning. I had the privilege of attending the conference with Dr. Nitzan Resnickand Mrs. Ivonne Krasnick. Together weenjoyed networking with colleagues from around the country and from a varietyof school settings. A highlight for uswas the opportunity to visit The Epstein School, the Solomon Schechter Schoolof Atlanta, as part of the conference to see what things are going on in otherschools. I am proud to share that Dr.Resnick led a workshop that highlighted some of the work that we are doing inour school.

One of my biggest take aways from the conference was having theopportunity to network with many other school heads. The economicsituation all over is really tough and day schools in many communities arefeeling the impact. Schools are "right sizing" and makingadjustments to class sizes, budgets and staffing. There is great concernfor the day school movement--not that it is going anywhere but that thelandscape is shifting and changing dramatically, with Jewish day schoolsneeding and wanting to reemphasize the value proposition of our schools, asmoney becomes tighter for people and spending choices are impacted. Educationdone well is not an inexpensive endeavor and is a major investment for ourfamilies, yet from so much research and anecdotal evidence, we know that it isone of the best investments a family can make in the lives of their children.

Networking with other schools also gives us the chance toconduct a litmus test—what are we doing in our school and how does it comparewith the initiatives in other places? Itwas wonderful to reaffirm that with everything we are doing, our school is clearlya solid place of teaching and learning that provides an excellent education forour students. While this is a good placeto be, we are busy plotting our path for the continued growth and developmentof our school as we look towards next year and future year, as a school thatstops thinking about the future is not a school that we will have! The educational landscape that we know todayis shifting. While some of what we do istimeless, much will change in the next few years and we are moving with andahead of the curve as we learn about new technologies, think about bringingmore technologies as learning tools into our school and continue to evaluateour curriculum, carefully charting out the skills our children need and theHabits of Minds we want them to develop. This is an exciting time to be in thefield of education!

I would love to hear your thoughts on this as and join with meas we explore the next steps for our collective growth as a 21st centuryschool.

Marc Medwed

Head of School

How Far Have We Come?

2012-01-15T13:51:00.000-08:00

I am on a plane traveling to Atlanta for the North AmericanJewish Day School Conference. Over 600Jewish educators will come together for the next three days to share, reflectand learn from each other. I lookforward to writing about the conference, but not right now…

For me, the notion of flying to Atlanta, the birthplace ofReverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the weekend of his birthday and theNational holiday which marks his birth, is quite powerful. In school on Friday,our 3^rd graders and their teachers conducted a wonderful assemblythat taught all of our students a bit of the civil rights movement and aboutDr. King’s life and vision. Historicallyaccurate and appropriate for the K-8 crowd, the assembly program stopped shortof bringing the issues to the modern day.

We have come a long way since the days of state sponsoredsegregation. But as I reflect on ourworld today, how far have we really come and how much further to we have togo? As a parent, I can’t help but thinkabout my children and what they know, how they see the world and how the worldin which they are being raised will welcome them. I also wonder if I am giving them enough to beagents of change—the tools, the desire and the commitment to these values. We live in a world of inequality, where menstill make more money than women, where communities and neighborhoods are notfully integrated, not necessarily by design, but there are places that it doesexist.

And in today’s New York Times, a lead article in the NewYork edition talks about the challenges in Israel right now, where a segment ofthe population wants to limit the public view, the role and the rights ofwomen. There is so much to say aboutthis topic and the feelings that it evokes for me as a Jew, as one committed toIsrael and as a person who just can’t understand how this can be allowed in amodern country. As an educator who willshortly take 33 8^th graders to Israel, I am thinking about what thismeans to them and what my obligation is to show them and to teach them aboutwhat is going on, to enlighten and to educate. I don’t know if there is a link between these two ideas, but I thinkthere is a lot that we can learn and teach our children that can transform thenext generation.

Change can be a slow process, that I understand, however, Iwonder if our collective consciousness is aware and ready to fully engage in thenext step to making our communities places where we can live out our beliefsabout equality and fulfill the dream of Dr. King while expanding it evenfurther to make our world that makes us proud.

Yes, we have come a long way, but I think the road ahead ofus is even longer. How far have we really come?

Purple, Purple Everywhere!

2011-12-21T14:46:00.000-08:00

What an exciting day it was! This morning we were treated to a special Hanukkah assembly that the fifth grade put together with their teachers--singing and dancing about Hanukkah to the musical score of Grease! I often write about the special nature of so much of what we do, and I am excited to have another opportunity.

Learning goes beyond the walls of the classroom in so many ways. Music is such an important component in our children's lives, that we begin singing to them, often in utero, and many a moment is spent singing songs of joy, ritual songs, and plain old silly songs. What a great way to learn about the story of Hanukkah, both as the students prepared the presentation of the songs, as they clearly had to learn the words, and for the audience, our whole school, who were able to pick out the key words that appeared throughout the songs, the characters and the plot. The smiles on the faces of our 5th grade performers and the rousing rounds of applause from our very proud parents, teachers and fellow students made for a great program.

If the program was the cake, our first ever, all-school spirit day was certainly the icing! Today, most of our students and teachers wore their KSA purple showing spirit and pride in our school. This was an initiative of our Student Council events committee and rumor has it that they are planning some more fun and spirit for our school.

KSA is both a school like every other and at the same time, is a school like no other; it was purple, purple everywhere as the singing and dancing taught us about the miracles of Hanukkah and the miracles that exist in our lives each day.

May we all be blessed with our everyday miracles and may the lights of Hanukkah continue to shine brightly for all of us.

Marc Medwed,
Head of School

KSA--A True Gem in our Community

2011-12-08T12:13:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago, Dr. Michael Agus, President of our Board of Trustees sent a letter to all parents in our community on behalf of the Board. Since then, there have been quite a few questions raised to which I’d like to respond in this forum, as I want to create the opportunity for us to engage in dialogue around the issues that we are facing. As the Head of School, I am so appreciative of the partnership that the Board of Trustees provides for us, for the commitment of each and every member to the success of the school, and for the time and energy our Board members give. We are lucky to have such a dedicated group of individuals who lend us their passion, excitement, and wisdom each day.

Our Kehillah Schechter Academy community is like no other. It is hard to find the words that best describe our school…I often hear from parents that the only way to truly understand our school is to see it in action.

A science fair project board

The warmth of the community, the ability of the teachers to work with each individual child in ways that enable each student to soar higher than before, and the creative engagement in learning that we see in classroom projects, activities like the science fair, the creation of Sukkot and hanukiyot, and of course, all school events like Rosh Hodesh Live--click here to see a video.

The "life size" version from our model sukkah contest.

Creative Hanukiyot made by our students

If you are not a parent in the school or did not have a chance to read the letter, you can click here to see the text.

The letter was an open, honest communication about things going on in relation to the finances of the school. Although there are economic indicators that tell us that the economy is no longer in a recession, many in our community are still reeling from the effects of the downturn in 2008. The school has largely weathered the storm, but now, as we are in the midst of another year of economic challenge, the Board felt it necessary to reach out and begin the conversation and here are some of the reasons why:

1. Since the downturn, the school has been able to assist families who needed increased financial aid in order to remain in the school or to join our school. The level of tuition assistance has gone up, peaking last year at a record high for our school, at a level that is not ultimately sustainable. This year, that number dropped slightly. Throughout this time, we have made a Jewish education financially accessible to every family who applied.

2. Our teachers are an incredibly committed and talented group of professionals. They work many hours per day planning lessons, creating centers for their classrooms, and preparing the wonderful education our children receive each day. Unfortunately, one of the ways we have kept the budget in check has been to keep salaries fixed for the last 5 years.

3. We still own the building at 710 Turnpike Street, though it has been on the market since we moved to our new campus. The building was leased (at a slight profit to our school) until this past June, but at this point is a vacant building and is now a draw on the budget.

So what does all this mean from my perspective and what do we want our parents and the community to take away from the letter and this follow up?

1. The school is in a difficult financial position right now. We are committed to working with every family to keep every student in the school. However, the model of financial aid has to change. We don’t yet know what that will mean for each individual family, but what we do know is that we will do our best to work with everyone, to be open, honest and fair. Some have asked if they should be looking for a new school if they are on financial aid. The answer is absolutely not—we want and need every family to remain in the school so that we can continue to grow and develop our program and welcome more new students in to the school.

2. Our teachers are committed to our school. They love our children, love their work and are passionate about our school continuing to be everything that it can be.

3. Tuition will increase again this year. We recognize that the costs of day school are high and we are working with communal organizations, combing through our budget, and working to increase our donor base so that we can help mitigate steep increases.

4. We continue to aggressively market the Turnpike Street building and know that there is a buyer out there somewhere.

The biggest takeaway, however, is one that hopefully resonates with all of us—we are a Kehillah, a community. The school is an extremely important and integral feature of our community and together, with our collective wisdom, passion, financial support and our ever-precious human resources, we will enjoy continued growth and success!

I welcome you to join the conversation and to engage with us!

A new perspective on community

2011-11-16T11:00:00.000-08:00

I had the privilege of attending a workshop last week of the Association of Independent Schools of New England. The workshop was geared to Heads of School and Board leadership. While the day was a fascinating day overall, I was most impressed by the two keynote speakers: Pat Bassett, the president of NAIS (the National Association of Independent Schools) and danah boyd (yes, this is how she types her name), a Senior Researcher at Microsoft Research, a Research Assistant Professor in Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University, a Visting Researcher at Harvard Law School, and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales.

Mr. Bassett gave a wonderful presentation about schools of the 21st century and how schools need to change in order to remain competitive in the ever-changing marketplace. Mr. Bassett is a parent of students enrolled in independent schools and is a former Head of School. The biggest takeaway for me from the session was that our school is on the right track--even ahead of the game in the conversations we are having and the things that we are already doing in our school. That felt really great!

The other keynote, by danah boyd, was about social networking and community. Traditionally, many of us would define community by where live, who our friends are, which school our kids go to, etc. For our kids, particularly our teenagers, the notion of community goes well beyond these definitions, takes a more global perspective and casts a wider net, with social networking enabling relationships with friends who live in other geographic areas.

Based on this, kids often feel that social networking sites are the hang out places--that if they can't be together in person hanging out (which studies confirm they prefer), then they act and behave online AS IF they were together in person, hence the nature of some of the online conversations they have. Sociologically, our children desire to be together with their friends, but as the world has changed and they can't always make this happen, the virtual community has become the norm.

As parents and teachers we often struggle to understand how an online community really works, as it if foreign for most adults to think of our community in the virtual sense--we often prefer shmoozing at kiddush after shul or while hanging out on the soccer field watching our kids play. And I recognize that "different" often feels strange...

I am beginning to assimilate these notions and ideas into my thinking and what the changing landscape of community might look like for our children as they continue to grow. I also wonder what impact social networking sites will continue to have on our children's community as they get older and the technology becomes even more available than it is now.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Feedback from a parent after conferences today...

2011-11-11T09:46:00.000-08:00

For any parent who is wondering whether our children are adequately prepared for high school when they graduate from KSA, I would just like to say that my child, who graduated with the Class of 2011, and is attending the public high school in a town, which is very competitive academically, was more than well prepared. Report cards for the first quarter came out yesterday and my child, who is taking honors classes, did very well. For that, I would like to thank the dedicated teachers and staff at KSA who taught my child not only the academics, but also gave my child the skills to be a motivated student.

--anonymous

Giving our students their voice in school

2011-10-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

It is hard to find the single most appropriate word to describe how I felt when our 7^th and 8^th graders began to move to their first-ever KSA Student Council Committees. These committees were created by both student and teacher interest and input. Many students cheered as they heard the committees to which they were assigned (based on their top 3 choices). Some appeared nervous about their first assignment – to work within their committees to create a mission statement for their committee…They need to address the following questions: Why did they come together as a committee? What is their purpose? Who are they to serve? What do they want to be remembered for? Could they create a mission statement that was inspirational, and brief? Would their mission statement pass the litmus test of how would it look on a Tshirt and would they wear it? How was their mission statement connected to KSA’s vision? A sophisticated undertaking, no doubt, but then the ideas began to flow….

The events committee began to talk about theme days and how to make school fun “without interrupting school”. “Twin day, Red day for heart health, school spirit day – can we all dress as Hornets?” The Green Committee reached out immediately to the faculty to find areas in the school that might benefit from some tender loving care. Some committees searched for a name for their committee, helping them to bond as a group and develop camaraderie within the committee. Committee advisors – teachers they work with daily but will now work with in a new capacity, as well as our new school social worker and an administrator from the business office who they met for the first time – just another example of how everyone from KSA takes an active interest in our students and is willing to take time during their day to enhance our students’ lives.

Many approaches, many ideas – works in progress – collaboration – all of it good for the students and ultimately good for KSA….Why limit my feelings to one word – so many came to mind – pride, excitement, wonder, awe, anticipation…the possibilities are limitless, just as they are for our KSA Student Council….

Ivonne Krasnick, Assistant Head of School

Rome wasn't built in a day...

2011-10-11T05:39:00.001-07:00

and neither was our sukkah!

Sukkot is my most favorite holiday of the year! When my wife and I first purchased our sukkah many years ago, I was amazed at how long it took me to put it up the first time (yes, I admit that I am not the most handy of individuals!). Over the next few years, I was able to put it up faster and more efficiently. Then something truly amazing happened--putting the sukkah up starting taking me even more time, but I could not be more thrilled with the reasons why this happened.

How excited I was the very first time when my oldest was only 3 and she came outside first thing in the morning ready to build! Needless to say, the time it would take to build was increased, but well worth it. What a highlight it was to see my daughter so excited about our sukkah and the chance to build with her Abba! The excitement was contagious and with each year, her level of participation increased and my other children were also eager to join in.

Fast forward a few years...not only did we begin planning our Sukkah weeks before Rosh Hashanah, my three kids couldn't wait to build together this year. A task that I originally did alone to fulfill the mitzvah of dwelling in the sukkah has now turned in to a family affair that does not only fulfill the mitzvah, but is a fine example of hiddur mitzvah, of enhancing the mitzvah, as we build and decorate our family sukkah. Most importantly, we are doing it together.

It is a day and a half before the start of the holiday and the sukkah is not yet finished, however, I have no worries that it will be ready in time for dinner Wednesday night as we begin to celebrate the week with family and friends as we have done for many years. However, sitting in our sukkah this year will have a whole new level of meaning, as it has now become our family sukkah, one that we share together with pride in our work together of building and decorating.

And I, as a parent couldn't be more proud as my kids' excitement for living Jewishly continues to grow.

I wish you all Hag Sameah and a joyful Sukkot!

Marc Medwed, Head of School

Teshuvah: Spiritual Transformation

2011-10-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

The challenge of being married to a fellow Jewish educator is that sometimes it is just too difficult to turn off our work when we are together!

As is often the case, I was speaking with my wife, Dr. Karen Reiss Medwed, about a workshop that she will be giving this Sunday in New Jersey. Her topic “Becoming the Jewish People of the Digital Book” is related to the integration of technology into our schools and into our lives, and what that could look like. A fascinating topic indeed, but what grabbed me more was the idea upon which her workshop is built, which I am sharing here and I look forward to hearing about it from her as she develops it more fully and delivers the workshop next week.

We were reflecting on the fact that it is right before Yom Kippur and in the midst of the holiday season, and that teshuvah, repentance, is a prevalent theme. The question is how does our understanding of teshuvah lead us to transformational thinking about the values that are at the core in our schools and in our lives?

Her answer is interesting one--she goes to a moment in Jewish history to a community that would not adapt or change—the Karaites. For those who aren’t up on their Jewish history, the Karaites were a group of people who determined that their values and their way of life were better than the changes they observed in the larger community. The Karaites therefore chose to hold fast to their values, refusing to embrace change and the innovative direction of the community, i.e. the Rabbinic period whereby Judaism evolved more into what we know today. This decision turned out to be a rather fateful one, as we now study about the Karaites as a community that didn’t survive because of their unwillingness to transform with the times and innovations.

We are living in a world that is very different than the world we knew only five years ago and the world that is coming down the pike will be very different than it is now. We are the people of the book—we have embraced our books throughout time. From the time when everything was written on scrolls, to the advent of the printing press and the creation of books, to the electronic readers on which we can read almost any book in any language, holy and secular.

As I reflect on this workshop idea that she is presenting, I have this spiritual reflection to add: During this time of the Aseret Y’mei Teshuvah, we perform what we call “teshuvah”. This act, the act of teshuvah, is not backwards looking, but rather is very forward looking—we ask forgiveness and then change or transform the behavior so that it doesn’t happen again.

The connection of the two fascinates me as a school leader—we as a Jewish community have survived all of these years because we figured out a way to adapt our ideals and values to the changing world in which we live. We don’t give up who we are, what we stand for, and what is important to us, but we do adapt each of these things so that we will continue to thrive as individuals and as a people.

As we move into Yom Kippur and reflect upon teshuvah being forward thinking, how will we look ahead and adapt our education to the new world in which we are living, where technology is a part of all that we do and so much of what we are, when we can talk to someone around the world as if they are sitting right across from us, where information is at our fingertips, and where our social community is a global one?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts- feel free to share them with me in person or online!

G’mar Hatima Tova,

Marc Medwed, Head of School

Building our Kehillah

2011-09-26T05:29:00.000-07:00

This week, we will have the privilege of celebrating Rosh Hashanah and welcoming the new year. For me, an integral part of the celebrating the holiday with family and friends is the process of anticipation and the many thoughts and ideas that I am contemplating about our Kehillah--our international Kehillah, our national Kehillah and of course, our local Kehillah.

I am thinking about Israel and everything that has been going on this past week. I look forward to visiting each year with our 8th graders and to being a part of such an amazing community there. I worry about what will happen as the politics of the region become even more of an issue, not only for Israelis, but for Jews living here in the United States and all over the world.

I am thinking about things here at home--the economy, our government, entering in to another campaign season and the issues that all three of these bring to light for so many of us. The economy continues to be a challenge for so many in our community and in the greater community. The world we live in is changing so fast--things that were a given just a few short years ago can no longer be taken as such. It is so hard to make predictions and to look beyond the immediate present.

But at the same time as I am thinking about these very heavy issues, and yes, I know that I cannot single-handedly make the world everything I want it to be, I realize that I must do my part, and I turn my attention to my local community and to reaffirming what it means for me to build our Kehillah, our community.

I have to admit that I have not worked through all of the answers, but I can share that I have a lot of questions that I'll be thinking about while I am in shul, enjoying time with family and friends and celebrating the new year: What are my strengths that I can bring to my kehillah? What do I do well that I want to share with my synagogue, my school (also my kids' school), and the other organizations in which I am involved? What am I going to volunteer to do this year that I didn't do last year, so that I can help to build our Kehillah? In what ways will I become part of the force to move our Kehillah forward to new heights?

I challenge each of us to ask these questions for ourselves and for our Kehillah, and to answer them by taking action and getting involved. The Kehillah that I want to build, requires us to give of ourselves and to make it our own.

As we learn in Pirke Avot, we are not expected to complete the task, but neither are we allowed to not engage in it. How will you choose to build our local Kehillah this year so that together, we can impact our the greater Kehillah for all of the Jewish people?

I wish everyone a Shana Tova u'Metukah!

Marc Medwed, Head of School

Getting out of the office

2011-09-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

"No Office Time" is scheduled into my calendar, three times a week for two hours each time. During these blocks of time, I commit to spending quality time in classrooms—not just walking through, but time being part of different classes so that I can experience what our teachers are teaching and what our students are learning. Don’t get me wrong—I do get out of my office more often than just these blocks of time--each day when I walk around the building to see how things are going, when I spend time with students and teachers at lunch and recess, when I lead the 8^th grade boys havurah, and for other special programs and school-wide events. However, the life of a Head of School has many pulls and draws that often have an impact on how I schedule my days.

So if you are wondering how I spend my days as a head of school, if you are thinking that there are meetings involved, you are correct. These meetings are important—they give me time to talk with our leadership team, time to meet with current and prospective parents, and to engage with teachers, students and staff on so many things that take place during the school day.

You probably know that I am not the only school leader who struggles to balance the need for meetings with the need to be out and about with students and teachers in the classroom. Many school leaders, when speaking openly with one another, share similar stories. As a result of these feelings, a group of administrators created a movement that is being celebrated this week: No Office Day, where administrators who sign on are leaving their offices, their telephones, and their email for the entire day as they spend time in classrooms. As we just opened school and the pull for meetings right now is quite compelling, I will be participating in a modified way this week by blocking off a few hours over several days to be in our classrooms.

As I wrote earlier, this won’t be the only time that I am in classrooms, but it is a great opportunity for me. Our teachers and students deserve to see me, their Head of School, while they are engaged in the business we do best—teaching and learning. In this way, I can offer support, provide feedback, and experience for myself all of the wonderful things that are going on in our school.

I am looking forward to spending more time in classrooms, experiencing the joy of teaching and learning with our students, and to sharing so many wonderful things that our students participate in each day.

Marc Medwed, Head of School

A Great First Day

2011-09-07T07:03:00.001-07:00

Dear KSA Families,

It was a rainy start to the day, but it was all smiles inside as we began what promises to be a wonderful year at Kehillah Schechter Academy! Even the outside weather is holding out, as I just saw our kids running around outside at recess.

There is nothing better in the life of a school than to hear the voices of our children filling the halls and breathing life back into a building that stood empty for a good part of the summer. What a joy to walk through the halls and see our children happily engaged with each other, meeting new friends and reconnecting with old friends as they begin the school year!

Our community is blessed with the presence of each child, the passion for learning that each child brings to school each day, and the commitment of each parent to the holy and awesome work that we do in our school. I thank you all for being a part of our school and I look forward to seeing everyone each day.

Marc Medwed
Head of School