Back to School Night is an important part of launching each new school year. It’s an opportunity for teachers and administrators to meet and communicate with parents, begin to build the partnerships we value so much, and get families excited about what is in store for their children. At our school, we are very fortunate to have an active and engaged parent community. Every year, our faculty spends an enormous amount of time preparing for Back to School Night. Teachers understand that first impressions matter, and they want to get the school year off to a great start with our parent community.  In past years we have not always done the best job of giving parents insight into the amazing learning their students engage in at DJDS. Parent feedback on this event had understandably not been particularly strong. This year, however, Denver Jewish Day School tried something different and we could not be more pleased with how it went. 

We decided not to TELL parents what their students might expect this school year, but rather to SHOW them. We encouraged faculty to put any important information that could be communicated in writing into handouts and on their classroom websites. Instead of standing up in front of the parents and going through the usual slide presentation, teachers were asked to teach. Yes, teach, just like they would with their students. Our fifth grade team, who piloted a similar presentation at last year’s Back to School Night, gave a short demonstration to faculty during our August Faculty Preparation Week. Teaching teams then collaborated to create a 50 minute experience in which the parents engaged in typical classroom activities that their child might participate in. They got to see first hand a Morning Meeting, Hebrew class with Ivrit b’Ivrit, collaborative activities, critical thinking tasks, and many other highly engaging student-centered classroom practices. 

Our parents were amazed. The evening of Back to School Night several families told us “That was the best Back to School Night I have ever been to!” and “I really feel like I know the teachers so much better now!” On our follow up survey we had record-breaking positive feedback, with a whopping 94% of our parents reporting being satisfied or very satisfied with the classroom presentations. 

One of the most striking things to me about the new format is how much more comfortable and relaxed our faculty seemed during their presentations. With our previous format, teachers often felt apprehensive in front of parents. Walking into classrooms, administrators could often see that these professionals--who can keep a room of five to eleven year olds absolutely riveted--did not maintain the same ease and charisma when charged with presenting reams of factual information to adults. When these same teachers were able to do with parents what they do so well every day with their students, however, they clearly felt much more in their element. They were able to shine at Back to School Night in a way I have never seen before. In speaking with faculty afterward, some reported that they were initially wary of asking parents to “do school work” at Back to School Night. They were afraid that the parents would be dubious or maybe even refuse to engage in the learning tasks. Nevertheless, they took a risk and tried it, and our parents jumped in and participated enthusiastically, creating a level of parent engagement I have never seen before. As we reflect on the changes we made this year, we have ideas about what went well and how we might improve upon it for next year’s program. We are all very excited to have taken a chance on something new and different, as we continually urge our students to do, and we are so pleased with how it turned out!


Image courtesy of Denver Jewish Day School, Eric Einstein Photography.

By Rabbi Alan Berkowitz
Principal of Magen David Yeshivah, Brooklyn

“I’m afraid they’ll find out that I’m faking it.” Every summer as I observe another group of international school leaders work through an Immunity to Change protocol, I am struck by how many of them express this same fear. Anecdotal observation affirms that a significant number of talented and successful education experts express self-doubt. They report that they have refrained from taking a much desired critical career step or from attempting to actualize a dream because it will expose them. They think everyone will know that they are phonies, “faking it” or incompetent. Most striking to me about this comment is that it comes from numerous successful school leaders. In fact, without a proven track record, they could not be in the course. Hearing this comment from so many colleagues has prompted me to connect with them and to tell them that while their fear has no basis in reality, I admire their humility as well as their courage to now admit this. I also want to tell them about two insights that have helped me move past this same obstacle.

About ten years ago, the board of directors of my school gave me an opportunity to work with an executive coach, and as part of our work together the coach suggested a 360-degree assessment. I was terrified; I knew that if I agreed to this, I would no longer be able to fool anyone. I was certain that the combined data from the people with whom he would speak would unmask me. Nevertheless, I submitted to vulnerability, and the result was both enlightening and liberating. My coach interviewed my head of school, board members, colleagues, teachers who reported to me, personal friends and my wife, then reviewed his findings with me. 

With data in hand, I quickly understood that I had not fooled anyone and all these people indeed saw my weaknesses. But what I hadn’t considered was that they also saw strengths in skill and character that I had denied. It seemed that I had taken up so much of my own bandwidth holding onto my hidden fear of being exposed that I didn’t have the capacity to recognize that I have strengths that contributed to my success to that point. Yet the assessment was real, and I really had to accept it. While I still have inadequacies and challenges that I have not yet overcome, at the same time, I also have skills that I can use in performing my job as an educational leader. 

I am sure that there are many outstanding educators who don’t need coaching or some other personal development opportunity to appreciate their own strengths, but I know now that among colleagues and peers, my feelings were not unique. With this in mind, I want to say to colleagues who share similar doubts, if for a moment you cannot fully trust in yourself, trust that the people around you are as smart and perceptive as you think they are. You have not fooled them: they see your inadequacies; trust that their perceptions of your strengths are equally valid.

I learned another thing from my coach that I hope will be helpful to other self-doubters and introverts. We have a professional obligation to step out of our comfort zones. After we reviewed the results of my Myers-Briggs personality assessment and agreed that I have strong tendencies towards introversion, my coach explained the facts of professional life to me. I learned that I have the right to be shy and I may always be one of those people for whom it is painful to engage in small talk. However, I cannot be that person professionally. Ironically, on this issue I always thought that I had fooled no one, and that people understood that my introversion was behind my reticence to open conversations. According to my coach, though, while I was standing alone being my shy self, parents and board members saw me as being standoffish and judgmental. My silence to them was a sign that I did not think much of them. To remedy this and properly do my job as a school leader, I had to get outside my comfort zone. 

Since then, I have followed his advice, and it has made a difference in my professional relationships. I have found that by pushing myself to initiate small talk and thus building even superficial relationships, the familiarity I have with more parents and colleagues has created an opening for what are at times difficult conversations. The initial delivery of the message that I am open to others allows them to be open to me and establishes the mutual trust we need to work together. My wife and my children and my closest friends allow me the personal space to be with them and in quiet, but at work there’s no space for that; introversion may actually be a trait of leaders, but it is not a leadership quality or behavior.

Introversion and self-doubt may be connected to humility, which we view as a positive character trait, and I think that most people are wary of others who lack humility. So I would not suggest that good leaders must eliminate their feelings of self-doubt or that they must seek help to become full extroverts. However, emerging leaders who wish to learn the art of successful leadership need to know how to stretch beyond their personal comfort zones to engage in the behaviors appropriate for the challenges before them.

By Elissa Maier
Chief Operating Officer of Prizmah

Many respected scholars, leadership experts and successful business leaders speak about the importance of investing in talent. Jim Collins talks of “getting the right people on the bus;” Jack Welch comments that “talent development deserves as much focus as financial capital management in corporations,” while Mort Mandel puts it simply: “It’s all about Who.” It’s clear that organizations are urged to focus more and more on the people and the relationships alongside the systems. Recently at the JPRO Network gathering in Detroit, this theme permeated throughout the program. There was a consistent message of the importance of attracting, developing and retaining talent as a critical factor that drives the success of any organization.

As the program was reaching the conclusion, field leaders had the opportunity to be interviewed by rising leaders, creating a unique setting for participant engagement. Conversations focused on what senior leaders have learned throughout their career and, in looking back, ways in which their current knowledge may have informed their decisions differently. This provided an opportunity for all to reflect on how the field continues to evolve.

As I was interviewed by a colleague I mentor, I recalled the often-told story about the sage who plants a carob tree. When asked why he is planting the tree when he will not live to benefit from the fruits of his labor, he responds that he is planting the tree for his children and their children.

Based on my experience, I have developed a framework of 10 steps that we can rely on to ensure that we plant the seeds for the growth of our professional leaders. It is through this investment that we will build for the future of the Jewish community.

1. Create the time and space to be a mentor. Prioritize it in your schedule. Being a mentor is sacred work, so when meeting with your mentee, give them your undivided attention.

2. Offer opportunities to learn. Invite your mentee to help with meetings, programs and events that they would otherwise not attend. Invite them to observe board meetings. Don’t forget to debrief the experience so they can ask questions about things they might want to understand better.

3. Encourage your mentees to get fundraising experience. It is a skill will always enhance one’s leadership.

4. Show them the power of peers and encourage them to find or create a peer cohort. I have watched groups of emerging professionals create their own learning cohort. They intentionally plan to come together to share their experiences, support each other and learn together. Having a group of supporters and cheerleaders can keep you going – and having a group that will challenge you and ask you tough questions will help you to grow.

5. Arrange coffee chats. My daughter recently did an internship in the finance industry. The interns were encouraged to make coffee dates across the firm so that they could learn about the work of the whole organization. I love this concept! Mentees: branch beyond your mentor – it’s great to learn from all different people. Experienced leaders: take the time to have a coffee with new or unexpected colleagues!

6. Word to the wise – don’t forget to learn the “hard” skills. Yes, planning a program is fun, but knowing how to navigate a budget is a critical skill in being an effective leader.

7. Share inspiration. Enhance your conversations by sharing and discussing an interesting article you read, a podcast you listened to or a TED Talk you watched.

8. Learning is a two–way street. As you teach, take the opportunity to listen and learn. Let the student also be the teacher. This will model for your mentee how to learn from everyone, and it allows them to begin to develop a voice of their own.

9. Walk the walk and talk the talk. Lead by example. Your mentee will learn so much from how you communicate with them, how you manage and prioritize your time and how you navigate challenging situations.

10. It’s all about relationships. Our business is built on relationships. Ultimately, our ability to partner with others is what will drive our success. Relationships come in all different ways and as mentors our own effectiveness can be greatly enhanced by learning from new voices. Invest in relationships that will continue to grow the Jewish professional world.

I have been fortunate to have an incredible group of mentors throughout my professional career, and the most essential lesson they have taught me is the importance of paying it forward. As much as I have been able to share with the outstanding professionals whom I have mentored, my own work has been so greatly enhanced by what I have learned from them.

In our limmudei kodesh curriculum, we know that our time is limited and we have so much to do. We endeavor to teach our students the basics of Tanakh, Halakhah and Hashkafah, Talmud skills, not to mention the joy of being Jewish and the serene purity of sincere prayer. It’s no wonder that the robust literature of she’eilot uteshuvot (abbreviated as shutim, also called responsa), the question-and-answer format of halakhic decisions handed down for centuries, just doesn’t fit on our overstuffed buffet plate of a curriculum. Nevertheless, in the past few years, I have come to realize that including this type of literature is a key ingredient in increasing student engagement and making Torah come alive.

How do you teach a love of Torah study? What I have seen is that when we demonstrate a love and enthusiasm for learning, when we’re excited about a vort or a chiddush, or a fascinating nafka mina or a great chakira, then that enthusiasm spread out to our talmidim. That’s why I haven’t shied away from teaching halakhic applications even in our community school—because I think it’s geshmak (enjoyable)! I love being able to teach the talmidim the different ways our great scholars looked at issues. I love having them see that their thinking is lust like what Rav Moshe said or that their question is just what Chacham Ovadia Yosef asked. It feels alive and real.

In our 12th grade Talmud class, I created a “Halakhic Life on Campus” curriculum that would help the students prepare, at least intellectually, for the next stage in education. The course was crafted to be a series of she’eilot, halakhic questions, on topics such as interfaith dialogue, yichud, keeping kosher in non-kosher restaurants, and Amira l’akum. Each unit has a story I crafted to raise halakhic issues. We then study relevant gemarras, Rishonim, and finally shutim, halakhic discussions of this issue at hand. The students write their own teshuvot as the assessment.

This system has produced greater levels of student engagement and a sense of urgency than any other class I have taught. Students feel like they have to learn this material as preparation for college. And they become masters of trying to see where Rav Moshe Shternbach is really just applying the Tosafot and where the sociological realities of today might have pushed Rav Moshe to answer differently. They become creators of Torah, not just observers.

What I love about this style of learning is that it ensures that we push the class all the way to the top to Bloom’s Taxonomy. Once you’re dealing with response, you are necessarily in the domain of analysis, synthesis and application. The attention placed on vocabulary and the syntax often dulls our students’ enthusiasm for Talmud. That’s not the exciting part of learning; that’s the stuff you have to know to get to learning. But if we don’t make time for higher-level talmudic engagement, then we have failed to even give our proto-scholars a glimpse of the mountain top.

Ritual law is not the only place where this style of learning can have an impact. Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe, Yoreh Deah, vol. 2, essay 103) and Rav Moshe Shternbach (Teshuvos V’Hanhagos, vol. 1, essay 839) both deal with the parameters of “telling” on a friend. Certainly the issue is a halakhic one, but the students don’t experience the question as theoretical. Both these scholars are discussing when it’s ok for a teacher to force his student to snitch on a friend. Give students a true to life (if fictional) scenario to grapple with first; then they will be especially invested in seeing how our scholarship has struggled with this and what considerations are most important to consider in the Halakhah.

It feels important to note that I am not a bibliophile, deeply knowledgeable in 1000 years of responsa from all across the globe. When I need a teshuvah, I crowdsource for it. I ask a pool of scholars I know. I Google the halakhos and look for footnotes that can lead me to great teshuvot. I use modern halakhic compendiums and check the teshuvot that they reference. Believe me, this is the type of material any Talmud teacher in a day school has access too.

I have become a believer in the idea that knowledge does not make people change their behavior, only feelings do that. If we want our talmidim to choose to study Torah, then we can’t just give them knowledge of Torah, we have to give them the feeling of Torah. We have to make it both relevant and pleasurable. Using shutim to help frame our learning has been a great help in moving forward in that domain.

Written by Rabbi Mordechai Soskil, Director of Judaic Studies at Beth Tfiloh Dahan High School in Baltimore, MD.

What can data do for you and your school?  What types of data are you looking at and thinking about? 

Your school’s enrollment trends? How about fundraising targets or percentage of expenses covered by tuition revenue? Are you using MAP or ERB? Are you thinking about standardized test scores? 

There are so many ways Jewish day schools and yeshivas are collecting, analyzing, making meaning of, and presenting data. Kudos to you—it can be hard work!

As the director of Prizmah’s Knowledge Center, I’m privileged to receive weekly data requests from the field. Here are some of the questions that I’ve been asked by Jewish day schools and yeshivas just this week:

1. Comparable salary data for principals, assistant principals, development directors, admissions directors and heads of school in New York and Chicago

2. Field-wide financial aid statistics

3. Average parent giving

At Prizmah, we recently began a partnership with the National Association for Independent Schools to use their data collection and analysis tool called DASL. DASL is a central component of the Prizmah Knowledge Center’s work to provide resources, data and research about the field of Jewish day schools and yeshivas.

We’re creating a specialized cohort of Jewish schools within DASL so that schools and professionals like you and your peers can easily access field-wide data on financial aid, enrollment and attrition, development, salary, and other financial metrics. The tool allows for customized benchmarking cohorts, too. We plan to publish an aggregate report on all this data that should prove a valuable resource for schools looking for information on issues of financial management. 

If you want to access this data, and data that is relevant to your school in terms of school size, budget size, region, and denominational affiliation, then consider participating in DASL this year. The more schools that participate, the stronger the results that will be generated and the greater their utility for all schools. 

Data collection ends October 9th. Let’s do this, together, b’yachad.

If you are looking for data and resources on affordability and day school finance, check out those sections on our knowledge center. If you can’t find what you’re looking for we’re happy to help, just shoot me an email at [email protected].

Even though I’ve been teaching for a long time—I’m starting my 18th year—every August I still get those “school is starting” jitters. I’ll get anxiety dreams about forgetting to prepare something major, or I’ll panic that I don’t remember what to do on the first day. But every year without fail, once I start getting my room ready (I go in a little earlier than teacher work week), I usually begin to calm down. It gets me excited to get going, and I purposely push myself to try new things each year (this year it will be a flexible seating plan!), to keep it fresh, exciting and interesting. As I start thinking about the first week of school, self-talk helps keep me positive: I’ve done this so many times before and I’ve got this and I know what I’m doing.

Based on my years of experience, I’ll share some of my own top “starting the school year” tips that I would pass along to other teachers. Whether new or seasoned, teachers can learn from one another, so I hope that you can find at least something in my list that may help. May we all have a spectacular and fulfilling year of learning and growth!

Top 10 tips for a smooth first week of school

1. Establish the tone that will bring success the rest of the year. Your facial expressions, enthusiasm, tough love, kindness and thoughtfulness will all help the children bond with you and respect you more quickly.

2. Even if you don’t feel organized, make the room look as organized as you can. The more pride you show in your classroom, the more pride the children will feel. Label as many things as you can so that they children see that everything in the room has a home. Definitely be careful not to overstimulate them with walls plastered with decorations. Less is more. It should be colorful but not cluttered.

3. Create a system that will help the students to keep the room looking great. Delegate jobs with some kind of job chart—it’s so good for them! This year I’m making a job wheel, so all I have to do is move their name over one space. The first week is a great time to discuss and practice those jobs.

4. On day 1 establish classroom rules, ideally having the students “help” make them, though you may need to gently push them in the direction that you want. Keep those rules positive rather than lots of “do nots.”

5. After conferring with the students’ teachers from last year, make a seating plan that will work best, especially being aware of which children to keep far apart. Be prepared to make changes in the first weeks.

6. Allow your students to explore the classroom. Make sure they get to see everything in it and how they can used different tools and bulletin boards that are available to them. We always do a looking tour where children look around the room and tell me what they see or notice.

7. Have the children share things about themselves with their classmates in the first week. Talk to them about things we have in common with one another so that kids can start creating bonds with each other. Allow students to bring a show and tell at the end of the first week that will show everyone something that we can learn about them. Even if the kids know each other from before, there will likely be some switches or new students, so new bonds will need to be created.

8. Plan a reflective writing or drawing that the students can do in week one about their hopes or goals for the year. It’s such a wonderful thing to pull out at the end of the year and show the children. If you make student portfolios, this makes a wonderful first entry.

9. Practice important routines in week one. This can be lining up, transitioning from one activity to another, learning how to keep their things organized. I especially focus on leaving the classroom neat and cleaned up at the end of the day. (My students don’t leave their seat without pushing their chairs in.) Pride in their space is an invaluable lesson they can learn. Every few weeks the children will organize their belongings and make sure there aren’t stray items. We make sure all markers and pencils are put back where they belong.

10. I really do not plan for much academics in week one. I find if I work hard to establish routine and help the students become comfortable in our space, then all the weeks that follow will be so much smoother and more fun for everyone. It’s worth giving the time needed for the children to understand what you expect for the year ahead. You may not want to give homework so soon, but have them practice taking things home, bringing them back and putting them in the right place when they walk in.

There are so many innovative ideas being explored in Jewish day schools and yeshivas. At Prizmah, we see it daily as we walk the halls and sit with school leaders across North America. How can more school leaders and teaching teams benefit from the expertise that’s all around the field? 
 
One of the goals of our educational innovation team at Prizmah is to create the space for promising ideas that can enhance student learning to shine. This summer, we launched a new initiative, Prizmah Learning Hubs, to grow and support you and your teaching teams by highlighting the expertise and practice of some of our great Prizmah Network school leaders. This past Sunday, school culture was explored by leaders from ten Jewish day schools. Like Yitro who could reflect on the Jewish people's journeys from the outside, we courageously examined what our daily habits have built and what our school cultures say about who we are and what we value. 
 
Debbie Finkelstein, Dean of Instruction at Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School, led a workshop that taught how to set values and culture as an administrator, and how to lead by accepting responsibility. One participant reflected on her empowering message of “the nitty gritty of changing a culture one conversation at a time, even if you don't have a title." Another teacher shared that she appreciated learning more about creating and maintaining "a staff of invested teachers who teach from the heart and are inspired."
 
Jenny Horowitz, Director of Physical Education Department at SAR, led an interactive workshop on practical tips for implementing positive school culture in classrooms and beyond. One educator noted how "physical education can be so applicable to other classroom teachers-- the level of discomfort students have with physical education can be similar to what they have with Hebrew/Tanakh."
 
Raizi Chechik, Head of School at Manhattan Day School, facilitated a round table discussion on the role and culture of the head of school. Educators were inspired by the nuances and suggestions, and reflected on the power of speaking from the heart with authenticity. One example of how participants learned to frame their work is this paradigm shift noted by a participant: "The ask (for fundraising) is about soliciting partners in an incredible adventure." Participants learned how to use data in communication with stake holders and reflected on ways of maintaining balance and self-care as professionals.
 
Prizmah's associate director of educational innovation, Rachel Dratch, led an interactive workshop on how to run amazing faculty meetings--where school culture is made. One educator reflected, "I experienced and felt what our students and teachers would be experiencing--thank you! It was relevant, organized and engaging!"
 
This dynamic and inspiring group of school leaders plans to stay in touch as they form a Prizmah Collaborative and support each other, engaging in deeper thought, research, and the development and implementation of programs to enhance the culture in their schools. Stay tuned to hear more from this amazing group!

The passing of summer puts me in a bit of a philosophical mood. These past few weeks have been just a little quieter than usual and there has been more time not only for planning but for reflection. Over the Summer Prizmah has created gatherings for day school professionals to engage more deeply--at events, Learning Hubs, and through Reshet conversations--where individuals develop important relationships. As a team, Prizmah staff retreated from the day-to-day grind to hone our plans for the coming year. The time away from routine is refreshing.  As I look out observing the vibrant greenery in my neighborhood, and I think of the leaves that will change color as we return to our hectic routines in the Fall, I recall Martin Buber’s famous metaphor of the tree he considers in I and Thou, a book that has been studied by generations of general and Jewish philosophy students. 

I consider a tree.

I can look on it as a picture: stiff column in a shock of light, or splash of green shot with the delicate blue and silver of the background.

I can perceive it as movement: flowing veins on clinging, pressing pith, suck of the roots, breathing of the leaves, ceaseless commerce with earth and air—and the obscure growth itself.

I can classify it in a species and study it as a type in its structure and mode of life…

It can, however, also come about, if I have both will and grace, that in considering the tree I become bound up in relation to it. The tree is now no longer It. I have been seized by the power of exclusiveness. (translation by Walter Kaufmann)

Prizmah’s approach to the day school field resonates with Buber’s consideration of the tree. Through our strategic planning process, we deeply observed the field and we identified the key levers that you told us are pivotal for a vibrant and sustainable day school future. We noted the elements that contribute to strong schools and that nurture effective leaders. In the past year, we convened en masse at the Prizmah Conference in Atlanta, and in countless 1:1 and small group interactions. Through this whole process, we became increasingly and inextricably bound up in relation.

Prizmah’s connection to the day school field is powered by dynamic relationships with, and more importantly among, administrators, teachers, lay leaders, and schools. When a board member calls our office for governance advice; when a new admission professional finds a mentor at a Prizmah gathering; when a Reshet member shares an innovation with her network…these are all moments when our shared relationship is strengthened.

At this time of year on the Jewish calendar we are anticipating the fast day of Tisha B’Av, when we commemorate the many tragedies that have struck our people--most notably, the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. The famous story of the enmity between Kamza and Bar Kamza is traditionally read as the trigger for the destruction of the Second Temple. The story depicts what we call “sinat hinam,” baseless hatred. At its core, the story is one of utter relationship failure--a disconnection from basic human social contract. The power of relationships to build or, heaven forbid, to destroy, is palpable.

Prizmah puts the positive power of relationships at our core. As a network organization, we are driven by the needs and concerns of those who join us (and, if your school has not yet joined or rejoined, please take this opportunity to do so). Our priorities are the priorities of the Jewish day school field. Our goal is to see and understand the needs of the leaders, schools, and communities we serve, and to stand in relation with you. We are constantly learning from and with you and sharing what we observe. The snapshots of day school life, the talent that pulses through the field, the resources that keep schools viable and thriving, the innovation that propels our students toward a vibrant Jewish future: this is all possible due to the deep, interconnected relationship Prizmah fosters with and among the numerous, vibrant networks that exist within the overall Prizmah Network.

This issue of Kaleidoscope preludes the 2019-2020 year. You are reading about the various targeted programs, conferences, services, and resources we are providing. To borrow Buber’s metaphor and take it a bit further--yes, we stand in relation to the day school field much as he imagined being bound up in relation to a tree. All that we do is meant to deepen that connection, to feed and water the tree, and to make possible those fleeting moments where the “power of exclusiveness” elevates our network to fulfill its loftiest potential for the Jewish future.

Last week the Prizmah staff participated in that near universal of summer rituals—our staff retreat. As we have built an organization embracing staff spread across 10 cities in North America, we have gotten very good at socializing around the virtual water cooler and collaborating in productive Zoom calls, but there is no replacing the value of being together in-person. Together in Rockland County, NY, we engaged in conversations about how we as a team serve the day school field, we listened intently to heads of school sharing their vision for what a 

Jewish day school network can be, and we opened our eyes, ears, and minds to new possibilities for our work. To say it was time well-spent would be an understatement.

Even as school bells and homework have quieted for the summer, for many day school professionals, this is an extremely productive time. We thoroughly enjoyed getting to know key stakeholders from more than 15 different schools at the development convenings we held in Detroit last month and we were thrilled by the overwhelming turnout and vibrant conversations at the Prizmah New Admission Professionals Institute earlier this month. Just this week, seasoned development professionals are gathering in Baltimore to continue what has become an annual tradition of learning from their peers and experts in the field. Prizmah’s pilot Learning Hubs are taking off in August with small groups focusing on important and relevant topics such as positive discipline and school culture. Earlier this summer, Prizmah partnered with Jewish Interactive to host the Jewish Day School Educational Innovator Summit at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, an add-on day of customized learning for Jewish day school professionals attending the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference.

Learning that takes place during the summer does not end there. Our staff retreat yielded ideas and innovations that we are already putting into practice. The technology professionals who gathered in Philadelphia have already launched a Prizmah Reshet to make their learning ongoing.

One of the significant culture shifts I experienced in moving to the United States from England is the different school calendar. Whereas I grew up with longer and more frequent breaks during the school year and a shorter summer vacation, my children who have grown up here revel in their nearly 10 week summer vacation. There is much debate over the advantages of one calendar over the other. Deeply ingrained cultural practices—like the long American summer—are not easily shifted (though I note with interest some experiments with shortening summer vacations).

We are now deep into that other summer ritual for many Jewish parents—seeing our students at a wide range of Jewish summer camps. Observing the transition of children I have known for years from happy campers to thoughtful counselors, frequently applying their learning from day school, has to be one of the most fantastic experiences. There are some types of learning and growth that can perhaps only happen—or perhaps are most notably observed—outside the classroom. Retreats, professional development workshops, or even the enjoyment of a stretch of time to read a good book uninterrupted….these are some of the blessings of a long summer break.

In these long summer days and warm summer nights, before the return to school routines and lunchboxes, I wish you time to reflect and time to learn in new ways. Prizmah is here with and for you to seize on just these unique learning moments.

Middle school tefillah is usually a struggle. We are often, at best, seeking student compliance. Student engagement seems beyond our reach. How do we create, and even enjoy, meaningful, spiritual tefillah experiences with middle school students? 

Since my own teen years, I have strived for personal tefillah that nourishes my soul. To experience this kind of tefillah as a middle school teacher davening with reluctant students seemed impossible. But, for the past two years, I have had the privilege of this kind of experience. I have been davening with a group students who were chosen by the faculty to be in my alternative tefillah group. They were clearly not engaged in any way in our traditional, communal davening. They needed a different approach. 

I wish I could say it was all intentional from the outset. But it wasn’t. We just knew that these students needed something that wasn’t yet being offered. We began by dividing our time into a 20-minute discussion group followed by fifteen minutes of quiet, personal, davening time.

The discussion piece was determined by the students. I started by asking, “What bothers you about tefillah?” “What is hard for you?” What aspects do you struggle with?” Sometimes it was as simple as, “Does anyone have anything to discuss this morning?” They always had an issue to discuss. I framed my teaching about tefillah around their concerns.

Slowly, we built a community. We shared personal stories of when we couldn’t connect. The students were honest about why they would not or could not daven with the whole community. They shared their feelings about God, Torah, and Judaism, and their personal struggles with all of it. They learned that they could say what they were feeling, without judgment. They asked questions. They were seeking answers. 

I tried to structure our time together so that the students were getting what they seemed to want and need. We learned why the siddur is structured as it is. We learned what specific tefillot mean. We learned that so many of their daily concerns are addressed in the pages of the siddur. We built a community based on trust and acceptance. And, with time, everyone started to daven. 

The crossed arms relaxed. Siddurim were opened and read. Students shared stories of which tefillot they chose to say each morning and why. Our alternative group became a safe space to struggle with God and the obligations of communal tefillah. It was a place to struggle, but not a place to give up. 

As the group evolved, I began to treasure my time each morning with these students. After a passionate discussion about gratitude, or healing, or miracles, I was able to open my siddur with new eyes and a fresh perspective. My relationship with my tefillah group positively impacted my relationship with these students outside of tefillah. A student told me that she would miss tefillah over the summer. Tefillah at school began to nourish my soul.

I learned that middle school students want to talk about God. They want to talk to God. But sometimes they want to do it in their own way and on their own terms. They want to feel that the educators are on their side. They want to feel that someone cares about their struggles with tefillah. They want communal connection. They want to know what they are being asked to say and why they are being asked to say it. They want to be free to ask questions. Providing this opportunity for students is a tall order, but it is well worth it.