I've been away on a much needed vacation.
Keep checking this spot for important news about Kadima.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
The democratic process...
Last night's Board meeting was tiring, especially since I was fighting some kind of virus. But again, it showed that our Board is functioning well. We have individuals dedicated to making Kadima better, and we also have people with strong opinions.
At heart, I am a democrat (small "d"). This means that, within reason, I prefer to send things to the Board for discussion and determination rather than merely dictating results. This can be difficult, since often times when you do this, you can't control the result, and the Board may come to a different conclusion than what you think is best. But I firmly believe that having the Board decide things is critical to create an engaged Board, and an engaged Board, as we are seeing this year, is a Board that strongly participates and supports the school.
But democracy can be messy, especially when there are strong personalities involved. As a lawyer, I am not averse to argument; indeed, I believe in the legal system which is based upon the idea that the adversarial process often (but not always) can lead to the best result. So, I welcome debate in Board meetings. I think that people need to have the chance to be heard, and I believe that, ultimately, after reasoned debate, the group will generally come to the best conclusion. My experience thus far with the Kadima Board has proven this to be the case. Our Board is engaged, we have substantive discussions at our meetings, we have excellent attendance, our committees are working, and for the first time we have 100% participation by the Board in our annual giving campaign. Indeed, last night, we did something we've never done; we handed out names for solicitation calls, and people actually took them, and I believe will make the calls.
One of the projects that we've been working on is revising Kadima's bylaws, which, unfortunately, are a bit messy and out of date. Changing bylaws--which are the school's constitution--is a hot button issue, since it tends to bring out underlying concerns from people about the school's governance as well, as unfortunately, personal grievances which can make debate difficult.
The bylaws committee has been working the bylaws, and we've finally developed a working document that is almost completed. But the Committee could not come to consensus on several issues, so I decided to bring these issues to the Board. The Board, after all, will have to approve the bylaws in the end, so if there are problems, we need to know about them now. The discussion was heartfelt, and somewhat emotional. It was a bit difficult--especially since I was firing on less than all cylinders last night--to keep control, but I think that things did not get completely out of hand.
The discussion was interesting and I think that the Committee got some much needed additional guidance. It was also frustrating, since I felt that there are certain legal issues that we did not explain very well, and that this led to unnecessary debates and arguments. Several people seemed not to realize, at least initially, that bylaws set broad principles, and it is critical that we not shackle future boards from taking actions necessary to protect the school.
Indeed, the difficult thing about bylaws, is that we have to develop a system to protect the school against circumstances which are unimaginable. For that reason, bylaws cannot be narrowly tailored. Nor should they be subject to constant amendment.
In the end, while exhausting, the meeting was exactly the kind of meeting that I, the "democrat", believe should occur. No preordained result; proposals that are not half-baked, and reasoned, full discussion, that ultimately leads to better results.
So the bylaws process will continue forward with guidance from the Board. And hopefully, we will have new bylaws soon.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Channukah.
At heart, I am a democrat (small "d"). This means that, within reason, I prefer to send things to the Board for discussion and determination rather than merely dictating results. This can be difficult, since often times when you do this, you can't control the result, and the Board may come to a different conclusion than what you think is best. But I firmly believe that having the Board decide things is critical to create an engaged Board, and an engaged Board, as we are seeing this year, is a Board that strongly participates and supports the school.
But democracy can be messy, especially when there are strong personalities involved. As a lawyer, I am not averse to argument; indeed, I believe in the legal system which is based upon the idea that the adversarial process often (but not always) can lead to the best result. So, I welcome debate in Board meetings. I think that people need to have the chance to be heard, and I believe that, ultimately, after reasoned debate, the group will generally come to the best conclusion. My experience thus far with the Kadima Board has proven this to be the case. Our Board is engaged, we have substantive discussions at our meetings, we have excellent attendance, our committees are working, and for the first time we have 100% participation by the Board in our annual giving campaign. Indeed, last night, we did something we've never done; we handed out names for solicitation calls, and people actually took them, and I believe will make the calls.
One of the projects that we've been working on is revising Kadima's bylaws, which, unfortunately, are a bit messy and out of date. Changing bylaws--which are the school's constitution--is a hot button issue, since it tends to bring out underlying concerns from people about the school's governance as well, as unfortunately, personal grievances which can make debate difficult.
The bylaws committee has been working the bylaws, and we've finally developed a working document that is almost completed. But the Committee could not come to consensus on several issues, so I decided to bring these issues to the Board. The Board, after all, will have to approve the bylaws in the end, so if there are problems, we need to know about them now. The discussion was heartfelt, and somewhat emotional. It was a bit difficult--especially since I was firing on less than all cylinders last night--to keep control, but I think that things did not get completely out of hand.
The discussion was interesting and I think that the Committee got some much needed additional guidance. It was also frustrating, since I felt that there are certain legal issues that we did not explain very well, and that this led to unnecessary debates and arguments. Several people seemed not to realize, at least initially, that bylaws set broad principles, and it is critical that we not shackle future boards from taking actions necessary to protect the school.
Indeed, the difficult thing about bylaws, is that we have to develop a system to protect the school against circumstances which are unimaginable. For that reason, bylaws cannot be narrowly tailored. Nor should they be subject to constant amendment.
In the end, while exhausting, the meeting was exactly the kind of meeting that I, the "democrat", believe should occur. No preordained result; proposals that are not half-baked, and reasoned, full discussion, that ultimately leads to better results.
So the bylaws process will continue forward with guidance from the Board. And hopefully, we will have new bylaws soon.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Channukah.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Happy Channukah and other things...
We're in the middle of Channukah, and Mr. Cohen, our Head of School, pulled this from the archives. It's a story of how Kadima, that small school in Woodland Hills, convinced the Federal government to issue, for the first time ever, a Channukah stamp.
People often forget that Kadima has been educating Jewish children for nearly four decades. We were around in 1970, which, I might add, was the heyday of public school education in the West San Fernando Valley. It is when I started public school, and at the time, there were oodles and oodles of kids in public school; the PTAs were vibrant, and while may have been complaints, people believed in the public schools far more than they do now. There was no busing issue to deflect the school's educational mission; indeed, I'd argue that much of the established Jewish leadership in Los Angeles views Jewish Day Schools somewhat dimly because they were weaned on the values embodied in a public school education. For many who had children in those years before busing and Proposition 13 changed everything, there was strong support for public education; day schools were for primarily the Orthodox. Things, however, have changed.
So it is important to remember that a determined group of people formed a Jewish Day School in 1970 not because they did not believe in public education, but because they believed in Jewish Day School education. At the time, they were tied to a Conservative synagogue (Congregation Beth Kodesh, which later morphed into Shomrei Torah Synagogue).
Through the years, Kadima has morphed from a small Mom and Pop place, to the more professionalized institution it is today. While we've had our struggles over the years--we know about those--we've also had our achievements. And it's important to remember them. Not the least is the fact that school was started in 1970 and has, despite it all, lasted until today.
The fact that Kadima, in 1996, convinced the US Postal Service to issue a Channukah stamp is not, however, at least to this observer, the school's greatest legacy. The school's true mark exists in the legions of students who have passed through Kadima's rooms and hallways, and, taught by some of the greatest teachers ever, have left Kadima not merely as well-educated children, academically prepared to face their future educational programs, but who, in the end, remain cognizant of the many strands of Judaism and Jewish tradition, and use this knowledge to forge a strong sense of themselves and their own vibrant Jewish identities. Kadima graduates, by possessing an academic understanding, a serious study and a spiritual love of Judaism, bring a richness, and leadership to the entire Jewish community. It is this--an influence that will resonate through the generations--that is Kadima's greatest legacy.
Happy Channukah!
We have a Board meeting tomorrow night at 7:15 p.m. at the school. All members of the school community are invited.
People often forget that Kadima has been educating Jewish children for nearly four decades. We were around in 1970, which, I might add, was the heyday of public school education in the West San Fernando Valley. It is when I started public school, and at the time, there were oodles and oodles of kids in public school; the PTAs were vibrant, and while may have been complaints, people believed in the public schools far more than they do now. There was no busing issue to deflect the school's educational mission; indeed, I'd argue that much of the established Jewish leadership in Los Angeles views Jewish Day Schools somewhat dimly because they were weaned on the values embodied in a public school education. For many who had children in those years before busing and Proposition 13 changed everything, there was strong support for public education; day schools were for primarily the Orthodox. Things, however, have changed.
So it is important to remember that a determined group of people formed a Jewish Day School in 1970 not because they did not believe in public education, but because they believed in Jewish Day School education. At the time, they were tied to a Conservative synagogue (Congregation Beth Kodesh, which later morphed into Shomrei Torah Synagogue).
Through the years, Kadima has morphed from a small Mom and Pop place, to the more professionalized institution it is today. While we've had our struggles over the years--we know about those--we've also had our achievements. And it's important to remember them. Not the least is the fact that school was started in 1970 and has, despite it all, lasted until today.
The fact that Kadima, in 1996, convinced the US Postal Service to issue a Channukah stamp is not, however, at least to this observer, the school's greatest legacy. The school's true mark exists in the legions of students who have passed through Kadima's rooms and hallways, and, taught by some of the greatest teachers ever, have left Kadima not merely as well-educated children, academically prepared to face their future educational programs, but who, in the end, remain cognizant of the many strands of Judaism and Jewish tradition, and use this knowledge to forge a strong sense of themselves and their own vibrant Jewish identities. Kadima graduates, by possessing an academic understanding, a serious study and a spiritual love of Judaism, bring a richness, and leadership to the entire Jewish community. It is this--an influence that will resonate through the generations--that is Kadima's greatest legacy.
Happy Channukah!
We have a Board meeting tomorrow night at 7:15 p.m. at the school. All members of the school community are invited.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
100%!
With Thanksgiving and some lengthy business trips, I haven't been able to post. But that doesn't mean that Kadima hasn't been busy.
For the first time in recent memory, the Board of Trustees has 100% participation in our Annual Giving effort! This is significant, since it (1) shows that our Board is engaged like it never has been in the past; (2) demonstrates a healthy, vibrant and growing giving campaign.
We are in the process of our calling or families and asking for their support. It isn't easy. No one likes calling others to ask for money, and in these economic times, asking for additional donations is difficult.
But it's absolutely imperative. Like every other school, our tuition does not fully support our program. Simply put, our tuition is too low for the excellent program we offer our families; thus, we have to make up the difference from donations. If we don't, we have to deficit finance, which, while manageable for awhile, ultimately is a self-defeating proposition.
The Board's effort provides a good start for our campaign this year. But we still have a long way to go.
I hope to be writing more about the need for donations, and the reason why tuition doesn't cover all of our costs in the near future.
For the first time in recent memory, the Board of Trustees has 100% participation in our Annual Giving effort! This is significant, since it (1) shows that our Board is engaged like it never has been in the past; (2) demonstrates a healthy, vibrant and growing giving campaign.
We are in the process of our calling or families and asking for their support. It isn't easy. No one likes calling others to ask for money, and in these economic times, asking for additional donations is difficult.
But it's absolutely imperative. Like every other school, our tuition does not fully support our program. Simply put, our tuition is too low for the excellent program we offer our families; thus, we have to make up the difference from donations. If we don't, we have to deficit finance, which, while manageable for awhile, ultimately is a self-defeating proposition.
The Board's effort provides a good start for our campaign this year. But we still have a long way to go.
I hope to be writing more about the need for donations, and the reason why tuition doesn't cover all of our costs in the near future.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Shalom, Mrs. Lunski.
The Kadima community suffered a loss this week, with the recent passing of Aviva Lunski, after a long illness. Mrs. Lunski ("Aviva" to her students) inspired a whole generation of Kadima kindergarten students; she taught Judaic Studies for many years at Kadima until illness sidelined her several years ago.
Mrs. Lunski was an artist, and I'd wager that her students' art projects can be found in family holiday decoration boxes throughout the homes of Kadima families. I know that we still have some of the decorations my son made in Kindergarten. My son was in one of Mrs. Lunski's last classes before her illness, and when we ask who is favorite teachers were at Kadima, he often pauses, looks up with eyes glowing, and says, "Aviva."
Mrs. Lunski had the sensibility and practicality of a sabra, and the first time you met her, you sometimes wondered how she could teach Kindergarten. But as soon as you saw her interact with the kids--respecting them, teaching them, loving them--you knew that her talent for reaching 5 and 6 year olds was truly special. She reached them and taught them so much.
We will remember Mrs. Lunski's art projects, her play "Hannahle" (which was performed annually for years by her students), and most of all, we will cherish her smiles, her hugs, and her love of her students. Perhaps most of all, we will remember the love her students had for her.
The funeral will take place on Wednesday, November 25th at 1:00 p.m. at Eden Memorial Park.
May her memory be for a blessing.
Mrs. Lunski was an artist, and I'd wager that her students' art projects can be found in family holiday decoration boxes throughout the homes of Kadima families. I know that we still have some of the decorations my son made in Kindergarten. My son was in one of Mrs. Lunski's last classes before her illness, and when we ask who is favorite teachers were at Kadima, he often pauses, looks up with eyes glowing, and says, "Aviva."
Mrs. Lunski had the sensibility and practicality of a sabra, and the first time you met her, you sometimes wondered how she could teach Kindergarten. But as soon as you saw her interact with the kids--respecting them, teaching them, loving them--you knew that her talent for reaching 5 and 6 year olds was truly special. She reached them and taught them so much.
We will remember Mrs. Lunski's art projects, her play "Hannahle" (which was performed annually for years by her students), and most of all, we will cherish her smiles, her hugs, and her love of her students. Perhaps most of all, we will remember the love her students had for her.
The funeral will take place on Wednesday, November 25th at 1:00 p.m. at Eden Memorial Park.
May her memory be for a blessing.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Five Hundred Bucks
At the Board meeting this week, the Board adopted a resolution authorizing the administration to implement a plan whereby existing families that refer new families who actually attend the school may be eligible to receive a $500 tuition credit.
But, as you might expect with a plan like this, there is a variety of small print in the plan, and many details and conditions. It's not that we don't want to give a $500 credit, but we just have to make sure that the program is implemented properly and effectively.
Yet, if you know of potential families who might be interested--or should be interested--in coming to Kadima, then send them our way. It may be worth $500 to you.
Shabbat Shalom.
But, as you might expect with a plan like this, there is a variety of small print in the plan, and many details and conditions. It's not that we don't want to give a $500 credit, but we just have to make sure that the program is implemented properly and effectively.
Yet, if you know of potential families who might be interested--or should be interested--in coming to Kadima, then send them our way. It may be worth $500 to you.
Shabbat Shalom.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
What it's all about!
I know, another message. No messages for weeks, and now they can't stop. But I wanted to share this with everyone, it's from our Head of School:
I wanted to share some highlights from my *last hour* here at Kadima with you. It can be easy to get caught up in the "numbers and business" of Kadima, but here's one great reason to continue to do "what we do".Well said.
At 9:15am, I heard the voices of students singing "Hallelujah" all the way in my office, from the Beit Knesset. At 9:00am each thursday, the 2nd-5th grades join together for a schacharit service. So, I stopped doing the "business" of the school, and went to investigate. And, what did I find....a group of more than sixty students, and their teachers singing and "davening" vibrantly, spiritedly, and with a joy and love of both what they were doing, and their surroundings that you could touch. Rabbi Bluman and Justin Stein (music leader) did a commendable job of moving the service at a great pace, and explaining each of the tefillot with short "kavvanot". Toward the end of the tefillah, the entire group did the AMIDAH using the "weekday nusach". This is exactly as it should be in a Solomon Schechter School, where we distinguish between weekday (chol) and Shabbat tunes. We need to teach them both. Really, I was quite moved by the experience. It helped to remember WHY we struggle with the business of the school until 10:30pm. Hopefully, you can feel it too..
Then, 25 minutes later, I was blessed to join the 1st grade class at their "50s day celebration" (honoring the 50th day of school). The students are all dressed in jeans, t shirts, jackets, poodle skirts, slicked back hair etc...and they danced and swayed and had a great time celebrating the 50s, all topped off by ice cream floats (yes, I know, weird before nutritious and delicious lunch), but a joy for all.
It strikes me, our school is charged with the task of balancing a meaningful Jewish education, with a rigorous program of general studies (language arts, math, science, social studies)* and * to create an environment where our students learn to be great citizens.
It is a quite a task, but KADIMA IS UP FOR IT!
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