The Right Answer
"We're out."
"No you're not."
"Yes we are."
"But we're at the exit and you're not here."
"We found another one."
"Nice try. There isn't another one. Keep working at it and we'll see you soon!"
With that, the faculty member hung up . . .
Cultivating a Culture of Respect
"How many times have you been complimented for being respectful?"
That was a question I wanted to ask at our school-wide assembly yesterday, but didn't.
The purpose of the assembly was twofold. I wanted our student body to understand that everything we all want to accomplish here - whether we're students . . .
Integrated Jewish Humanities: A Case Study
The "Tikvah" Course at Kohelet Yeshiva High School
For the past three years, I have teamed up with Rabbi Dr. Yehuda Seif to teach an 11th Grade English and Humanities course entitled, “The Individual and Society in History, Philosophy, Jewish Thought and Literature.” Referred to as ‘Tikvah’, the class was initially supported by the Tikvah Fund, whose mission is to “bring forward the serious . . .
When Nations Won't See the Light
The frustration is overwhelming. No nation on Earth goes to the lengths that Israel does to preserve human life, to avoid undue casualties, and to protect the dignity of those who wish to destroy her. No nation on Earth would drop leaflets before they attacked, call homes harboring combatants before destroying them, or treat those who were . . .
Lessons Learned
Reflections on Seven Years in the South
My wife and I were deeply touched and genuinely honored by the tribute paid to us by the leadership of the Margolin Hebrew Academy at their annual Scholarship Banquet last week. I was asked to share some words of farewell after the presentation and I began by noting that of all of the wonderful things we accomplished together over the last . . .
Selling Jewish Education
I hated my job. Not all the time. Not even most of the time. But there were moments - key moments - when I was sure that the position just wasn't for me.
I started my career in school administration as the Director of Admissions of a large Orthodox boys high school in New York. As the school had never had such a position . . .
An Open Letter to Donald Sterling
The following appeared in the MHA / FYOS Reporter as the Message from the Dean on 5/16/2014
Dear Mr. Sterling,
I wanted to tell you about two things that happened recently in our Orthodox Jewish Day School here in Memphis, Tennessee.
Last week, our girls attended the closing awards ceremony for the local . . .