BOCA RATON  –  Donna Klein Jewish Academy’s 26th Gala and Auction will take place on Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. at the Polo Club Boca Raton. Proceeds from the entertainment-filled event, highlights of which include both live and silent auctions, will benefit the school’s academic programs and provide need-based financial assistance. This year as DKJA celebrates 30 Years of Strength, the event’s  theme will be a festive “Paint The Town Red.”

Honorary Chairperson is Linda R. Kaminow. Gala Chairpersons are Jill and Yori Galel. Exclusive Media Sponsor is The Boca Raton Observer. The cost to attend DKJA’s gala is $250 per-person.

This year marks the 26th anniversary of the event, and the school’s 30th anniversary. DKJA’s inaugural benefit ball was held April 14, 1985. The gala has since become an annual tradition of celebration in support of the school. Then and now, Jewish continuity through Jewish education is of utmost importance. Guests will dine, dance, and bid on live and silent auction items at the gala.

Donna Klein Jewish Academy is privileged to bestow upon Head of School Karen Feller the Linda R. Kaminow Visionary Leadership Award. Mrs. Feller has served in an administrative capacity at DKJA for 11 years, and has been recognized for more than a decade for her guidance and leadership, enabling the school to become an internationally renowned K-12 Jewish educational institution.  Her vision and commitment to the school’s mission have enabled DKJA to reach many significant milestones, one of which was the relocation of the high school in the fall of 2009 from portables to a beautifully renovated building on the main school campus. This renovation project was made possible by Ms. Kaminow, who came forward as President of the Rosenblatt Foundation to arrange for the largest gift in DKJA’s recent history, and for whom the Linda R. Kaminow Visionary Leadership Award is named.

Mrs. Feller holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in education. Throughout her extensive career in education, Mrs. Feller has taught elementary, middle, and high school grades in both the public and private sectors. Prior to coming to DKJA, she served as the Head of three schools, including seven years as Head of the Hillel School of Tampa, a K-8 Jewish community day school. She also has served on the board of the Pennsylvania Association of Private Schools; the Florida Kindergarten Council (FKC); and is a past president of the Jewish Community Day School Network, RAVSAK, a national organization of more than 100 schools. Mrs. Feller has been a presenter at several conferences, including Project SuLaM, at conferences for the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS), as well as a participant in numerous focused think tanks.

Established in 1979, DKJA, a K-12 Jewish Community Day School for grades K-12 located in Boca Raton, is proud to provide approximately $2 million in need-based financial assistance to 33 percent of its students annually. Last year’s gala generated more than $400,000. The annual event is DKJA’s largest fundraiser, with proceeds directly enhancing academic excellence at the school and providing need-based financial assistance.

For more information and sponsorship opportunities, e-mail Associate Head of School Sharon Kamber at kambers@dkja.org, visit www.dkja.org or call (561) 852-3317.