I’m certain that most of you are beaming with pride today following our 15^th annual Grandparents’ & Special Friends’ Day program. If you’re a parent, you’ve probably already received a phone call or e-mail from the grandparents or special friends in your family that had the pleasure of participating in this DKJA tradition. This special day not only brings together the generations, it reminds us of why we are here, why it’s so important to remain strong and optimistic despite the challenges we face today, and that we really do have heroes among us!

Every day, in my role as Head of School, I walk the halls, and I stop to "smell the roses." I love the inspiration I feel from seeing youngsters who love being at DKJA, learning traditions of the past, and skills for the future. This helps me remind myself about what’s important. Although a broad range of duties seem to encompass my days, ranging from online “webinars” with colleagues across the nation, to staff meetings, and administrative issues that require much of my time, witnessing a love of learning, and seeing hopeful faces, are what life is all about.

During a recent online conference conducted by Dr. Douglas Reeves of the Leadership and Learning Center, who has twice been named to the Harvard University Distinguished Authors Series, the topic my colleagues and I discussed was H.O.P.E. The acronym stands for Hope, Optimism, Purpose, and Empathy. Although the discussion was broad, the idea is basic: we are strong, and we must remain strong. We must look positively to our future.

That being said, I’d like to share with you one example of how we are constantly enhancing our programs. Recently lower school Hebrew and Judaics teachers Dina Fishman, Anat Jatwes, Jennifer Young, and Iris Dahoah attended the Tal Am Conference in West Orange, New Jersey. Tal Am is a unique curriculum of Hebrew language arts and Judaic studies program. It nurtures Jewish children to become literate in Hebrew language and it gives them the skills and commitment they need to live a vibrant Jewish life. In order to ensure successful implementation of the program, Tal Am offers twice-a-year extensive workshops to teachers who have a chance to work and study with the architects of the program in order to develop mastery of the curriculum.