Avi Chai

This piece is cross-posted from Jewish Ideas Daily. By: Aryeh Klapper There is a lot of hand-wringing these days about whether the rising costs of Jewish day schools are sustainable.  The discussion has been about money: How can we get more?  How can we spend less?  These questions miss the point: The largest costs of high day school tuition are not financial but moral, and the key to solving the financial dilemma is to address … Read More »

By: Dan Perla The Solomon Schechter Day School (SSDS) of Greater Boston observed an interesting financial anomaly among the 28 families sending three children to the school (there were no families with more than three children): only one was middle class. By middle class, the school meant families with adjusted gross incomes (AGI) of $200,000-$400,000. The school reached this conclusion through an analysis of its financial aid data and its knowledge of the finances of … Read More »

This Monday, May 14, we will hold the first New York ELI talks (see event details here). But what’s in an ELI talk? ELI talks: Inspired Jewish Ideas are 10-15 minute talks in which commitments to Jewish literacy, Jewish religious engagement, Jewish peoplehood, and love of Israel are central. ELI talks hope to illuminate these ideas and celebrate expressions and enactments of these commitments. ELI stands for Engagement, Literacy, and Identity. Here Micah Lapidus, Director … Read More »

We were pleased to see the lively discussion here on the AVI CHAI blog around the question of, “What would make day school a more attractive option for parents not currently considering it?” This Wednesday, The AVI CHAI Foundation in partnership with the Steinhardt Foundation will host an in-person brainstorm to consider and expand upon the ideas bubbling up from this conversation into potential program ideas and marketing strategies. Leading up to this gathering, we … Read More »

This post is part of a regular series written by Rabbi Jay Goldmintz, Headmaster of Ramaz Upper School, and sent to the parents of Ramaz students. I was teaching a class a few months ago about Migdal Bavel, the Tower of Babel mentioned in the Torah, which according to one school of thought was an example of man’s hubris, his arrogant desire to dominate. I suggested that perhaps that was one of the reasons that … Read More »

By: Dan Perla A traditional Shabbat lunch is usually book-ended by well- established rituals—kiddush and motzei at the beginning of the meal and birkat hamazon at the end of the meal. These days it appears that a new “ritual” is emerging as a focal point for the middle of the meal—the discussion about day school affordability! To aid you in your conversations, here is a brief primer on the financial context in which most Jewish … Read More »

This piece is cross-posted here on eJewishPhilanthropy.com. by Yossi Prager Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill once said, “All politics is local.” Should philanthropy be the same? AVI CHAI’s spend-down goals include building funding partnerships with others whose values and interests align with ours. I have therefore had the privilege of meeting with and learning from impressive and dedicated Jewish philanthropists across the country. Time and again, I have learned that most funders focus their … Read More »

In February of 2010, the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston (SSDSGB) had an opportunity. A Jewish early childhood education program which was located on the school’s property abruptly decided to close.  Although unaffiliated with SSDSGB, this program had been a wonderful partner in Jewish education and was a significant feeder to the school’s Kindergarten.  Faced with a decision about what to do with this suddenly vacant rental space, some members of the SSDSGB … Read More »

Following the inaugural Day School Video Academy, AVI CHAI asked our winners of the Popular Vote category to share some tips and lessons learned from the making of their award-winning videos. This should be especially helpful for those looking to enter Jewish Day School Video Academy Awards: The Sequel. Submissions open on March 22. One theme running through the winners’ responses relates to the power of networking. The schools found that a combination of in-person, … Read More »

With a theme of “Reach Beyond the Bunk,” this year’s Foundation for Jewish Camp Leaders Assembly took place from March 11-13th in New Brunswick, NJ. In true manifestation of the strength of the growing field of Jewish camping, over 650 were in attendance; in representation of beyond-the-bunk reach, only around 40% were camping professionals – the rest were comprised of lay leaders, Jewish Federation and foundation representatives, and others who care deeply about Jewish camp … Read More »