2014-2015/5775 ANNUAL REPORT
HEAD OF SCHOOL’S MESSAGE MALLORY ROME
“To every thing there is a season,” we learn in Ecclesiastes. Rashi’s “season” this past year has been one of great strength as well as one of transition—or, as Pete Seeger wrote, “Turn! Turn! Turn!” Transition is part of the lifecycle of every school and 2014-2015 was no exception. At the beginning of the year, we welcomed Rabbi Jodi Seewald Smith to our kehillah and, at the end of the year, we said goodbye to Matt King, Barbara Ross, and Amy Gold, three extraordinary leaders who brought Rashi to a place of remarkable strength and vibrancy and have left their mark on every aspect of the school. In particular, they marshalled the resources of the CJP Peerless Excellence Grant to orchestrate a transformation at Rashi over a period of ten years. 2014-2015 also marks the end of our participation in the CJP Peerless Excellence Grant (see page 23). In my first year as Head, I am fortunate to be working with our new Director of Finance and Operations, Lisi Sesnovich, and our new Interim Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Beth Brown. Together with Lisi and Beth and the rest of the administrative leadership, I look forward to taking Rashi “from strength to strength” and building on the remarkable foundation we have inherited. Rashi’s educators continued to innovate in 2014–15. Last year saw the introduction of a Hebrew oral proficiency initiative, with a teacher devoted to engaging students in, and documenting, the development of spoken Hebrew. Across the curriculum, students in Grades 3 and up reflected on their academic
1 THE RASHI SCHOOL
progress through digital portfolios. The entire faculty and staff collaborated throughout the year to write the self-study report for Rashi’s reaccreditation through the Association of Independent Schools of New England (AISNE); in preparation for the November 2015 arrival of a visiting team of professionals in charge of our reaccreditation. We are tremendously excited to show off Rashi’s growth since our last round ten years ago. Rashi continues to be sustained by the support of so many individuals and organizations in our community. In 2014–15, the Legacy Heritage Foundation awarded Rashi a “Better Together” grant to support the multigenerational work with NewBridge. It is exciting to see the development of this unique and rich partnership. It has been a remarkably joyful and inspiring start to the school year for me, with the opportunity to immerse myself in the daily life at Rashi. After my glimpses throughout last year, I am so enjoying the chance to see the full Rashi experience up close. And I find myself keenly aware of the hard work, generous support, and sustained commitment that has brought Rashi to this place. Thank you for your part in it — I look forward to continuing the partnership! L’SHALOM,
Mallory Rome Head of School
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE KATHY COHEN
The 2014-2015 school year was a remarkable one for Rashi and a fortunate time for me to begin my tenure as Board chair. With the school in strong shape both educationally and institutionally, thanks to the leadership of Matt King and outgoing Board Chair David Aronoff, the Board of Trustees focused on two major goals for the 2014-2015 school year: 1. Secure a new Head of School to continue Rashi’s legacy of exceptional leadership. 2. Develop an updated Strategic Plan to ensure Rashi’s continued success as a national educational leader in both the Independent and Jewish Day School arenas. The rigorous national search, skillfully led by Board Member Jill Smith, for our next Head of School resulted in the appointment of our wonderful new Head Mallory Rome, who began her tenure on July 1, 2015. Mallory stood out from the impressive pool of candidates with her unique combination of Independent School and Jewish Day School experience, as well as her vision of joyful learning and an engaged community. Mallory has already proven to be an inspiring and inclusive leader, a collaborative problem solver, and an educational innovator. I know she will enable Rashi to grow from strength to strength. Ensuring Rashi’s long-term future is equally dependent upon the school’s leadership and the blueprint the Board determines to guide the school’s course of action over the next many years. Rashi’s next strategic plan is in its final stages, spearheaded by Board Members
Cindy Janower and Rebecca Burack and drawing on the wisdom of Rashi’s many constituencies obtained through meticulous analysis of data from surveys, focus groups, and comparable schools. Rashi’s last strategic plan provided the laser focus needed to make wise and skillful use of the CJP Peerless Excellence Grant. The next strategic plan will equally set Rashi’s course into its next phase of growth and accomplishment. As we come to the close of our strategic planning, anticipating some exciting new directions and fulfillment of Rashi’s promise, we know that the steps toward achieving Rashi’s future will include building an endowment and paying down the debt on our beautiful building. Rashi’s strong enrollment and fundraising continue to balance our budget, but our focus must be on longer-term elements of sustainability to ensure Rashi’s continued strength. As I reflect upon the past year, I am grateful to our community’s deep commitment to The Rashi School. It is an inspiration that motivates me to work ever harder, with your partnership, to continue the sacred work of protecting, sustaining, and growing our school. B’KAVOD,
Kathy Cohen President, Board of Trustees
2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT 2
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2014-2015
OFFICERS President, Kathy Cohen Vice President, Dena Rashes Vice President, Jill Smith Treasurer, Heidi Pearlson Clerk, Ed Shapiro TRUSTEES Aron Ain Michelle Black Rebecca Burack Sarah Fleckner David Frankel Dana Gershon Merrill Hassenfeld Cynthia Janower Wendy Landon Sally Kaplan Levy
Carol Lobron Rabbi Todd Markley Adam Miller Dale S. Okonow Michelle Paster Ken Pucker Daniel L. Romanow Rebecca Scharfstein Barbara Shapiro Herbert B. Stern Lisa Wallack Elizabeth Hirschhorn Wilson David Aronoff, Immediate Past President Alison Kur, Permanent Trustee Rabbi Henry A. Zoob, Founding Chair
WELCOMING OUR NEW HEAD OF SCHOOL
Left to Right: Former Head of School Dr. Matt King, Board President Kathy Cohen, and current Head of School Mallory Rome.
3 THE RASHI SCHOOL
FACULTY & STAFF 2014-2015
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP Matthew King, Ed.D., Head of School Howard L. Breslau, Director of Development Heidi Chapple, Head of Lower School (K-4) Joni Fishman, Dean of Students Adrienne Frechter, Director of Admissions and Marketing Amy Gold, Associate Head of School Rabbi Jodi Seewald Smith, School Rabbi David Rosenberg, Assistant to Head of School Barbara Ross, Director of Finance and Operations Glenda Speyer, Head of Upper School (5-8)
OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION Emily Berkowitz, Admissions Assistant Ashley Boyd, Facilities Bruce Boyd, Facilities Director Miriam Brody, Assistant to Head of School Dan Coleman, Facilities Adrienne Freedman, Business Office Courtney Garcia, Controller Amy Klotz, Annual Campaign Director Adrien Khelemsky, Assistant Director of Admissions and Recruitment Lauren Koppelman, Communications Manager Lauren Laio, Facility Rentals and Transportation Nancy Myers, Administrative Assistant Mike Papadopol, Technology Coordinator Laura Robinson, Development Assistant Holly Smulski, HR Specialist
Kim Stone, Manager of Development Events and Alumni Relations Mary Beth Stone, School Nurse Matt Stone, Facilities
FACULTY Karen Abraham, Grade 1 Teacher Deborah Alper, Grade 2 Teacher Alison Berks, Kindergarten Teacher Deborah Berlin, Grade 4 Assistant Teacher Michal Berdugo, Hebrew Specialist Kate Bernstein, Kindergarten Assistant Teacher Carolyn Bloomberg-O’Brien, MS Language Arts Janie Brauer, Kindergarten Teacher Stephen Brickman, Song Leader Beth Brown, MS Learning Specialist Hilary Caplan, MS Language Arts Teacher Cynthia Carter, MS Math Teacher Keith Civin, MS Social Studies Teacher Rabbi Sharon Clevenger, MS Rabbi Jessica Clew, Grade 5 Assistant Teacher Venus Corriveau, Director of After School Programs Maya Dalzell, Hebrew Teacher Mark Doyle, Theater Technology Director Alison Fine, MS Science Teacher James Fineman, Grade 4 Assistant Teacher Aaron Fischlowitz-Roberts, Grade 5 Teacher Pamela Gennert, Kindergarten Assistant Teacher Monica Gibbs, MS Math Teacher Anne Glanz, Grade 5 Teacher Bonny Goldberg, Theater Director Jessica Gulman, Kindergarten Assistant Teacher Nancy Harrison, Ph.D., School Psychologist
Janice Hirshon, Grades K-3 Learning Specialist Joshua Horowicz, Athletic Director Elissa Johnson-Green, Music Teacher Fallon Katz, Hebrew Teacher Lorena Kavande-Flores, MS Spanish Teacher Dierdre Kiemach, Grade 4 Assistant Teacher Galit Konstantine, Hebrew Teacher Morgan Levine, Grade 2 Assistant Teacher Raquel Levy, Hebrew Teacher Jenny Lifson, Assistant Theater Specialist Maya Ludwig, Hebrew Teacher Ari Marcovski, Hebrew Teacher Sharon Miller, Kindergarten Teacher Yuval Moscovitz, Hebrew Assistant Teacher Marlene Moyer, Grades 3-5 Learning Specialist Sharon Packer, Grade 5 Assistant Teacher Hanna Perkins, Grade 3 Assistant Teacher David Raffeld, MS Social Studies Teacher Joey Regen, Grade 4 Teacher Jean Ricker, Grade 1 Teacher Corey Roberts, Grade 3 Teacher David Rosenberg, Grade 3 Teacher Melissa Rosenblatt, Grade 4 Teacher Stephanie Rotsky, Social Justice Coordinator Tamar Rotstein, Grade 1 Assistant Teacher Susan Saber, Librarian Shukie Sapir, Hebrew Teacher Jennifer Shaw, Fitness & Health Instructor Heidi Sisenwine, Grade 2 Teacher Erica Smiley, Art Teacher Jessica Solomon, Grade 3 Teacher David Wilkins, MS Math Teacher Batya Williams, MS Science Teacher
Janice Hirshon was honored with the 2014 Limud Award. Janice, Learning Specialist in the Lower School, is a long-standing member of our faculty whose dedication, encouragement, and continuous support has fostered the love of learning in our students.
2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT 4
FINANCIAL REPORT 2014-2015
OPERATING REVENUE AND SUPPORT
OPERATING EXPENSES*
Tuition and Fees, net $7,905, 1 7 1. Fundraising and Grants 1,462,630 Rentals 98,874 Other Income and Support 63,744
Education $5,754,896 Administration 1,549,905 Facility 968,433 Admissions and Marketing 570,536 Development 534,342
Total $9,530,419 1% Other Income & Support
1% Rentals
Total $9,378,112 *Operating data for 2015 not including depreciation.
6% Development
6% Admissions & Marketing
15% Fundraising & Grants
10% Facility 17% Administration
83% Tuition & Fees
61% Education
FINANCIAL FACTS AT-A-GLANCE | FY 15 AUDITED
5 THE RASHI SCHOOL
332
Enrollment
$9.5M
Operating revenue & support
85%
Net Tuition and Fees (net tuition + parent fees + facility rentals + other income)
15%
Provided by Fundraising, Peerless, CJP, and other grants
$9.4M
Operating expenses
77%
Percent of operating expenses dedicated to salaries and benefits
23%
Percent of operating expenses dedicated to all other expenses
$28,247
Average full cost per student
$23,811
Average net tuition and fees per student
$4,437
The “gap” between full cost per student and net tuition and fees
RASHI ENROLLMENT
Number of Students Enrolled
340 330 320 310 300 290 280 270
0
90
20
20
8-
20 10 20 10 -2 01 20 1 1120 12 20 12 -2 20 013 13 -2 01 20 4 14 -2 01 20 5 15 -2 Pr oj 01 ec te 6 d
9
8 0 0 20
07 -2
20
20
0
07
6 0
60
20
20
50
20
20
0
4-
20
0
5
260
FINANCIAL ACCESSIBILITY During the 2014-2015 school year, Rashi granted financial aid awards totaling approximately $1.9 million—representing 21% of gross tuition—to its families. Our financial aid budget has allowed us to attract and maintain an economically diverse student body; approximately 31% of Rashi students received financial aid this past year. In addition to Rashi’s financial aid, a number of families new to Rashi benefited from CJP’s Discover Day School Grant, which Rashi matches for a second eligible child.
21% Financial Aid
79% Net Tuition
2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT 6
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2015 Rashi’s 7th and 8th graders visited the Massachusetts Supreme Court in October.
Emily Adelson Jori Balsam Shoshana Blumenfeld Jonah Boardman Miriam Boardman Yuli Burstein Tal Chafetz Mayta Cohen Shoshana Cohen
Portia Davidson Daniel Epstein Logan Finn Jacob Friedman Jennifer Gliklich Tess Gordon Eve Hyatt Alexander Issokson Samantha Janower
OUR NEWEST ALUMNI WILL BE REPRESENTING RASHI AT THE FOLLOWING SCHOOLS: Beaver Country Day School Brookline High School Buckingham, Browne & Nichols Cambridge School of Weston Commonwealth School Dana Hall School Eagle Hill School Gann Academy Needham High School Newton North High School Newton South High School Noble and Greenough School Walnut Hill School for the Arts Wellesley High School 7 THE RASHI SCHOOL
Amelia King Eli Korin Seth Lockwood Micah Long Yahm Rones Joshua Ross Lev Sandler Hannah Sarnak Zuzzie Savitz
Andrew Schwartz Joshua Shapiro Max Sunog Joshua Sussman Allison Switalski Lev Taylor Jonah Tobin Sydney Wallack Michelle Yankner
Below, Emily Adelson and Mayta Cohen proudly hold tribute cards marking their first philanthropic donation to The Rashi School. For the second year in a row, Rashi’s graduating class chose Rashi as their philanthropic choice when allocating their class’s charitable donation funds. Thier donation will help to ensure students, just like them, will continue to receive the gift of a Rashi education.
OUR ALUMNI Gabe Goldberg (2010) and Jeremy Oshins (2010) with Ali Fine and Venus Corriveau at the Class of 2010’s 5-year reunion.
DISTRIBUTION OF RASHI GRADUATES CURRENTLY IN SECONDARY SCHOOL (CLASSES OF 2012-2015)
PUBLIC Newton South High School (19) Needham High School (13) Newton North High School (11) Brookline High School (4) Natick High School (1) Foxborough High School (1) Minuteman Tech (1) Wellesley High School (1) Weston High School (1)
30% 41% 29%
JEWISH Gann Academy (36) Maimonides School (1)
SECULAR INDEPENDENT Milton Academy (8) Beaver Country Day School (6) Commonwealth School (5) Noble and Greenough School (4) Buckingham Browne & Nichols School (3) Cambridge School of Weston (2) Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School (2) Roxbury Latin School (1) The Rivers School (1) The Winsor School (1) Walnut Hill School (1) Dana Hall School (1) Eagle Hill School (1) Worcester Academy (1) Boston University Academy (1)
Now college freshmen, Sarah Nathaniel, Sasha Kliger, Olivia Korostoff-Larsson, Sarah Daum, Leah Orlinsky, and Emily Nadel visit with Mr. Keith Civin at the Class of 2010’s 5-year reunion.
COLLEGES CURRENTLY ATTENDED BY RASHI GRADUATES (CLASSES OF 2009-2011) List shows colleges currently attended by two or more Rashi alumni. UMass Amherst Yale University Northwestern University Tufts University Brandeis University Carleton College UMass Boston Hamilton College Columbia University
8 5 5 5 5 5 4 3 3
Harvard University University of Pennsylvania University of Rochester Boston University New York University Bowdoin College Cornell University George Washington U University of Chicago
3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2
University of Michigan University of Maryland University of Miami University of Indiana University of Pittsburg University of Vermont Tulane University Wesleyan University
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT 8
THE TIKKUN ALUM AWARD 2015 Tikkun Alum Leah Kaplow addresses the kehillah at the Annual Dinner remotely from Africa.
At the 2015 Annual Dinner, we proudly awarded Leah Kaplow (Rashi ‘04) and Adam Beckman (Rashi ‘08) as the 2015 Tikkun Alum Award recipients. Now in its fourth year, the award recognizes Rashi alumni who demonstrate a strong commitment to social justice and tikkun olam (repairing the world). Below are excerpts from their remarks from the 2015 Annual Dinner:
Adam Beckman: “At Rashi when we read Mishnah, we focused on Rabbi Maimonides’ eight levels of charity. Parshat Kedoshim taught us the famous line, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” During Sukkot, we performed the mitzvah of inviting strangers into our Sukkah. Everything I learned incorporated Jewish values; the legacy of my eight years at Rashi was a Jewish identity defined by how we care for others. “These lessons fueled my interest in global health and led to my work in Ecuador; at the Yale Global Health Justice Partnership, Water Ecuador; and founding Student Partnerships for Global Health, a small organization that has built sustainable global health projects in Ecuador and Nicaragua. “Each of these experiences has been fueled by the values I learned at Rashi. I believe Rashi excels at teaching students early on that they can give back and compelling them to follow through.”
Adam Beckman accepting the Tikkun Alum Award. Not pictured, Leah Kaplow accepted her award remotely from Africa.
Leah Kaplow: “From my years at Rashi, I learned that I must do what I can to help those facing the most difficult circumstances in this world. This understanding has led me to this year, which I have spent living in Nigeria and Ethiopia, working with governments, donors, and other partners to improve access to vital health commodities for some of the world’s poorest and hardest-to-reach people. “Rashi has also taught me that one needn’t move halfway around the world to do something good everyone has something to offer, whether it is time, talent, or treasure, to help achieve tikkun olam.”
TIKKUN ALUM AWARD RECIPIENTS 2015
Leah Kaplow, 2004 Adam Beckman, 2008
2014
Becki Steinberg, 2005 Emily Steinberg
2013
Alexandra Katz, 2003 Rebecca Scharfstein, 2004
2012
Noah Hodgetts, 2002 Aviva Rosman, 2002
9 THE RASHI SCHOOL
Above: 2014 Tikkun Alum recipients Becki and Emily Steinberg visited Rashi in the spring to talk about how they built and sustained their nonprofit organization. Here, they are with our Middle School leadership.
SOCIAL JUSTICE The social justice puzzle.
Social Justice is at the core of the Rashi experience. From their first day in Kindergarten, students are expected to ask questions about the world around them and translate their own strengths into acts that will repair the world. What are some ways to measure the impact of our multifaceted Social Justice curriculum? With this burning question, Stephanie Rotsky, our Social Justice Coordinator, set out to bring our students’ reflections about Social Justice to the surface. At the beginning of the year, Stephanie greeted students in every class in grades one to five with a poster covered in puzzle pieces, all white, except for one pink piece. She framed her question the same way in every class, “This is a Social Justice puzzle. What do you think it means?” The students had no prior knowledge of the exercise, no way to prepare; it was simply an open-ended question. As they formulated their answers, the puzzle became a rorschach test that revealed where they were on their journey to understanding and practicing tikkun olam (repairing the world). The results of this opening lesson were profound. As students began to give voice to Stephanie’s question, themes of inclusion, righteousness, standing up, fairness, community, responsibility, and need emerged in all grades. Students of all ages were able to articulate these concepts. As students matured, however, Stephanie found that their sense of where they fit into the puzzle shifted towards more awareness of and responsibility for serving as advocates for the causes that engage them.
that there are people, situations, and environments different than their own. They demonstrated that they saw the beauty in repairing the world, “each piece will be a color when you do something nice.” They recognized the place for G-d in tikkun olam; the pink piece was “a random spot where G-d is making peace.” By third grade, students began to see their responsibility to be active players in the world around them. A third grader reflects: “Nobody has to fix everything. All people should try to fix at least something, though.” Fifth grade students saw the puzzle with a greater level of complexity. “There are a lot of problems in the world. Try to solve one problem at a time.” They saw the pink piece of the puzzle as the one problem being focused on at a particular time and the power of how individuals can inspire and move others to join together to make a difference. Reviewing each grade’s responses side by side, the progression from knowledge to understanding to action becomes very clear; the process through which our students become volunteers, activists, philanthropists as alumni illuminated.
Third graders exploring the Social Justice puzzle with Social Justice Coordinator Stephanie Rotsky.
Our first graders understood the underlying importance and requirements for tikkun olam, and saw themselves as novice actors in the process. They saw the pieces of the puzzle as the pieces of their heart - recognizing that doing tikkun olam involved bringing their own goodness to issues that they, themselves, cared about. They saw the pieces as the “rainbow of colors of the earth,” recognizing
2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT 10
CELEBRATING LEADERSHIP Our Middle Schoolers often serve as ambassadors for visitors to the school.
At this year’s Annual Dinner, we recognized the
of other math specialists on a new book, Making
many examples of leadership in the Rashi kehillah.
Sense of Algebra, published by Heinemann,
Lessons of leadership are taught every day at The
a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This
Rashi School. They are not explained with merely
guide helps other teachers impart to their
a textbook or during a lecture; rather, they are
students a deeper understanding of the reasons
crystalized through experience and by example.
behind algebra’s facts and methods in the same
At every turn, faculty and staff purposefully seek to provide opportunities and encouragement to students to take on leadership positions. The opportunities are plentiful: leading classroom discussions, running for student government, inspiring others on the playing field, playing a role on stage, forming a new student group, encouraging classmates through a difficult
way that Cindy does here at Rashi. Assistant Director of Admissions and Recruitment Adrien Khelemsky joined together with colleagues from Gann Academy and Temple Beth Elohim to share how the three institutions are modeling co-programming to strengthening all three institutions at the North American Jewish Day School Conference.
lesson, greeting prospective parents as
Rashi parents also set an example of leadership
classroom ambassadors, or sponsoring a Tamchui
for our community: they are disproportionately
organization, to name just a few.
represented in the leadership in the Jewish
Rashi faculty and staff also model leadership. This past year, our three lead Kindergarten teachers, Sharon Miller, Alison Berks, and Janie Brauer, presented at the Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism (ECE-RJ) Conference about how they integrate Social Justice into their classrooms. Their leadership at this conference helped to solidify Rashi as a thought leader in the education community. Middle School Math
Community beyond Rashi’s walls, in synagogues, through CJP, other non-profits, and the professional world. It’s no wonder that our alumni consistently tell us that the leadership skills they learned during their time at Rashi helped them go on to become leaders in school, their profession, or through volunteer work. These examples of leadership, among many others, were celebrated at the 2015 Annual Dinner.
teacher Cindy Carter collaborated with a team
Rashi has always encouraged me to be the strong leader that I am today. Students presenting during the 8th Grade debate.
11 THE RASHI SCHOOL
JEWISH LIFE
At Rashi, Judaism is more than just a subject our students learn; it is a way of life that enriches their existence and adds value to their days. The progress we made in teaching and living Judaism in 5775 was notable. Hebrew has always been integral to Jewish life at Rashi and our Hebrew program provides a strong foundation for reading and writing. Despite this, we heard from parents and alumni that Rashi students should have more oral fluency and comprehension. With this goal in mind, we added a grant-funded position to work with third through fifth grade students on oral proficiency. Students were grouped by skill level and then met weekly in small groups with Michal Berdugo, who facilitated discussions using words, ideas, and grammar skills that the students had learned in class. The results have been encouraging. Over the course of the year, videos documenting each student’s progress showed an increase in ability and comfort when interacting in Hebrew. As we move forward, we will further improve on this program and expand it to include sixth grade. This year we also launched a new Hebrew curriculum for Kindergarten through Grade 2. This curriculum, tailor-made for our students, is meant to give them a foundation that will propel our entire program to greater knowledge
Hebrew teacher Ari Marcovski with a Kindergarten class.
Lehaveet B. and Lilli B. pause to reflect on their classmates’ alternative worship projects which filled the gap in minyanim in the grade this winter.
and connection to the Hebrew language. After one year with the new curriculum, our teachers see a noticeable improvement in the students’ comprehension and comfort with the language. We have also made changes to worship to make it increasingly relevant and meaningful by connecting it to our students’ lives. Perhaps the best example of this was a project with our Middle School to explore an alternative prayer experience. In the depth of the snowy winter, our students worked in three groups to study significant prayers that are part of the morning service. With the guidance of Rabbi Clevenger, Rabbi Smith, and our Songleader, Stephen Brickman, students deepened their connection and understanding to the words of our tradition. After studying the prayers in small groups, students then had the opportunity to interpret the liturgy through art, music, or the use of the computer game Mindcraft. We heard from students—and their parents—that they were motivated and engaged in the alternative prayer experience and the creative projects. Judaism teaches that even when we are teachers, we need to continually be learners as well. We are continually striving to learn from our experience so that we can deepen the connection to Judaism in our classes, our hallways, and our conversations. 2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT 12
MULTIGENERATIONAL PROGRAMMING
This past spring, injured Israeli combat soldiers, Rashi 7th and 8th graders, and Holocaust survivors sat down in small groups for lunch together at Hebrew SeniorLife: unlikely dining companions brought together for a unique program that taught our students about the resilience of the human spirit. The program was the brainchild of a group of Rashi parents and faculty and educators from Hebrew SeniorLife, Facing History and Ourselves, and Achim L’chayim (Brothers for Life). Achim L’chayim is an organization dedicated to helping injured Israeli soldiers transform the trauma they have experienced into healing—not only for themselves but for others. At lunch, the soldiers shared their stories of the traumatic injuries they sustained and their journeys toward healing and living their dreams, which in many cases had been altered by their “new normal.” In turn, the survivors shared stories of the trauma they endured during the Holocaust and described their own healing journeys: how they came to make meaning of their experiences and rebuild their lives. In the week prior to the lunch, students had met and interviewed the Holocaust survivors in small groups. At a time when we can see a near future without eyewitnesses to the atrocities of the Holocaust, our students had the remarkable opportunity to interview individuals, ask questions, and bear witness to their stories. 13 THE RASHI SCHOOL
Our 7th and 8th Graders were deeply moved by the camaraderie among the two diverse groups and by how they seemed to draw strength from one another. They saw first-hand the resilience of the human spirit and gained an understanding of the gift of safety and security that is theirs. They also learned that Jewish bonds are stronger than age, language, or geography. Being on the same campus, and in relationship with NewBridge on the Charles residents, opened the door to this opportunity. From past multigenerational programs, students have learned not only to interact with an aging population but also with anyone who is different than they are. These experiences help our students learn about compassion, kindness, and inclusivity. They also teach our students the power they possess to hear and transmit the stories of others.
I was moved by their mutual gratitude and respect – they were fighting for the same cause but in different ways.
FUNDRAISING AT RASHI
SUMMARY OF ANNUAL AND CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING 2014-2015 Total Annual Funds Raised*
$1, 1 1 7 ,585
Capital Campaign
1,546,982
Total Funds Raised
2,664,567
Cost of Fundraising Net Funds Raised
(7 1 6 ,247) $1,948,320
* Includes annual unrestricted and releases on temporarily restricted annual funds.
27%
COST OF FUNDRAISING AS A PERCENT OF TOTAL FUNDS RAISED
2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT 14
ANNUAL CAMPAIGN 2014-2015 GERALDINE SUNSHINE
I am delighted to announce that the 2015 Annual Campaign raised $1.26 million to help sustain Rashi as the excellent institution that we know and love. In addition to the generous contributions from grandparents, alumni parents, alumni, staff, faculty, current and former Board members and friends, a record 85% of our parents supported the Annual Campaign. Todah rabah—thank you—to all of you for your commitment to Rashi! The cornerstone of Rashi’s fundraising efforts is the Annual Campaign, which raises funds through personal solicitations, fundraising appeals, and special events. These events include the Limud Award Celebration, our annual fall fundraiser that celebrates Limud (learning), one of our core values, and Rashi’s Annual Dinner, a gala event held in the spring and attended by the Rashi and broader Jewish community. Annual Campaign gifts are typically unrestricted and help to bridge the gap between tuition income and the school’s operating expenses. This support is vital to sustain strong academics and Jewish studies, recruit and retain the best faculty and staff, make a Jewish education financially accessible, and shape our future leaders in the Jewish community and the world. Each and every contribution is truly important and genuinely appreciated. Rashi is only as financially sound as the community that supports it and I am pleased to say that Rashi is strong as a result of your investment. TODAH RABAH AND BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY AND HEALTHY 5776! From left to right: Annual Dinner co-chairs, Michael & Linda Frieze, Kehillah Award recipients Neil & Lisa Wallack, Dinner co-Chairs Faryl & Jon Sandler and Donna & David Frieze.
15 THE RASHI SCHOOL
Geraldine Sunshine Annual Campaign Chair
RASHI SCHOOL ANNUAL CAMPAIGN 2008-2015 1.25
Dollars in Millions
1.00 0.75 0.50 0.25 0.00 FY08
FY09
FY10
FY11
FY12
FY13
FY14
FY15
The 2014-2015 Annual Campaign closed this June at $1.26M, maintaining our fundraising efforts from FY14. Happily, we saw an increase in parent participation, as illustrated in the graph on page 19.
ANNUAL CAMPAIGN DONORS $50,000 OR MORE
Jennifer Slifka Vidal and Luis Vidal (P)
Christine Olsen and Robert Small
Sonya and Sean Wilder (P)
Nina and Jack Turan (GP)
Daniel Romanow and Andrew Zelermyer (B) (P)
Arthur M. Winn
$5,000 TO $9,999
$2,500 TO $4,999
Mimi and Barry Alperin (GP)
Rebecca and Dan Alperin (P)
$25,000 TO $49,999
Alexandra Fuchs and Gideon Argov (AP)
Stacey and Mark Amster (P)
Janet and Bernard Aserkoff
Jessica and David Aronoff (B) AP
Diane and Chester Black (GP)
Elana and Evan Beckman (AP)
The Bavly Family (GP) (P)
Terrie and Bradley Bloom
Rebecca and Glenn Burack (B) (P)
Kathleen and Scott Cohen (B) (P)
Mary Beth Landrum and David Cutler (P)
Lynda and Jeffrey Bussgang (P)
Linda and Michael Frieze (GP)
Sarah and James Fleckner (B) (P)
Nicole and Brian Clark (P)
Dena and Michael Rashes (B) (P)
Brenda and Harvey Freishtat (GP)
Joanne and Ariel Cudkowicz (P)
Mimi and Ronald Golub (AP)
Rachel and Peter Dixon (P)
Allison and Edward Gordon (P)
Susan and Martin Freed (P)
Beth and Lawrence Greenberg
Helene and Seth Gelber (P)
Barbara and Steven Grossman
Rita J. & Stanley H. Kaplan Family Foundation (AP) (A)
Helaine Hartman (GP)
Anonymous Tracey and David Frankel (B) (P) Barbara and Edward Shapiro (B) (P) Geraldine and Gabriel Sunshine (P) Lisa and Neil Wallack (B) (P)
$10,000 TO $24,999 Anonymous Susan and Aron Ain (B) (AP) Michelle and Darren Black (B) (P) Cindy and Mark Blotner (P) Century Bank and the Sloane Family Rachel and Laurence Chafetz (P) Roberta and Irwin Chafetz (GP) Marilyn and AndrÊ Danesh (GP) Donna and David Frieze (P) Laurie and Richard Gliklich (P) Dr. Paula Brody and Merrill Hassenfeld (B) Cindy and Andrew Janower (B) (P) Legacy Heritage Fund Betty Ann z�l and Daniel Miller (AP) Marilyn and Dale Okonow (B) (AP) Heidi and Lewis Pearlson (B) (P) Adrienne and Arnold Rubin (GP) Faryl and Jonathan Sandler (P) Louis and Ida Selib Memorial Fund
Nancy Kaplan Belsky and Mark Belsky Susan B. Kaplan Scott K. Belsky Gila K. Belsky Judith and Douglas Krupp Lizbeth and George Krupp Constance and Alan Lampert (GP) Elizabeth Charm and Richard Long (P) The Loren Family (P) Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation Susan and Roger Patkin (P) Dana Gershon and Rabbi Jonah Pesner (B) (P) Leslie and Kenneth Pucker (B) (AP) Marla and Robert Rosenbloom (P) Liza Schneiderman and Gary Shub (P) Paula Sidman Gilda Slifka (GP)
Michelle and Matthew Zisow (P)
Elizabeth and Dan Jick Jamie and Harold Kotler (AP) Wendy and Bruce Landon (B) (AP) Cynthia and William Marcus Marsha and Edward Moller (AP) Jessica and Chuck Myers Beverley and Peter Olsberg (GP) Elaine and Joseph Paster (GP) Alice Ain Rich and Jack Rich (AP) Smith/Ross Family (B) (P) Ruderman Family Foundation Claire and Edward Saxe (GP) Ellen and Steven Segal Denise and Thomas Stern Lisa and Andrew Sussman (P) Aviva Sapers and Judith Sydney (P) Talia and Adam Valkin (P) continued on next page
2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT 16
ANNUAL CAMPAIGN DONORS Vlad and Viktoriya Vilkomir (P)
Jackie and Robert Hughes (P)
Temple Beth Elohim
Elizabeth Hirschhorn Wilson and Bruce Wilson (B) (AP)
Randi and Eric Kaplan (P)
Temple Isaiah
Jody Forchheimer and Louis Kaplow (AP)
Temple Israel of Boston
The Yankner Family (P)
Jenni and Matt King (B) (F)
Temple Shalom
Barbara and Rabbi Henry A. Zoob (B)
Janice Gross and Stephen Klar
Danna Greenberg and Michael Tobin (P)
Liz and Alan Kopin (AP)
Richard Usen
Brenda Haynes and Adam Koppel Jill Goldenberg and Sidney Kriger (AP)
The Irving & Edyth S. Usen Family Charitable Foundation
Lori Silver and Peter Lefkowitz (P)
Anna Danilenko and Fred Varpahovsky (P)
Helaine and Marvin Lender
Joan and Dr. Milton B. Wallack (GP)
Sally Kaplan Levy and Bruce Levy (B) (AP)
Susan and Richard Wilk (P)
Rachel Rock and Josh Levy (P)
Beth and Jonathan Winograd (P)
Barbara Weiler-Litwin and Frank Litwin (AP)
Arnee and Walter Winshall (AP)
Johanna Gordon and Jeffrey Martin (P)
Deborah Goldberg and Michael Winter
Gail and Andrew Merken
Candice and Howard Wolk
Margaret z�l and Rabbi Robert Miller
Maria and Steven Zeitels (P)
$1,000 TO $2,499 Robin and Harvey Abel (P) Sharon and Martin Abrahamson (GP) Eydie and Loren Balsam (P) Irina and Mark Barrocas Denise and Benjamin Battat Lisa and Robert Black (GP) Michelle Paster and Josef Blumenfeld (B) (P) Joyce and Michael Bohnen Jessica and Michael Carroll (P) Chelsea Hebrew Free School Endowment Fund Jane and David Cohen Combined Jewish Philanthropies Anne Blumberg and Jonathan Dorfman (AP) Michelle and Andrew Feinberg (P) Rachel and David Fine Renee and Steven Finn Marilyn and Dr. Gerald Fishbone (GP) Janice and J. Leonard Freed (GP) Robin and Matthew Freeman (P) Rebecca and Michael Friedman (P) Leslie and Michael Gaffin (GP) Amy and Glenn Gates (P) The Gerson Family (GP) Laurie and Neal Gold (P) Carol and Avram Goldberg Greenscape Land Design Patti and Louis Grossman Rabbi Eric Gurvis The Haber Family (AP) Susan and Neal Heffron (P) HMFH Architects, Inc.
Marianne Paley Nadel and Eric Nadel (P) Pamela and Andrew Norden (P) The Kur/Oshins Family (B) (AP) Deborah and Daniel Palestrant (P) Sally and Stephen Patkin (GP) Rabbi Jill and Jeffrey Perlman Barbara and Frank Resnek Sarah and William Richmond (P) Lauri Union and Stanley Rosenzweig (P) Susan and JB Royal (P) Martha and Max Rubinstein Family Foundation Rhoda and William Sapers (GP) Flora Sam and Mark Sarnak (P)
$500 TO $999 Anonymous (3) Judith Saxe and Andrew Adelson (P) AMPM Facility Services Anti-Defamation League Lee and Federico Ascher (P) Marjorie and Eric Berg Sheryl and Joshua Berkowitz (AP) Debbie and Charles Bern (AGP) Jodi and James Blankstein (AP) BlumShapiro
Rebecca Scharfstein (B) (A)
BNY Mellon Community Partnership Employee Funds
Laura and Jeffrey Schwartz (P)
Jane Gadon Breslau and Howard Breslau (F)
Nancy Buck and Jim Sebenius (AP)
Marshall W. Carter
Connie and Larry Semel (GP)
Raoul Choos (P)
Cynthia Shulman
Fred C. Church, Inc.
Daniel Snyder (P)
Marsha R. Cohen
Marvin Sparrow, Esq.
Ethan Crain (P)
Ilana Hurwitz and Richard Starfield (AP)
Brenda and Alan Curtis (GP)
Roz Hurwitz and Herb Stern (B) (AGP)
Danielle and Gregg Darish
SHOUT OUT TO THE CLASSES OF 1999 AND 2004 - BOTH OF WHICH ACHIEVED 18% CLASS PARTICIPATION IN THE 2014-2015 ANNUAL FUND!
THANK YOU, ALUMNI! 17 THE RASHI SCHOOL
GENERATIONS DAY More than 300 grandparents and special friends joined us for Generations Day in 2014. The event celebrated Grandparents and Special Friends who help reinforce the commitment our families make to a Rashi education. Generations Day co-chairs Marilyn Danesh, Sonya Wilder, and AndrĂŠ Danesh.
Valerie and David Farkas (GP)
Rabbi Bernard Mehlman
Temple Beth Shalom
Andie Finard (GP)
Carolyn and Arthur Merovick (GP)
Temple Shir Tikva
Andrea and Todd Finard
Debra and Eitan Milgram
Jesse and Lawrence Tobin (A)
Erica and Josh Fine (P)
Karen and David Miller (P)
URJ Eisner and Crane Lake Camps
Betsy and Scott Fishbone
Sari and James Musmon (P)
Beth and David Franklin (P)
Alice and Alan Oliff (GP)
United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley
Adrienne and Allen Frechter (F)
Caren and Ben Pearlman (P)
Kara and Brandon Westerling (P)
Nanette and Jose Fridman (P)
Jessica and Aron Post (P)
The Switalski/Wong Family (P)
Barbara Friedman GP
Arlene and Lawrence Rand (GP)
Joanne and Richard Zaiger (GP)
Suzana and Ilya Fuchs (P)
Sari Anne Rapkin
Denise Yellen and Israel Ganot (P)
Pam and Richard Remis
Gil Travel
Sharon and Howard Rich
Melissa and David Goldstone (P)
Nancy Rosenzweig (P)
Leslie Gordon and David Goodtree
Phyllis and Bernard Rubin (GP)
Claudia Granville (P)
Brenda and Larry Rubin (P)
Rachael and Michael Grappo (P)
Susan and Richard Sandler (GP)
Carole Greenberg (GP)
Ma’ayan and Richard Sands
Janice and Arnold Hirshon (F)
Sarah Feldman and David Scharfstein (AP)
Lori Johnston (P)
Victoria and Alex Seriy (P)
Anna Somerto and Rinat Jonas (P)
Julie Shapiro (A)
Nancy P. Kaplan
Olivia and Peter Shapiro (AP)
Judith and Steven Kaye
Alison and Peter Slater (P)
Darci and Jonathan Klein (P)
Lisa Danetz and Craig Smith (P)
Rachel Fruchter and Joshua Korzenik (P)
Karen Solomon and Steven Solomon
Deborah and Geoffrey Kurinsky
Margery and Jerome Somers
Marcia and Alan Leifer
Merit Cudkowicz and Eugene Sorets (AP)
Nancy and Sidney Lejfer
Glenda and John Speyer (F)
Marni and Jonathan Levitt
Susan Pruyn and Avrum Spira (P)
Kimberly Syman and Jonathan Lyon
Jennifer and Seth Stier
Michele and Rabbi Todd Markley (B) (P)
Helen and Jonathan Sunshine (GP)
David M. Marson (AGP)
Sandy and Jack Swartz (AP)
$250 TO $499 Anonymous Linda and Robert Asher (AP) Amy Wilson and David August (AP) Jill and Rabbi Marc Baker Deborah Freed and Ian Boardman (P) Stephen Bonder (AP) Jennifer A. Borislow Insurance Agency, INC. Jeremy Burton Fay and Dr. Julian Bussgang (GP) Tammi Levy-Cantor and Michael Cantor (P) Eugenia Perelman and Igor Chterental (P) Reece and Paul Cirel Drs. Elaine and George Cohen (GP) Suzanne and David Diamond Doris Feinberg Alison Fine and Josh Rosenberg (F) Joni and Reid Fishman (F) (AP) Pam and Guy Forman Susan Burgin and Walter Friedman (P) continued on next page
Rabbi Jonah Pesner and Dana Gershon, Learning Specialist Marlene Moyer with Limud Award Honoree Janice Hirshon, and Lewis and Heidi Pearlson at the Limud Award Celebration.
2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT 18
ANNUAL CAMPAIGN DONORS PARENT PARTICIPATION IN THE ANNUAL CAMPAIGN 100 90 80 70 60 50 FY11
FY12
FY13
FY14
FY 15
Laure and Harold Garnick (AP)
Laurie Kallus and Ross Taylor (P)
Naomi Raiselle and Jack Brotman
Anne and Michael Gershon (GP)
Alla Stepanets and Gennadiy Vigdorchik (P)
Celia and Ben z�l Brown (GP)
Janet and Eric Giesser
Nancy Viner
Carolee and Bob Burack (GP)
Anne and Michael Glanz (F)
Rita and Adam Weiner
Joni and Rami Burstein (P)
Heidi and Rabbi Neal Gold (P)
Synthia Wayne and Saul Weingart (AP)
Yuli Burstein (A)
Doris Gould z�l (GP)
Ruth Weinrib and Paul Weiss (AP)
Laurie and Lee Caplan (AP)
Hebrew SeniorLife
Wendy Wilsker
Donna and William Carleton
Jamie and Adam Hirsch (P)
Marci and John Yazwinski (P)
Shari and Robert Cashman Susan G. Chace
Klara and Sergey Iskoz (P) Jewish Vocational Services/Jerry Rubin Karina and Charles Johnson (P) Danielle and Robert Kinstlinger (GP) Rabbi Emily Korzenik (GP) Marlene and Jay Lander (GP) Audra and Harley Lank (AP) Julie Korostoff and Christer Larsson (AP) Lek and Bruce Levin (P) Karen and Howard Levine (GP) Margaret and Kenneth Levine Carol Lobron (B) Chris and George Markley (GP) Marlene R. Moyer (F) Lovey and Matthew Oliff (P) Marla and Simon Olsberg (P) Delia and Larry Perlov (AP) Rabbi Ellen and Dr. Martin Pildis Janet Verner Platt Ivona Olszak and Mark Poznansky (P) Terrie Brown and Gil Preuss Inbal and Zori Rabinovitz Faye Rosch (GP) Deborah Offner and Samuel Roth (P) Rabbi Sandi Intraub and Stephanie Rotsky (F) Penelope McGee Savitz (P) Rick Schiffman Josephine and Marcus Semel (P) Robin Sherman (P) Alexandra and Jody Simes (P) Marisa and Jeffrey Sirlin (P)
19 THE RASHI SCHOOL
UP TO $250 Anonymous (4) Emily Adelson (A) Liz Brown and David Adler (P) Irma and Seymour Andrus (GP) Bella and Jerry Auerbach (GP) Julie and Michael Bailit (P) Mary Balsam (GP) Jori Balsam (A) Michelle and Steven Bearak Hessa and Allan Becker (GP) Adam Beckman (A) Meagan and Adam Berg Daniel Berke (A) Emily Berkowitz (F) Alison and Lance Berks (F) (P) Katie and Mathew Bernstein (F) Zach Blankstein (A) Evelyn and Jerry Block (GP) Karin Blum Shoshana Blumenfeld (A) Jonah Boardman (A) Miriam Boardman (A) Judith and Gunther Boroschek Judith and David Boyer Sageet and Dan Braha (P) Ruth and Sheldon Bramson (GP) Sharon and Scott Brightman Kathy and David Bromberg (P)
Tal Chafetz (A) Julie and David Chivo Mrs. Warren Choos (GP) Keith Civin (F) Judith and Richard Clark (GP) Rabbi Sharon and Jason Clevenger (F) (P) Jessica Clew (F) Arlene Katzman and Harvey Cohen (GP) Nicole and Lauren Cohen (P) Carla and Robert Cohen (GP) Meredith Cohen Karen and Jeffrey Cohen (P) Mayta Cohen (A) Shoshana Cohen (A) Elizabeth and Scott Cooper (AP) Marge and Mel Crain (GP) Leslie and Alan Crane Corey Cutler Ellen and Stephen Danetz (GP) Diane Clinton and Leland Daum (AP) Portia Davidson (A) Sherri and Ira Davoudgoleh (AP) Virginia Dean (P) Ella Dershowitz (A) Kate and Jon Dixon (GP) Madelyn and Bruce Donoff Lyn Lustig and Leor Doron (P) Maria and Daniel Dumanis (A) Nancy and Rabbi H. Bruce Ehrmann Cecily Eidelhoch (GP)
Rabbis Lisa and Joseph Eiduson (AP)
Heidi Chapple and Michael Goodell (F)
Arlene and Melvin Klotz (GP)
Rabbi Elaine Zecher and Dr. David Eisenberg (AP)
Mara and David Gorden (P)
Galit Konstantine (F)
Tess Gordon (A)
Carla and Alexis Kopikis
Maria Granik and Nir Eisikovits (P)
Zohar and Tim Gorman (P)
Lauren Koppelman (F)
Alisa and Todd Ente (P)
Jean and William Gosling
Hillel Korin (P)
Laura Glicksman and Stephen Epstein (P)
Janet and Mark Gottesman
Caren Orlick Korin (P)
Daniel Epstein (A)
Meredith and Glenn Greenberg (P)
Eli Korin (A)
Roberta and Joel Feinblatt
Loretta and Ernest Greenberg (GP)
Deborah Frydman and Robert Koritz (P)
Susan and Steven Feldman
Linda and Charles Greenhouse
Linda Kramer (P)
Susan and Philip Fine (GP)
Melissa and Aaron Grossman (P)
Karen and Steven Krichmar
Amy and Brian Finn (P)
Ruth Grossman GP
Rabbi Rachel Gurevitz and Rabbi Suri Krieger
Logan Finn (A)
Deborah Robinson and Ian Grush (P)
Joshua Krieger (A)
Aaron Fischlowitz-Roberts (F)
Jessica Gulman (F)
Madeline Kriger (A)
A. Gavin Fishman (A)
Pamela and David Hallagan (AP)
Barbara Tyrell and Gilbert Fishman
Dr. Lauren Dickerman and Todd Handel (P)
Dr. Barbara Abrams and Rabbi David Kudan (AP)
Jan and Doug Fleckner (GP)
Wendy and Steven Handler (AP)
Jayne and Mark Lampert
Susan Floman and Steven Floman
Rachel and Jason Happel (P)
Anita Feins and Steven Lampert
Ellen Forst
Dr. Nancy Harrison (F)
Devorah and Stuart Landau
Barbara E. Foster
Julia and John Healy (P)
Yael Hurwitz-Lange and Steven Lange (AP)
Rosa and Michael Franck (P)
Jo-Edith and Bennett Heffron (GP)
Judith and Alan Leichtner
Stephanie and Joshua Franklin
Brenda and Joel Hellman (GP)
Martin Lesser
Lisa and Steven Fransblow (P)
Kristen Herbert
Rabbi Paul H. Levenson
Erica and Ethan Freishtat (P)
Diana Lloyd and Jordan Hershman
Ruth Levine
Lisa Freudenheim (P)
Daniel Hirshon
Rebecca and Morry Levine (P)
Ilyssa and Michael Frey (P)
Robin Meyer and Michael Hirshon
Drs. Wendie and Edward Levitan (P)
Jacob Friedman (A)
Beryl and David Hoffman (AP)
Judy and Mayer Levitt (GP)
Mia Friedman (A)
Janet and Neil Hogan
Natalie Liberman
Dara Fruchter
Julie and Horacio Hojman (P)
Judy Stone and Arnold Liebman (GP)
Diana and David Gaffin (P)
Jean Hughes (GP)
Jodi and Kurt Lockwood (P)
Peter N. Ganong (A)
Eve Hyatt (A)
Seth Lockwood (A)
Sharon and Irving Gates (GP)
Andrea and Robert Insoft (AP)
Micah Long (A)
Shari Becker and John Gauch (P)
Rachel and Charles Ishikawa (P)
Ronni and Jordan Lustig (GP)
Pat and Ron Gauch (GP)
Wendy and Alan Issokson (P)
Lindsay and Benjamin Mack (P)
Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Gelb (GP)
Alexander Issokson (A)
Carla Mack (GP)
Pamela Gennert (F)
Jacobs & Company LLP
Beth Ann and Joseph Magnone
Debra and Ken Getz
Marilyn Jacobs
Nancy and Fred Mark (GP)
Muriel and Laurence Gillick (AP)
Frances Jacobson Early Childhood Center
Paul Mark (P)
Susan and James Glickman (AP)
Dahlia Rudavsky and Robert Jampol (AP)
Monique Martin
Jennifer Gliklich (A)
Samantha Janower (A)
Emma and Frank Mathers (GP)
Mady and Dick Glugeth
Cantor Marcie and Jeffrey Jonas (AP)
Abby and Donald Mayou (GP)
Amy and Fredric Gold (F) (P)
Maxine Kantor (A)
Nancy and Neal McGrath (AP)
Barbara and Robert Gold (GP)
Irene Kaplow (A)
Cathy Meyer
Andrea and Neil Goldberg (AP)
Cheryl and Garrett Kasof
Sasha and Geoffrey Meyerson
Caryn N. Goldberg (P)
Suzanne and Donald Kaufman (GP)
Sharon Miller (F)
Jeanne and Kenneth Goldberg (P)
Katherine Parisky and Brian Kern (P)
Adam Miller (B) (A)
Judy Goldman
Daniel King
Sondra Miller (GP)
Shana Gondelman (P)
Amelia King (A)
Lonni Millman and Kenneth Morse
Ina and Steven Gondelman (GP)
Sharon and Richard Kleinberg (GP)
Rena and Howard Mirkin continued on next page
2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT 20
ANNUAL CAMPAIGN DONORS
Lisa Moss (P)
Civia and Irwin Rosenberg (GP)
Ann and Ira Seskin (AP)
Jean Moss (GP)
Gabriella Soble and David Rosenberg (F) (P)
Saralee Sesnovich
Anna Levy and Gustavo Mostoslavsky (P)
Sandra and Rabbi James Rosenberg (GP)
Karen and Ezra Eddie Shammay
Dr. and Mrs. Arnold Nadler
Barbara and David Ross (F)
Joshua Shapiro (A)
Tedi and Marc Najarian (GP)
Joshua Ross (A)
Ellen and Michael Sheetz
Shahar Hecht and Lior Neiger (P)
Tamar Rotstein (F)
Sue and Joel Sherman
Audrey and Richard Nolte
Kim M. Rubin, Esq.
Barbara and Malcolm Sherman (GP)
Jane Panitz
Maggie and Ian Rubin (P)
Rabbis Marcia Plumb and Michael Shire (P)
Flora and Sandy Parisky (GP)
Carolyn Ruggerio
Emma and Mark Shleifer (GP)
Hanna Perkins (F)
Deborah Rush
Dana Zalkind Siegel and Steven Siegel (P)
Diana and Alexander Peselman (P)
Jaka and Gadi Saarony
Susan B. Siegel
Florence and Philip Post (GP)
Murray Sackman (AP)
Gabrielle and Benjamin Sigel
Abigail Gillman and Michael Prince (P)
Susan and Stuart Salzberg
Linda and Peter Silverstein
Anne and Steven Puchkoff (F) (GP)
Susan David and Anthony Samir (P)
Sami and Sean Sinclair
David Raffeld (F)
Lev Sandler (A)
Samantha and David Singer (P)
Sylvia and Bernard Rashes (GP)
Hannah Sarnak (A)
Shirley and Murray Siroka
Phyllis Reinstein (GP)
Zuzzie Savitz (A)
Heidi and Rabbi Joel Sisenwine (F) (P)
Ezra Reinstein (P)
Marion Gardner-Saxe and Leonard Saxe (AP)
Barbara and David Slater (GP)
Julianna Kremer and William Rich (AP)
Ronni Schatz (GP)
Marsha and Marc Slotnick
Joy D. Riskin (P)
Bette Schiffer (GP)
John Charles Smith
Laura Robinson (F)
Marlene and Jerry Schultz (GP)
Trudy and Thomas Smith (GP)
Ilana Rosenberg and Ramel Rones (P)
Deb Kardon Schwartz and Ken Schwartz (P)
Holly Smulski (F)
Yahm Rones (A)
Andrew Schwartz (A)
Denise Duclos and Jason Soderblom (P)
Elaine Rosen and Mark Rosen
Estelle and Herbert Schwedock
Doreen and Robert Soffer
Joan Arbetter Rosenberg and Family (AP)
Alexander Sebenius (A)
Richard Spiers continued on next page
Rashi’s lower school curriculum incorporates Lego Robotics into each grade. Here, third graders program robots to simulate endangered animals moving and making sounds in their habitats.
21 THE RASHI SCHOOL
Greta Lee and Rabbi Donald Splansky
Lori and Stephen Winer
Selma and Milton Stanzler (AGP)
Anne B. Winograd (GP)
Barrie and Jeffrey Steinberg (AP)
Roseli Weiss and Robert Winograd (AP)
Ilene Stellar
Cynthia Kagno and David Wittenberg (AP)
Carol Sterling
Frankie Wolff
Paula Stern (GP)
Michelle R. Yankner (A)
Cantor Hollis Schachner and Jeff Stock (P)
Norma and Arnold Zack (GP)
Rebecca Sheff and Ethan Stone (A)
Syndi and Adam Zaiger (P)
Max Sunog (A)
Sara P. Zaiger (P)
Joshua Sussman (A)
Ellen and Robert Zakon
Allison Switalski (A)
Lisa and Clinton Zalkind (GP)
Lev Taylor (A)
Brenda and Arnold Zaltas (GP)
Temple Beth David
Harriet Zelermyer (GP)
A Alumni AGP Alumni Grandparent AP Alumni Parent B Board member F Faculty and Staff GP Grandparent P Parent We have made every effort to ensure accuracy. Please accept our sincere apology for any omissions or errors and report them to the Development Office: 781-355-7312.
Temple Tifereth Israel Amy Klotz and David Terry (F) (P) Jonah Tobin (A) Sarah Trager (A) Sheila and Gary Trestan (GP) Adrien M. Uretsky (F) Cantor Ellen Sussman and David Vaida Sydney Wallack (A) Danielle and Ari Weil (P) Malka and Joel Weil (GP)
GIFTS IN-KIND Be Our Guest The Fenway Group Generations Cinemastories Gill Fishman Associates, Inc.
The Rashi School gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston and Legacy Heritage Fund.
Gordon’s Fine Wines & Liquors Projection AV Sarah’s Garden
Joan z”l and Robert Weinstein (AGP) Laurie and Rabbi Michael Weinstein (AP) Sari Weiss Elizabeth Marx Wexelblatt and Keith Wexelblatt Judy White (GP) Mali and Phil Wiener (GP) Audrey Wilson (AGP)
Kehillah, there really is no English word like it. Kehillah isn’t just a community. A kehillah is who we are. It manages to describe my love, trust and friendship with all my classmates in one word. - Sydney Wallack I have been lucky enough to participate in the Middle Achool Israeli dance troupe Kesem. Kesem means “magic” and the time I have spent in the group has been nothing short of its name. - Shoshana Cohen
Rashi has taught me not to be scared to start something new and to go out of my comfort zone. I realize it is necessary to try regardless of my own skill or experience. To achieve greatness one must begin. - Yahm Rones
2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT 22
THE PEERLESS REPORT CINDY JANOWER
2014-2015 has been a major milestone year for Rashi in many respects and will be remembered as a time of transition – a year to celebrate our past leaders and to warmly welcome new ones. Less obviously, though, 2014-2015 has been a transition year of a different kind; it represents Rashi’s final year as a recipient of CJP’s transformative Peerless Excellence Grant, a $9.3M gift to achieve excellence in all aspects of the school’s operations which was supported throughout by CJP Day School Initiative staff. I have been involved with Peerless from the beginning. Since I was honored to be asked by then-Rashi Board Chair Ethel Magidson to lead Rashi through the strategic planning process that was a condition of, and well-funded by, the grant, I have constantly marveled at Barry Shrage and the Peerless donors’ audacity, vision, and remarkable patience. By supporting us in thinking through, crafting, and then executing a robust and deeply considered plan over a span of nearly 10 years, the Peerless donors have given us a gift that will keep on giving for generations. Their investment has touched every single aspect of the school and started an incredibly powerful virtuous cycle that has been deeply transformative for Rashi. The impact was felt across five key themes, as we laid them out 10 years ago.
23 THE RASHI SCHOOL
KEY THEMES OF THE PEERLESS GRANT
1. RESOURCE A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS • We built a new, state-of-the-art facility. • We completed a $30M capital campaign and raised $1.4M annually to help fund operations. • We professionalized staff and leadership in finance, operations, admissions and development. • We introduced the most recent technology to enhance teaching and learning. • We implemented leading edge instructional technology with sophisticated network support and integration. • We upgraded back-office systems for tracking and reporting. • We created a new library with more than 9,000 volumes.
2. CENTER ON STUDENT LEARNING • We more clearly articulated desired outcomes for each subject area at each grade level and revised our assessments to reflect what we wanted our students to know and achieve. • We institutionalized a commitment to review and improve all areas of our curriculum on a revolving schedule. • We strengthened every curricular area, more powerfully integrating secular and Jewish studies with one another, and more thoughtfully sequencing them through grade levels. • We invested significantly in STEM. • Our instruction became more differentiated.
3. ENABLE FACULTY • We established a shared understanding of effective pedagogy through supervision, evaluation and professional development. • Professional development opportunities for teachers became institutionalized, both woven into the school calendar and through summer grants. • We solidified a strong professional culture and improved compensation resulting in low teacher turnover even among assistant teachers.
2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT 24
KEY THEMES OF THE PEERLESS GRANT 4. GROW STUDENT POPULATION • We achieved record enrollment of 332 students in 2014. • We repositioned Rashi as a Jewish independent school and introduced a new visual identity and logo to support our new positioning. • We launched a new collateral system to better communicate our message to prospective families.
5. ENRICH THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE • We developed an after school program serving over 150 students. • We created and institutionalized an athletic program, helping us to attract and retain students into Middle School. • We redesigned our music curriculum. • We launched a 1:1 iPad program in Grade 5. • We created and implemented a safe online learning management platform to enhance teacher and student resources.
25 THE RASHI SCHOOL
THE PEERLESS REPORT It is rare that an institution is able to accomplish everything it sets out to do; and our plan was an ambitious one. But this community accomplished it all and then some – layering on a bold technology initiative in addition to everything we’d conceived in 2004. In addition, Peerless enabled us to recruit Matt King – who attracted, mentored, and retained so many other talented faculty and staff. It gave us the credibility to raise the funds to build our current, state-of-the art facility, and it enabled us to weather the Great Recession. Rashi has become a leading institution in the Boston Independent School community, the Boston Jewish community, and in the Jewish Day School movement nationally. The impact of the funding has been profound and decisive – helping Rashi to move from “good to great,” to quote the management guru Jim Collins. Even beyond the funding - by challenging us to ensure that Rashi lived up to its potential and giving us the faith that we could do it, Peerless inspired excellence. This past year, fellow board member Rebecca
Burack and I began a follow-up strategic plan. Together, we have been working with Rashi’s Administrative Council, a Board committee, and drawing on, among other things, community input gleaned from the Head search process, follow-on parent focus groups, and extensive benchmarking of Peer schools to build on our accomplishments. As we have become so fond of saying, “a school is either moving forward or sliding backward; there’s no such thing as standing still.” That kind of thinking is part of our DNA; a deeply ingrained value of the Rashi culture, but also of Judaism, where the metaphor of journeying figures prominently. Personally, I feel deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the Peerless Excellence donors’ audacious vision; theirs was a gift that was prescient and inspiring, implicitly believing, as Goethe did, “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” Our professional and lay leadership are committed to continuing to think and act boldly; and with the power of this community working together, we proceed with great optimism.
2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT 26
Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Canton, MA Permit No. 113
Boston Area Reform Jewish K-8 Independent School 8000 Great Meadow Road Dedham, MA 02026
2014-2015/5775
ANNUAL REPORT