<HTML>I am interested in floating a different type of question and
would invite and appreciate responses from the broadest range of
subscribers to the list.
For the past year, the Lookstein Center has
been focusing a great deal of attention as well as programming on what is
probably the single greatest challenge facing Jewish education today; the
overall shortage of school leaders and the insufficient and often inferior
preparedness of individuals currently serving in school leadership
positions. In fact, I am writing to you from the States and almost the
entire focus of this trip in meetings with leading Jewish educators, heads
of Bureaus of Jewish Education, foundations, lay leaders and university
programs that focus on school leadership, are discussions of this topic.
There is no doubt that this topic is on the communal agenda, but
considering the magnitude of the problem, it is not receiving anywhere
near the attention that it demands. I am hesitant to use the word crisis
(because it is used so loosely in Israel), but the situation is genuinely
of crisis proportions. How many schools were and are still looking for
principals this year? How many schools have given up after not finding
the appropriate person? How many schools have felt they have compromised
in their decision? How many schools seeking new principals, found
themselves looking seriously at only one candidate? How many schools did
not even bother looking? Most schools seeking principals are in contact
with us and we regretfully know from up close a number of schools who fit
into each of the categories mentioned in the questions above. Permit me
to mention that this is a predicament faced by Orthodox, Conservative,
Reform and Community schools alike. The situation is more profound in the
Orthodox community simply because there are so many more schools.
We have already initiated and are currently designing, in cooperation with
partners in North America and elsewhere, a number of substantive programs
in response to this critical need. It is clear, however, that a solution
to this problem is well beyond the initiatives of the few or the impact of
a series of programs, no matter how good they may be. We know that the
members of this list who live and breath Jewish education from a wide
variety of perspectives have much to contribute to our deliberations and
planning, and can expand as well as challenge our thinking. Please do
devote some time to this and share your thoughts, comments, questions,
criticisms with us and this entire Jewish education community.
Stuart Zweiter, Director
The Lookstein Center for Jewish Education in the Diaspora
Bar Ilan University</HTML>
