Gala Honorees: Ester and David Vered

The news is out: On April 3, 2010, Kadima will be honoring David and Ester Vered for their years of support and commitment to Kadima. It is going to be a special evening; we will be honoring the Vereds and also celebrating Kadima's four decades.

Mark your calendars. It is an event that you won't want to miss!

Tuition, again.

Tomorrow night our Board will be discussing the budget for next year, and in particular, what we will do with tuition. The Finance Committee and Executive Committee have already examined the issue, they will be making a recommendation to the Board. We will be looking at our budget and cash flow needs as well as economic realities. It is likely to be a good discussion.

I can't go into the details of the proposal, but I can say that there is a recommendation for an increase in tuition next year. That should not surprise anyone; it costs a lot to run a school like Kadima, and it costs more and more each year. Virtually every school raises tuition each year. We tried lowering it 25 percent one year in an effort to stimulate admissions, but like the government's stimulus package, it was not enough to trigger an admissions stampede to the school; a stampede that was necessary to offset the reduction in tuition collections. As a result, the following year we only provided only a 5 percent reduction from the original cost.

Ultimately, we learned that people will pay--to the extent that they can--for a good educational product. We have it at Kadima.

So tomorrow night we will discuss and wrestle with tuition issues. As always, it is likely to be a good discussion.

Dr. Saul Wachs.

Today, Dr. Saul Wachs, the leader and expert in tefilla education visited the school to work with Mrs. Yalovsky and Mr. Cohen to examine and analyze our school's already terrific tefilla programs.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for the school. Dr. Wachs really is the expert in prayer in schools, and to have him looking at our school exemplifies Kadima's leadership in this area. You can read a monograph he wrote on the subject, here. I strongly urge you to take the time to read this paper. We are working to ensure that Kadima's tefilla, like all of its programs, is second to none, and is part of our integrated educational experience.

Dr. Wachs writes that the key to successful tefilla--success as defined as engaging and meaningful for all ages, and not just skills education--is depth. He writes:

"The key is omek, depth. I believe that every service

should have some element of omek."

That really boils down what Kadima is about. Depth. Our programs are not superficial; they are meaningful.

Again, please read Dr. Wachs' paper. It articulates better than I possibly could what we are trying to achieve with a Kadima education.

To have Dr. Wachs at our school is an honor; it is also a direct result of being a member of the Solomon Schechter Day School Association.

This is important stuff.

Liberal Arts Education.

Rabbi Daniel Gordis recently wrote about the paucity of liberal arts education in Israel. You can read his article here. He raises several interesting points, the most important, in my mind, being that rigorous intellectual education remains critical to learning how to think and to understanding and solving some of the world's most difficult problems.

Gordis notes that in Israel, the number of people who are forsaking advance study of the humanities--history, language, literature, art--is dropping in favor of technical professions, such business and management. While these disciplines are important, they cannot be the end all of any educational experience. As Gordis writes:

What does matter is whether we can produce a generation of students who, when they hear something about which they disagree, can debate the ideas at hand, rather than merely seeking to silence those with whom they disagree.

It is important, therefore, that we teach our kids how to think, and use the humanities in order to do so. Our future requires that our children learn about ideas and how to analyze them.

This is what we seek to do at Kadima; moreover, we do it in a way that is grounded in both Jewish and General Studies. Just as our students study American history analytically, they also analyze Jewish history analytically. The goal is to challenge our students, encourage them to think critically, and to provide them with the beginnings of an intellectual background--and a commitment to learning for its own sake--that will permit them to solve problems, imagine solutions, and create their own successful futures.

Locus of Learning.

Kadima, at its core, is a place for education. It is a place of inspiration, learning, and growth. Kadima is not only a place where we develop Life Long Learners, but also a place where people can learn throughout their lives.

To that end, our educational staff will be arranging classes for our community throughout the year. Under the name Kadima Center for Life Long Learning, we will be offering a variety of opportunities for adults to study and receive the excellence of a Kadima education.

In addition to having our staff provide an excellent selection of Torah study opportunities throughout the year, we will also be hosting free classes entitled "Talking to Your Children About..."

The first one is October 29, 2010 at 8:00 a.m, and is entitled Talking to Your Children About Internet Safety. It will be taught by Lori Getz, M.A. an expert on the subject.

The next one is December 2, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. and is entitled Talking to Your Children About Human Sexuality (for parents of fifth graders and up). It will be taught by Rabbi/Dr. Ron Levine.

After that, we have Talking to Your Children About Drugs, Alcohol and Addiction which will be held on March 9, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. It will be taught by Doug Rozen of Beit T'Shuvah.

Mark these on your calendar. They represent another example of why Kadima remains a locus of learning in our community.

Shana Tovah.

Shana Tova.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, and on behalf of my family, I wish you all a healthy, happy, and wonderful year.

May this be a year of learning, fulfillment, community and fulfillment for the entire Kadima community.

Shabbat Under the Stars

This Friday, September 3, at 5:30 p.m., we will be having our annual welcome, Shabbat Under the Stars. It is a great opportunity for everyone to celebrate the beginning of the school year, wish everyone a Shana Tova, and be part of our community. I urge everyone to attend.

Wow, three posts in a week. I guess summer really is over.