Israel holds national exercise simulating rocket strikes on schools

Published on February 14, 2013

A national exercise simulating rocket strikes took place in all schools and kindergartens in Israel.

Does Counting Negative Comments Prove Anything?

By Susan Esther Barnes
Published on February 6, 2013

Yeshiva University ranks as 4th most popular U.S. college

Published on February 2, 2012

Yeshiva University is the fourth most popular school in the country, according to a recent U.S. News and World Report ranking.

Baltimore-area philanthropies changing the way they fund day schools

Published on December 21, 2011

Two Baltimore-based philanthropies are paring down a coordinated tuition grant program for area Jewish day schools but will still be giving to the schools.

Bill Boyarsky: LAUSD reaches out to middle class

By Bill Boyarsky
Published on July 26, 2011

Los Angeles’ new school superintendent, John Deasy, says one of his top goals is to persuade middle-class families, including Jewish parents, to return to the Los Angeles public schools. “It’s one of the major projects I have to deliver,” he said.

The Education of LAUSD’s Steve Zimmer

By Danielle Berrin
Published on July 5, 2011

It’s been dark for almost five hours, the city has slowed, and even the 101 Freeway is sparse and quiet. Steve Zimmer has just wrapped his last appointment, but rushing home seems foolish when a rare sit-down dinner is an option. Most days Zimmer hardly notices how alone he is, because he never stops working.

Schechter Institute employees return to work

Published on June 27, 2011

Employees at the Schechter Institute for Jewish Studies in Jerusalem returned to work following a seven-week walkout.

School Is in Session for Villaraigosa’s Critics

By Bill Boyarsky
Published on June 21, 2011

“A great school is an anchor for a neighborhood,” Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said. “A great school district is an anchor for a great city.”

Tuition grants, endowments to benefit day schools

By Julie Gruenbaum Fax
Published on May 10, 2011

More than half the students in Los Angeles Jewish day schools receive financial aid to pay tuition, which runs between $12,000 and $30,000 per year. And with both tuition and the number of students requiring aid expected to continue climbing, BJE: Builders of Jewish Education is partnering with local donors and national organizations both to alleviate the immediate crisis and work toward long-term solutions for lowering the cost of Jewish education.

U.S. Schools Joining for Israel Education Master’s Program

Published on March 30, 2011

Six American universities, including the School of Education at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles, are teaming up to offer a master’s concentration program in Israel education.

Milken school, Stephen S. Wise Temple severing ties

By Jonah Lowenfeld
Published on March 25, 2011

Milken Community High School and Stephen S. Wise Temple are severing ties, both institutions announced on Friday, March 25.

March Madness and the Evrit Eight

Published on March 17, 2011

The real March madness is thousands of Jewish high school seniors waiting to hear about college acceptance. And then what if they are accepted by more than one? How to decide? Since statistics show they favor certain schools, to aid their choices and soothe their jitters why not carve out a “J” Division to the 2011 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament from the 68 teams already playing in it?

New Jew to relocate to larger, permanent West Hills campus

By Rachel Heller
Published on January 27, 2011

“We now have a ‘makom’ — a sacred space in which to house our values,” said Bruce Powell, head of school at New Community Jewish High School, shortly after the deal was announced that New Jew may have finally found a permanent home — at the site of its first home.

Schwarzenegger making play dates with Medvedev

By Julia Bendis
Published on January 14, 2011

School leaders arrested for cheating Israeli government

Published on November 22, 2010

The leaders of six educational institutions accused of using fake identification cards to cheat the government of millions of shekels have been arrested.

Budget crunch forcing schools to cut, become creative

Published on September 8, 2009

Rabbi Samuel Levine has a problem -- and it’s echoing throughout the Jewish day school world.

Post-election healing — kumbaya in class and at the beach

By Julie G Fax
Published on November 12, 2008

Now that the election is over and campaign exaggerations can give way to reality, in schools, and everywhere else, people are making efforts to put things back into perspective. While a lot of healing may still be needed before that sort of unity can move beyond a Saturday night at the beach, one uniting factor all agree on is that this election brought a new level of political awareness and passion across party lines and across ages.

Public money for Jewish schools:
Free not-quite-but-sort-of Jewish education

By Julie G Fax
Published on August 28, 2008

Are Hebrew-language charter schools the answer to the tuition crisis, or a threat to both Jewish education and American values?

Briefs: L.A. Koreans and Jews protest anti-Semitic cartoons published in South Korea; Police Chief Bratton warns terrorism will be threat for the rest of our lives

Published on March 1, 2007

Briefs

Keep Your Eyes Open

By Shoshana Lewin-Fischer
Published on August 24, 2006

Kein v' Lo: Snack Attack.

Fight Against Campus Bias Gets Boost

By Morton A. Klein
Published on May 4, 2006

If you're a Jewish college student, you no longer have to tolerate anti-Semitism or Israel-bashing on your campus. You are protected under our federal civil rights laws. These were the landmark conclusions of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, an independent federal agency that analyzes information about discrimination and reports its findings and recommendations to the president and Congress.

Mayor Stumbles to Left on Immigration

By Jill Stewart
Published on May 4, 2006

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's recent handling of protests by pro-illegal immigration crowds showed a man awkwardly straddling opposing sides of a political chasm that divides Angelenos who have all supported him. And his lack of deftness leaves doubt about whether he can bridge this gap as well as whether he can keep some of his most fundamental and important promises.

Class Notes - National Nachas for Shalhevet

By Julie G Fax
Published on March 9, 2006

Five brief pieces, on the following: Shalhevet School's recent winning streak, Camp Ramah's new solar panels, a five-day summer workshop that shows teachers how to use studying the holocaust to teach morality, an opportunity to serve abroad as part of the "Jewish Peace Corps," and a recent Prejudice Awareness Summit at the University of Judaism.

Letters

Published on February 23, 2006

Letters to the Editor

Superintendant Romer Wants to End Term Early

By Howard Blume
Published on February 9, 2006

Los Angeles schools Supt. Roy Romer, the central figure in efforts to improve local schools, has quietly informed top school officials that he would like to leave the job by September, some nine months before his contract expires.

Taking Winter Break on Jewish Time

By Jennifer Garmaise
Published on December 29, 2005

The current schedule was adopted by Orthodox schools in the last two decades, when the Orthodox community made a collective decision to follow a halachic ruling by the great contemporary sage, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, according to Rabbi Avrohom Stulberger, dean of Valley Torah High School in Valley Village and president of the Bureau of Jewish Education's Yeshiva Principal's Council.

Preschool Project Strives to Educate All

By Rabbi Eli Hecht
Published on December 8, 2005

King Solomon was known to have coined the expression, "Educate the child accordingly so that when he grows old, he will not leave." In other words, take advantage of the child's education as soon as possible.

In modern times, this admonition certainly applies to preschool, and it's something that my day care school, the Bilowit Learning Center, based in the Lomita-Torrance area, has always taken as a mission.

Inclusive Education

By Nancy Sokoler Steiner
Published on October 20, 2005

In the summer of 2002, Liza Wohlberg had no idea that her life was about to irrevocably change. The 7-year-old, who loved to dance and play with her dog, was enjoying the summer vacation between first and second grade. On a family trip to Canada, Liza's mother, Terry, noticed that her daughter couldn't seem to get enough to drink. When the problem persisted, Terry took Liza to the pediatrician. She was immediately diagnosed with juvenile-onset (type 1) diabetes.

Survivor Voices Come to Classrooms

By Julie G Fax
Published on August 25, 2005

In the backlot at Universal Studios, somewhere between the lake where Jaws lurks and the courthouse square where Michael J. Fox sped back to the future, researchers in nondescript trailers are finishing up one of the most ambitious projects involving the Holocaust.

Preschool Teaching Methods Stir Debate

By Nancy Sokoler Steiner
Published on August 25, 2005

Once upon a time, children didn't step into a classroom until kindergarten. There, 5-year-olds got their first real introduction to ABCs and 123s, colors and shapes and how to share and take turns.

A Plan to Take Over Troubled School

By Howard Blume
Published on August 8, 2005

A successful charter school operator will launch a campaign to take over the Los Angeles high school where racial tensions erupted into campus brawls earlier this year.

Conservative Jews Face Turning Point

By Chanan Tigay
Published on June 23, 2005

It has become axiomatic in certain circles to say that the Conservative movement is at a crossroads as it considers its future.

2005 Grads: Oh The Places They’ll Go.

By Julie G Fax
Published on June 9, 2005

Whether it was discussing the Terri Schiavo case or debating whether students should get PE credit for participating on sports team, Leor Hackel had one goal for the weekly town hall meetings he lead as head of Shalhevet's agenda committee: to keep the students engaged and interested, and to encourage them to take the initiative, just as he had been inspired.

Political Journal

By Idan Ivri
Published on March 24, 2005

This month's Political Journal is a tale of two labor disputes. One is dragging on and on; the other has come to a peaceful conclusion just when it seemed there might be a strike ahead.

Public Bat Mitzvahs Come to Orthodoxy

By Rachel Sarah
Published on March 10, 2005

Traditionally, Orthodox girls wanting a bat mitzvah have had intimate ones with close family and friends, complete with candlelightings and blessings.

Unlike the Reform, Recostructionist and Conservative movements, which have embraced and formalized the bat mitzvah in the synagogue (the Recostructionist movement had the first bat mitzvah in 1922), Orthodox shuls and schools tend to take a more varied, low-key approach.

While many Orthodox girls still have private coming-of-age rituals, others are opting for more public and creative ceremonies, perhaps more closely aligned to a bar mitzvah. Most choose to study extensively with parents, teachers or rebbetzins, and many seek out chesed projects -- acts of loving-kindness -- to help those less fortunate.

Schools Work Hard to Make the Grade

By Nancy Sokoler Steiner
Published on February 17, 2005

The Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School West team labored close to two years on their assignment. They administered surveys, compiled data and poured through reams of material. This homework, however, was completed not by students, but by staff and faculty. And the project was not so much required as extra credit.

Drugs? NIMBY

By Amy Klein
Published on January 27, 2005

Two drug-related incidents occurred in the American yeshiva community in Israel last week, which may give all parents pause.

More Than Surviving

By Julie G Fax
Published on November 4, 2004

Nandor Markovic was lying in the gutter, awaiting death. He had already seen his best friend shot in the head, but Markovic could not take another step on the German-led march in 1945.

Record Gift Given to Boston Day Schools

By Uriel Heilman
Published on October 14, 2004

Jewish educators hope one of the largest gifts ever for Jewish education in America will prompt other philanthropists to follow suit.

Milken Dress Code

By Keren Engelberg
Published on September 30, 2004

The Tuesday after Labor Day found many kids returning to school from summer vacation. While those at Beverly High showed up in summer tan-revealing tanks and short shorts, at Milken Community High School, neither tank top, nor short shorts, nor T-shirt could be seen.

California’s Budget, Compromised

By Idan Ivri
Published on August 19, 2004

Just as it seemed his honeymoon governorship was degenerating into insults and whining, Arnold Schwarzenegger finally signed a $105 billion state budget on July 31, about a month late.

The Circuit

By Andrea Adelson
Published on July 1, 2004

Circuit

Jews Note Role in Historic School Case

By Matthew E. Berger
Published on May 13, 2004

Esther Swirk Brown wasn't the Brown for whom the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case desegregating schools is named -- but she is the Jewish woman who helped find Oliver Brown, no relation, to be the lead plaintiff in the historic case.

As a young woman in Kansas, Esther Brown was horrified by the conditions of the school that black children, including the children of her housekeeper, were forced to attend. The one-room schoolhouse in South Park had dilapidated walls and missing light bulbs.

Are Muslims Endangered?

By Idan Ivri
Published on May 13, 2004

Heightened ethnic and religious hatred might be rearing its ugly head in California -- but some politicians are eager to stand in its way.

Brown vs. Board of Ed.—50 Years Later

By Amanda Susskind
Published on May 13, 2004

"We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal."

Big Sunday, Big Turnout

By Jewish Journal Staff
Published on May 6, 2004

Big Sunday, Big Turnout

Your Letters

Published on October 23, 2003

At a time when we should be applauding those who are willing to respond to the escalating barrage of anti-Israeli rhetoric, Adam Rubin's acrid assessment of Alan Dershowitz's "A Case for Israel" furthers a disturbing trend -- that anything that promotes Israel in a favorable light be viewed, and ultimately dismissed, as simply works of propaganda or fiction ("Israeli History the Dershowitz Way," Oct. 17).

Court’s Race Rulings Raises Deeper Issues

By David A. Lehrer
Published on July 10, 2003

The United States Supreme Court has handed down its decisions on the issue of affirmative action. In the cases of Grutter vs. Bollinger and Gratz vs. Bollinger, the court has ruled on the constitutionality of race-conscious programs and their viability in educational institutions across the country.

Educator CombinesTwo Passions in Life

By Sharon Schatz Rosenthal
Published on June 26, 2003

Metuka Benjamin was sitting in a taxicab in a Tel Aviv traffic jam when the Israeli prime minister's limousine happened to pull up next to her. The driver recognized Benjamin and told her to ditch her cab and he would take her where she wanted to go -- and she did.

Schools Adopt Guide to Block Sex Abuse

By Julie G Fax
Published on June 19, 2003

A national group representing more than 700 Orthodox day schools recently adopted sexual abuse prevention guidelines that were developed by a department of the Jewish Family Service (JFS) in Los Angeles.

L.A.‘s ‘New Jew’ Hits First Birthday

By Diane Arieff
Published on May 22, 2003

In the Valley suburb of West Hills, a small bit of history is being made: It's home to the first and only all-Jewish lacrosse team at any school in the country.

Your Letters

Published on April 30, 2003

I was very disappointed that Tom Teicholz's article, "Hungarians in Hollywood" (April 18), omitted any reference or mention of my late uncle, Joe Pasternak, who was among the most prominent and successful Hollywood movie producers from the 1930s to the late 1960s.

Holocaust Programs Focus on Education

By Sharon Schatz Rosenthal
Published on April 24, 2003

What do the Kurds have to do with Holocaust? More than you might think.

Survivor Film Aims to Educate Students

By Sharon Schatz Rosenthal
Published on April 24, 2003

As a child at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany, Marion Blumenthal Lazan spent hours looking for four identical pebbles inside her shabby living quarters.

Conejo Valley Hit by Growing Pains

By Wendy J. Madnick
Published on April 24, 2003

Rabbi Gary Johnson is overjoyed. There's no other way to describe it.

Collaborating on Education

By Sharon Schatz Rosenthal
Published on February 13, 2003

Like college graduates looking to make career contacts, many of the professional and lay day school leaders, major philanthropists, Jewish Federation leaders and Jewish endowment fund representatives attending the PEJE Leadership Assembly portion, the first of its kind in the United States, took time out to network.

Your Letters

Published on February 6, 2003

While Sharon Schatz Rosenthal's cover story notes that day schools are costly, it fails to address cost efficiency ("Who Should Pay?" Jan.31).

Who Should Pay?

By Sharon Schatz Rosenthal
Published on January 30, 2003

"We're moving," a couple casually told Rabbi Shlomo Gottesman. The rabbi was at first puzzled.

Educators ForgeTel Aviv-L.A. Link

By David Margolis
Published on January 30, 2003

How do you incorporate Jewish identity and Israeli life issues into the curriculum of Israeli and Los Angeles day schools?

Tzedakah for Chanukah

By Journal Staff
Published on December 5, 2002

The Chanukah effort is one of the first outcomes of Morasha's involvement with a three-year national research project of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles.