Avi Chai

The highlight for me of the Jewish Funders Network conference came at a standing-room only dinner hosted by the Foundation for Jewish Camp. Presentations by Amy Sales on Limud by the Lake Revisited and by Jeremy Fingerman on Camp Works, demonstrated how far the field of Jewish overnight camping has come and the success camp has in building community and identity for young Jews. How did this happen? The research makes it very clear. The … Read More »

At the Jewish Funders Network Conference this week, I attended a session on Jewish day school education. The purpose was to reframe the affordability conversation into one that focuses on the value of a day school education, in other words “Why day school?” The conversations seemed very familiar to me and a lot like an article written by Yossi Prager in 2009 in which he too tried to reframe the conversation and make the case … Read More »

I have just returned from the Jewish Funders Network annual conference. This year’s theme was Storytelling. The various presentations and conversations around telling our stories reminded me of a TED Talk by Simon Sinek on Start With Why, his book that the AVI CHAI staff recently read during a staff learning session. While Sinek’s whole argument did not resonate completely for me, I did find his underlying premise of purpose as motivation compelling and instructive. When … Read More »

This blog entry was originally posted on the PEJE blog on March 28, 2011. In September 2011, a Hebrew language charter school, Shalom Academy, will open in Englewood, New Jersey.  This will not be the first Hebrew charter school in the nation (that distinction goes to Ben Gamla in Hollywood, Florida) or even the first in New Jersey (Hatikvah International Academy in East Brunswick, which opened this year).  However, it will be the first that … Read More »

The USCJ Vision Might be Shortsighted –Susan Kardos For those of us who care deeply about Schechter schools and about the strength of Conservative Judaism, the USCJ’s (United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism) recently publicized, new strategic plan is likely a disappointment. The USCJ’s freshly articulated vision begins, “The USCJ is a community of kehillot—sacred communities—committed to a dynamic Judaism that is learned and passionate, authentic and pluralistic, joyful and accessible, egalitarian or traditional.”  One core … Read More »

In a recent Jewish Ideas Daily article, entitled “Identity = ?”, Yehuda Mirsky reviews a recent issue of Sh’ma magazine devoted to the question of the nature of Jewish identity today. Not long ago, being Jewish was something inherent, innate, already there, something that could simmer throughout one’s life or be fanned into a flame in times of celebration, crisis, or self-searching.  Nowadays, Jewishness is, for most younger Americans (and many older ones), a decision, … Read More »

When AVI CHAI began to work in the field of overnight (“resident”) camping, we funded the Lekhu Lakhem program for the directors of JCCA–affiliated camps.  Developed by the Mandel Center for Jewish Education at the JCCA through the talented leadership of Dr. Alvin Mars and his successor, Dr. David Ackerman, Lekhu Lakhem took 24 JCC resident camp directors on a guided and mentored personal Jewish learning journey that instilled an awareness of the directors’ power to … Read More »

AVI CHAI recently sent a survey to approximately 300 day schools in the NY Metro Area to get a sense of whether and how social  media plays a role in their various communications with varying constituents. More than 30 percent of the schools responded and painted a picture of schools firmly entrenched in the Web  1.0 world. For these schools, websites are generally used as brochures. Few of them have ventured into the Web 2.0 … Read More »

We are really interested in learning about successful alumni outreach programs. Anyone have any examples to share? Read More »

At the recent PEJE Assembly, AVI CHAI’s Executive Director, Yossi Prager, shared the foundation’s articulation of why we are so invested in day schools and overnight camps, asking for their reaction to this formulation. What do you think? Does it resonate for you? Do you think it will resonate with others? We believe that the intensive and immersive Jewish education provided in Jewish day schools and overnight summer camps provides the foundation for an energizing … Read More »