Sam Moed’s last name means “time,” and he believes now is an extraordinary time for Jewish day schools. “I’ve observed a shift in Jewish life. What matters is not just knowing that you are Jewish, but knowing that being Jewish brings meaning to your life—and day schools uniquely convey meaningfulness alongside Jewish values, practice, and love of Israel.”
Across society in general there has been a thirst for community and belonging, and even more so in Jewish communities. “You may think a Jewish day school is an educational institution—and of course it is--but day schools are also incredibly powerful community magnets,” Moed said. These two desires—for meaningfulness and a sense of connection—offer a sweet spot moment for Jewish day schools looking forward.
Moed, who is the lay chair of Prizmah’s strategic planning, believes that Prizmah is ready to embrace ambitious goals. He also chaired Prizmah’s initial plan. “In our first strategic plan, we were excited about creating a vision. Our accomplishments over the last five years allow us to create our next plan from a place of credibility.” Sam explained that this plan has Prizmah moving more aggressively down the same path, and stretching. Some of the goals include a highly structured leadership center, integrated on various levels; multiple, more innovative tuition models being embraced; and endowment-building programs that can help power those models. He discussed enrollment growth over the past five years, and since October 7th, emboldened field leaders to set an ambitious goal of 10,000 new students by 2029.
There is far greater momentum for day schools today. “This changes what we think Prizmah can accomplish in the next five years and motivates every player in the ecosystem. We should be really aiming high.”
Moed believes that now is the moment to double down on what it means to be Jewishly literate and connected. “We’re writing the story of the Jewish people moving forward, one in which there is more interest in day school growth and the centrality of the state of Israel.”
Sam stressed that it was noteworthy that Prizmah’s planning process is led by the professional team, making it truly on target and creating passionate ownership from the staff. He also lauded the external involvement from people in the field and funders at every step along the way, endorsing and improving the plan. “The momentum we feel today is far greater than we might have anticipated, and the urgency to leverage this moment released unconstrained thinking for everyone,” he said.
Moed’s passion is Jewish education - both here, and in Israel. In addition to his involvement at Prizmah, he is Board Chair of Sefaria. Like all who are dedicated to education, he loves being a lifelong student, and as a day school alum, he recognizes its value to individuals and the greater community. As he puts it, “My dream is to see more kids experiencing day school, a strong pipeline of educators, and increased philanthropy making it possible.”