Following are answers to some questions you may have about Dr. Noam Wasserman being named head of school:
Given Dr. Wasserman’s experience in higher education, why does he want to work in an N-12 environment?
Dr. Wasserman has long admired Ramaz’s pioneering role in Jewish education and sees it as a privilege to work at an institution where Torah UMadda (the integral relationship between the religious and secular world) runs paramount. He has also long admired the impact that heads of school have on their institutions and on their students, and he has been reminded about that impact during discussions with leading heads of school over the past year. Recognizing children’s formative years as a time of tremendous opportunity to develop Torah-minded, well-rounded, and socially responsible students who can make a difference in their own communities and around the world, Dr. Wasserman is especially looking forward to the N-12 environment, developing the excellence of Ramaz’s students, and setting the tone for other yeshivot more broadly.
Was the search committee concerned with Dr. Wasserman’s limited experience in leading an N-12 school?
Dr. Wasserman has not previously held the role of head of school for N-12; however, he will be working closely and partnering with our expert N-12 educators and seasoned senior management team who know the inner workings of their curricula and programming and have a proven track record of delivering a successful program.
Dr. Wasserman has extensive leadership experience in higher education and knows what it takes to achieve the goals set forth by the Board of Trustees Furthermore, he has extensive knowledge of what it takes to run a Jewish high school and an elementary school, as he was chairman of the Board at two such institutions.
The role of the head of school is similar to that of a CEO – to manage the organization and build capacity within the team so that Ramaz can function at an even higher level. At this stage in Ramaz’s life cycle, it was critical to find a head of school with excellent management and leadership skills who would be able to leverage the resources and talent available in order to execute the mission and vision of the school.
Will Dr. Wasserman commute from his home in Brookline to Ramaz?
Dr. Wasserman has been successfully commuting to YU for almost six years. He and his family are eager to relocate to the New York area; however, they need some time to plan a transition for his wife's job and his youngest daughter's schooling. Until then, Dr. Wasserman will be at Ramaz in person from Monday through Thursday, and remote on Friday unless he is needed for a Friday-morning event. As a seasoned commuter who regularly joins his YU students at night seder, Dr. Wasserman has found that being in NY on his own during the week allows him to be more fully available to the community, particularly during evenings for meetings, programs, social events, dinners, and athletic games. As a quick responder to emails, Dr. Wasserman noted that “I will be working for Ramaz 24/6, and if I’m a scholar-in-residence in a NY-area community, 24/7!”
Who are the members of the Search Committee?
The members of the Search Committee are: Sara Bloom, Jimmy Haber, Adam Kaplan, Emil Kleinhaus '95, Diane Rein '87, Rebecca Ritter '03, Rena Rosenberg, Erica Schwartz '93, Simon Shemia, Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz, and Dr. Philip Wilner '75.