Kol Bialik Winter 2023

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The Return of Family Kabbalat Shabbat Assemblies

Professional Development: Journey to Israel

Himel Branch Welcomes New Principal Natalie Vine

A Mind Focused on the Brain

A Family Setting the Right Example

Kol Bialik Kol Bialik is published annually

by Bialik Hebrew Day School’s Advancement Department.

Editor Lydia Levin Director of Marketing and Communications Acting Director of Development Aily Goodis Director of Admissions Danielle Waltman Viewmount Branch Main Office 2760 Bathurst Street Toronto, Ontario M6B 3A1 416.783.3346 The Ben and Edith Himel Education Centre on the Joseph & Wolf Lebovic Jewish Community Campus 180 Ilan Ramon Boulevard Vaughan, Ontario L6A 4P6 905-417-3737 Himel East Kimel Family Education Centre 9600 Bathurst Street Vaughan, Ontario L6A 3Z8 905-417-3737 Kol Bialik Coordinators Liana Sandberg Jessica Waks Design and Layout Michael Cherkas Printing Exodus Graphics Photography Bialik Staff Caley Taylor Photography Justine Apple Photography Rosa Zwaiman Photographer Contributors Julia Drake Janet Gottlieb Sailian Lydia Levin Lisa Rostoks Liana Sandberg Rachel Shubin Jessica Waks facebook.bialik.ca @bialikhds

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Headlines

Sixty Years of Growth at Bialik Our core values guide our remarkable growth

ON TUESDAY, September 5, 1961, 64 Jewish children made their way to 12 Viewmount Avenue in Toronto. They were to be the first students in a day school founded by the Labour Zionist Alliance (LZA). Their parents were excited by the school’s focus on the newly established Jewish state, modern Hebrew and Yiddish instruction, an egalitarian educational ethos, and a non-prescriptive approach to Jewish ritual and observance.

That day, sixty school years ago, the dream of Bialik’s founders — Kalman Berger z”l, Israel Freeman z”l, Moshe Menachovsky z”l, Julius Sokoloff z”l, Victor Topper z”l and J.J. Zweig z”l — was realized. And at this milestone in our school’s life, I find myself thinking about how amazed those founders would be if they could see Bialik Hebrew Day School today.

I suspect that our founders hoped their school would grow over time, but could they ever have imagined that the school’s enrolment would grow over twentyfold, as it has? Back in the 1960’s, when the GTA’s dayschool landscape was dominated by orthodox institutions, Bialik’s approach was revolutionary, and it was not clear to what extent it would succeed. Several thousand graduates later, we have our answer. As our tagline says, Bialik really is “the Jewish day school for today’s generation.”

Bialik’s founders would hardly recognize our school buildings either. Even in its first years, the school quickly outgrew its original space. Additional storeys were added at 12 and 14 Viewmount, a free-standing preschool building was erected, the Latner Wing was built to connect the spaces and was later, itself, enlarged. Additional property was

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While Bialik’s student population and facilities have surely exceeded our founders’ wildest dreams, our core educational values remain true to the school’s original tenets.”

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purchased to expand the playground, create a parking lot, and for the most recent major expansion in 2005, the creation of the Senior Division wing, lunchroom, and upper gym.

Of course, most recently, Bialik’s facilities now include the beautiful Ben and Edith Himel Education Centre, opened in 2013, and expanded twice to accommodate the Himel Branch’s rapidly growing enrolment.

While Bialik’s student population and facilities have surely exceeded our founders’ wildest dreams, our core educational values remain true to the school’s original tenets.

The love of Israel, Hebrew, and a modern, values-based Jewish identity still form the foundation of Bialik’s program, alongside a commitment to overall academic excellence in both General and Jewish Studies. So while our founders might find the laptops, SMARTboards and STEM programs to be curious additions, they would, I suspect, applaud the nurturing of our young critical thinkers, collaborators and problem solvers.

In Jewish tradition, when a loved one is celebrating a birthday, we wish them a long life to the age of one hundred and twenty — ‫ביז הונדערט און צוואַנציק — עד מאה ועשרים‬. Bialik, now 60 years old, is halfway there, having reached true maturity as an educational institution. And I am confident that we will continue to achieve great things in the next 60 years and beyond, making our community — and our founders — proud.

Benjy Cohen Head of School

: School Highlights :

The Return of Family Kabbalat Shabbat Assemblies After not being able to gather together as a school community because of the pandemic, we were so pleased to welcome families into our buildings for the return of in-person Kabbalat Shabbat Assemblies. Chanting the Brachot over grape juice and challah, and singing songs together is a powerful expression of our collective Jewish identity. Our families were excited to have that shared experience again and have also enjoyed learning opportunities as part of the program. Grades 1 and 2 celebrated Simchat Torah and Grade 3 engaged with themes from Bereshit by discussing passages with their loved ones.

Mitzvah and Mingle with Ve’Ahavta

No Hunger for Purim

Athletics Update

BIALIK STAFF MEMBERS and their families came out with great enthusiasm to our inaugural Mitzvah and Mingle. The event was created as an opportunity for staff members to do a Mitzvah while socializing and meeting each other’s families outside the classroom. Together, they made 240 sandwiches for Ve’Ahavta, which does such important work assisting those who have been marginalized by poverty and hardship.

Our Bialik Bears are back in full force, enjoying robust Athletics programming through the Jewish Day School Sports League (JDSSL) and our internal House Leagues.

Teams at both branches have hit the field, court, track and rink for a series of tournaments and games that encourage healthy movement while building teamwork and leadership skills.

Both Himel Junior and Senior Boys Soccer teams have brought home championship trophies from their tournaments.

All our teams have been sporting fresh uniforms, including new branding with our updated Bialik bear paw.

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ONE OF THE many Mitzvot we teach students during Purim is the importance of sending Matanot l’Evyonim — gifts to those in need. It’s in this vein that Bialik partnered with UJA Genesis for their No Hunger for the Holidays initiative. This program addressed the pressing issue of food insecurity that escalated during the pandemic. We were overwhelmed by our Bialik community’s response, with our lobbies overflowing with brown bags filled with Kosher, non-perishable food items to be sent to GTA food banks.

Investing in Mental Health

IT HAS BEEN critical for Bialik to continue to acknowledge the mental health challenges our students experienced during the pandemic and the lingering impact on their social and academic lives. This has been top of mind for teachers interacting daily with their students as well as in the work done by our support teams at both branches.

“We have invested in a second full-time School Social Worker, improving the social-worker-to-student ratio at our Viewmount Branch significantly, so that we could provide more students with access to mental health support,” shares Viewmount Branch Principal Jake Gallinger.

Teachers continue to explore various Social Emotional Learning strategies for use in all areas of school and, with the support of our partners at UJA, all staff were offered the opportunity to participate in a full-day Mental Health First Aid for Youth Training Course led by the Mental Health Commision of Canada.

GRADE 8 QUEBEC CITY TRIP OUR GRADE 8 STUDENTS from both branches said a final “au revoir” to their Bialik student careers with a spirited and fun grad trip to Quebec City. They participated in a ghost tour of Old Quebec and had a thrilling experience crossing a 60-metre suspension bridge above the canyon at Canyon Ste-Anne Falls.

Students also visited the Sugar Shack, where they tasted maple butter and had a traditional, authentic Quebec dining and dancing experience. New friendships were made, along with memories that will last a lifetime.

Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month FOR THE FIRST time, Bialik marked Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month (JDAIM), raising awareness and championing the rights of all Jews to be accepted and included in all aspects of life. Highlights included the Senior Division JDAIM conference — Striving for Inclusion — featuring speakers from Canadian Friends of Shalva, Holland Bloorview, Beit Issie Shapiro and more. This conference gave our students the opportunity to hear and be inspired by human rights and special-needs advocates, medical experts and leaders in the not-for-profit sector.

The intention is for JDAIM to be a call to action; for students to become aware of their actions — large and small — that can make the world a kinder place. In our Primary Division, students enjoyed a special literacy evening, reading Dana Geall’s book, See Me For Me. The range of perspectives energized students with a strong desire to make a difference and create a kinder world.

Joining the Social Action Squad BUILDING ON THE success of our previous Social Action in Action program, in the fall, Bialik was thrilled to launch the Social Action Squad program for families with students in Grades 2-8. Based on the value of Tikkun Olam, the Social Action Squad’s goal is to provide engaging hands-on volunteer experiences for the whole family to support charities throughout the GTA. For the first event of the year, in collaboration with B’nai Brith Canada, a full house of parents and children gathered to pack Chanukah bags with goods for seniors in need. Students were delighted to make Chanukah cards and beaded keychains to help bring light to each recipient along with their Chanukah goodies and new winter accessories.

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: School Highlights :

Mazal Tov to Our Grads!

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e are very happy to be reclaiming our traditions as well as making new ones as we celebrate Grade 8 Graduation together again, in-person. Class of 2022 parents and graduates enjoyed their own special Graduation Breakfasts at both branches. They heard heartwarming speeches from the Principals, Mechanchim, parent speakers and our Student Council Presidents.

Families were thrilled to watch each student’s graduation video, reflecting their personal Bialik journey.

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Our two branches united at Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda to honour the Class of 2022 in a very festive and moving Graduation Diploma Ceremony. We were so inspired by the wonderful speeches from our Valedictorians and the heartening words from our Head of School’s address. Bialik traditions, such as the grads’ picture boards and inclusion in the Tree of Honour serve as reminders of their many accomplishments and memories of their Bialik years. Mazal Tov to all our Grade 8 Graduates — Class of 2022, you make us so proud!

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Remember, as you head off to high school and beyond, Bialik will always be part of your community.

We are proud of you, and wish you nothing but the best in your futures.”

Benjy Cohen, Head of School

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Teaching and Learning

PD Builds Innovation and Teaching Excellence Bialik teachers stay ahead of the curve to best serve our students

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o be a leading, innovative Jewish day school in the Greater Toronto Area requires teachers and administrators to continually learn about and adopt new research and strategies in curriculum and students’ social-emotional development. Bialik devotes significant attention and resources to ensure the school remains at the forefront of education for students from JK to Grade 8.

Says Shoshana Taitz, Director of Curriculum: “At Bialik, we are committed to being ahead of the curve, on top of directions in education and looking at ways to constantly make ourselves better.

“We don’t stop when we think we’re doing a good job. We all know how quickly things change and how quickly we need to adapt as we build our students’ knowledge, confidence and connectedness.”

Adi Barel, Associate Director of Jewish Studies, adds: “The Bialik curriculum team works to recognize and highlight trends and skills for teachers. We focus not only on techniques, but also on values. The ultimate goal is to prepare our students for life as Jews in the Diaspora, in the 21st Century.”

“Schools are learning communities,” adds Shoshana “and PD provides ways for teachers to share their expertise and experience systematically.” PD brings new perspectives and problem-solving skills to the presentation of a challenging curriculum in a nurturing atmosphere.

Most importantly, teachers who refresh their own learning inspire academic achievement, foster critical thinking, strengthen values and ignite the joy of learning among students.

PD doesn’t just involve lectures or readings; it encompasses practice, feedback, follow-up support, trend monitoring, plus exchange of ideas and techniques.

Some of the most effective learning — for teachers and academic administrators as well as students — is experiential.

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At Bialik, we are committed to being ahead of the curve, on top of directions in education and looking at ways to constantly make ourselves better.”

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An Immersive, Experiential Journey to Israel A GROUP OF Bialik faculty and administrators immersed in an exciting new PD program last spring — Interfaces: The Israel-Peoplehood Curriculum Project, organized and supported by UJA of Greater Toronto’s Israel Engagement.

Program participants were looking at ways to provide students with an engaging learning experience that gives a nuanced, realistic, contemporary view of modern Israel. Their learning sessions included

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theoretical work and group processing, with the highlight being a week of learning in Israel in May, 2022.

Adi Barel rated the trip to Israel as “spectacular in planning and execution,” including joint PD sessions with teachers at the Israeli High School in Eilat. “The spark in the eye of a teacher who has actually been there is irreplaceable.”

Grade 8 teacher, Lenore Lanel, who took part in the program, notes: “Everyone at the school in Israel was very welcoming and the teachers we met were curious about us. We found that as educators, we deal with similar concerns, frustrations and pedagogical issues.”

Israelis are no more homogeneous than Canadian Jews, she observes. “Israel is so vibrant and alive, with serious ongoing security issues, a wide variety of religious denominations, inter-societal issues, and divergent political beliefs. It’s a dynamic, evolving identity, not what the Diaspora society grew up thinking it was. ”

The braided streams of Israeli identity all bring their own narratives: Sephardic Jews, with the legacy of the Spanish Inquisition; Ethiopian culture; Russian and Ukrainian immigrants; Palestinians.

“Canadian schools’ emphasis on teaching Israeli history and values,” says Lenore,

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Israel is so vibrant and alive, with serious ongoing security issues, a wide variety of religious denominations, intersocietal issues, and divergent political beliefs.”

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“has mainly centred on Eastern European Jews.” Moving forward, Bialik will work to widen that lens.

The trip reinforced for all participants the power and importance of narratives in teaching. To learn deeply and authentically, students need to experience with all their senses. While the goal is for them to love Israel and feel deeply connected to it, today’s students also need to understand Israel’s complexities and even its contradictions.

Says Lenore: “We spend a lot of time pondering how to celebrate and enact our Jewish identity in Canada. The Jewish value of knowing history, preserving, and celebrating it is much more deliberate in Canada. In Israel it is built in — a given.”

Israel is a start-up nation, with history in every corner and ongoing struggles around safety and defence. To view, in-person, the border between Sderot and Gaza provides a visceral experience of the dangers Israelis face every day.

Teaching g and Learning g

With Just Two Consonants and a Vowel Decoding provides a new approach to literacy METHODS OF TEACHING the youngest students to read and write at Bialik have been transformed in recent months, thanks to new insights into how children can best learn to “decode” words and link sounds to letters and syllables.

Karen Lidor, Associate Director of General Studies, enthuses about the outcome of literacy training that was offered to JK to Grade 2 teachers in the summer and fall of 2022 through the Sounds-Write phonics-based program. “This has been extremely beneficial for our teachers because they now have a better understanding of how to precisely support individual students in their classrooms,” says Karen.

Sounds-Write is described as “a very highly structured, multi-sensory, incremental and code-oriented instructional approach to teaching children to read and spell.”

Through this training, according to Karen, Bialik faculty learned “to teach explicit skills that allow students to examine individual sounds, spelling patterns and syllables. Our staff are also As soon as students being more intentional about the order in which can sound out two students learn these skills so that they are constantly building on prior knowledge.” consonants and a Teachers have learned how best to prepare vowel, they can start students to acquire the fundamental skills of blending the sounds independent and fluent readers. “No matter to ‘decode’ words.” where a student is in their learning, the teacher

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will be able to make the learning tailored and impactful for each child,” says Karen.

Kali Singer, Viewmount Branch SK teacher, praised the Sounds-Write professional development she and other Bialik teachers received and the subsequent positive classroom outcomes. “The training covered everything from the very basics to much more advanced skills, such as teaching polysyllabic words.”

Results are already evident in the classroom. “As soon as students can sound out two consonants and a vowel, they can start blending the sounds to ‘decode’ words,” Karen points out. “Our students are no longer guessing at words. They are not relying on illustrations to determine a word. They are applying their phonics skills to blend sounds together to form words.”

Kali adds: “This teaching method has eliminated guessing in reading, given students more confidence, and has enabled teachers to determine and eliminate problems early on through ongoing assessment.”

Karen notes: “Proper spelling can develop much earlier than we once thought.

If children learn phonics rules, they can apply this knowledge to both reading and writing simultaneously. With this understanding and instructional approach, we have already seen considerable improvement in spelling in our primary grades.”

Bialik plans to extend opportunities for this professional development to teachers in higher grades so they can also offer instruction and learning opportunities that reflect more complex language structures.

A new literacy-focused role at Bialik — added in the 2021-22 school year — is the dedicated reading specialist, who works one-on-one and in small groups with children in Grades 2 and up. Says Karen: “The reading specialist works to identify where a breakdown in learning has taken place and then provides intensive support to help that student meet learning expectations.”

Literacy is shining brighter than ever at Bialik, thanks to these new initiatives.

Teaching and Learning Through Drama Bringing a fresh creative lens to our class celebrations

OUR STUDENTS’ PLAYS are a point of pride at Bialik and a meaningful way for them to learn about Jewish holidays, traditions and values. But behind the scenes, our teachers are tasked with preparing these plays, and incorporating learning that the students can share with their families at our Family Education Experiences.

Bialik recently teamed up with Habamah, an Israeli culture and theatre organization, to guide our faculty in using insight-inspiring teaching methods through drama. In summer and fall 2022, teachers received professional development through Habamah, aimed at further enriching the student and parent experience through plays.

Says Adi Barel, Associate Director of Jewish Studies: “Habamah offers hands-on experience with teaching methods from the field of theatre education. Class plays are just as much a learning process and opportunity as they are a performative task.”

Habamah is an organization that meaningfully engages educators with themes from the worlds of both theatre and education. It has vast experience working with Israeli and Diaspora schools in extracting meaning through learning Hebrew language and

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Habamah offers hands-on experience with teaching methods from the field of theatre education.”

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literature, and helps educators hone the skills involved in preparing a school play.

“As a school that takes immense pride in our student performances, it was important to provide our teachers with the space not only to learn about strategies from the theatre world but, through such strategies, to bring our class plays to an even higher, more meaningful next level,” says Adi. Learning through experience connects study topics to the students’ world.

Habamah programs are based on the curriculum of the Department for IsraeliJewish Culture Studies and are intended both for students and for the professional development of teachers.

With many years of experience in using drama in education, Habama’s aim is to touch people’s hearts and inspire them to think differently. Their programs enable a dynamic dialogue between different groups and people, encourage pluralism, remove obstructions, and bring people together.

Dana Amar, a Grade 4 Jewish Studies teacher, is enthusiastic about her recent Habamah training: “It allowed us to experience words and their meaning through activity and expression. We took a text that we are all familiar with and found so many options for how to express it and feel it.”

She adds, “We had so much fun. Learning should be fun and memorable.”

Habamah encouraged Bialik teachers to relay the story “with activities such as role-playing to more deeply understand the characters’ points of view and thoughts,” says Dana. “After the PD days, we started to work on writing our Chanukah play and we used so many tools from the Habamah training. We are working with the students on the script so they will bring their own insight into the play.”

Dana is appreciative of the opportunity to learn new techniques for teaching through drama: “I am thankful to work in a place that seeks opportunities for teachers as well as students to learn and grow.”

Teaching and Learning

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Inclusivity Taught Year-Round Well-being is essential for a student’s success

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ach student and teacher who walks Bialik’s halls knows that being proud of your identity is an important school value. And this goes hand-in-hand with learning about being inclusive, open and understanding, to ensure that Bialik spaces are welcoming to everyone.

“As a school, it is important to stop and acknowledge National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, Pride Month and Black History Month, but that’s not the only time that learning takes place,” says Karen Lidor, Associate Director of General Studies. “It takes place by having meaningful lessons in the classroom, with inclusivity woven into the fibre of what we teach and

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do as a school. That’s where the learning truly happens.”

We are finding ways to bring inclusivity into our students’ everyday experience. “We want to convey the belief that there is no one way to be Jewish,” says Karen. “People can have different histories, customs and traditions to build proud and strong identities.

The important thing is to create an atmosphere where all students feel equally valued and they see that the perspectives they bring to school are respected.”

“Students raise a lot of questions,” says David Cohen-Olivenstein, Elementary Division Vice Principal, “and we want to give them age-appropriate answers and opportunities to learn. Meaningful conversations and learning moments may come up at any time, and we need to be able to help students deepen their understanding.”

“We try to infuse inclusivity into our everyday practices in terms of how we exist and treat one another,” adds Karen. “We don’t want inclusivity to be an add-on, designated to a specific day, month or a one-off program.”

One of the important steps the school is taking is to provide professional development for faculty, to whom students often turn with their many questions about diversity and identity. “This is an area in which many of our staff are growing personally and professionally as well,” says Karen, “and our aim is to support them in engaging sensitively and thoughtfully with students and families.”

“Teachers are providing opportunities for students to engage with inclusivity in ways that they can understand,” says David. “This could be through reading books, bringing in guest speakers, discussions in class, the use of child-friendly vocabulary, and lots of opportunities for reflection.”

The focus on learning through different lenses is key to challenging stereotypes and guiding students to apply the lessons to real-world examples. Inclusivity at Bialik encompasses lessons and stories about race, culture, gender identity, abilities and beyond.

“If students are doing a social studies unit on Indigenous history, we talk about inclusivity through that lens,” says David. “When they’re talking about residential schools and the darker part of Indigenous history, we discuss why inclusivity is so important.”

“At Bialik, everyone can be their true self, and it creates an environment where children and faculty can learn from one another and participate,” says Karen. “Growing up in this atmosphere with diverse perspectives, voices, histories and beliefs is positive for the next generation.”

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People can have different histories, customs and traditions to build proud and strong identities. The important thing is to create an atmosphere where all students feel equally valued and they see that the perspectives they bring to school are respected.”

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Bialik Inclusivity Policy Vision Statement At Bialik we value and believe in the importance of inclusivity as a core human and Jewish value.

Our vibrant Jewish day school community is made up of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including family, race, ethnicity, culture, heritage, physical ability, gender identity and sexual orientation.

We believe it is our responsibility to create a safe school.

We engage in respectful dialogue about differences, and everyone is encouraged to express their authentic self.

We are stronger and more unified when we embrace our diversity and celebrate our differences.

Educational Policy Statement We will develop age-appropriate curriculum and provide training to teachers to enable sensitive and thoughtful engagement with students and families on these topics. We will also work to create a physical school space that promotes inclusivity and a sense of belonging.

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Our Faculty

A Lifelong Learner Finds a Home at Bialik Getting to know Himel Branch Principal Natalie Vine

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fter a long career working in the Toronto District School Board, Natalie Vine has found a way to merge two parts of her life. As the Himel Branch’s new principal, Natalie’s professional life as an educator and continuous learner is now blended with her Jewish home and family life.

“I went to public school as a child, so most of my learning of Judaism came from camp and family,” she says. When it came time to enrol her own child in school, she chose a Jewish day school. Now 16 years old and moved on to the public school system, Natalie’s son, Danel, is fluent in Hebrew and frequently challenges her on her knowledge. She loves to get his perspective on her work.

This merging of her parent and educator hats is aligned with the educational philosophy that she upholds. “The educator, Rita Pierson, said that every child needs a champion and deserves one.

I believe that’s my job as both a parent and an educator,” says Natalie.

In her quest to provide the support that kids need to thrive through learning, Natalie’s career has spanned many roles. From her early days teaching Grades 5 and 6 in Toronto’s inner city to consulting in a professional development capacity, Natalie has always been driven to learn more. This guided her to take a leave from the TDSB and teach in Israel. She also obtained a guidance counsellor qualification and helped with anti-bullying and digital citizenship initiatives. Ultimately, her focus on staff development led her to apply for a vice principal position, beginning her progress into school leadership.

“I see so many things at Bialik that I very much appreciate. There is a richness of resources here,” she

says, adding that this enables educators to provide children with the best learning opportunities.

She values the professionalism and enthusiasm that Bialik staff devote to their development, saying it’s “quite energy boosting” for her.

As a leader, Natalie is committed to creating comfort and openness for people to come and talk to her.

She is willing to listen and work collaboratively, whether to solve issues or seize opportunities.

When it comes to connecting with students, she regularly reads what they do — for instance, Fatty Legs for Grades 5 and 6 — and watches all the Star Wars spinoffs in preparation for hallway conversations.

Her focus now is on building relationships with the community.

“I have very high expectations for everyone — for families, kids, staff and myself. I set the bar high,” she says. Natalie’s 30-year passion for education continues as she seeks to learn from the expertise and experience of Bialik’s staff and families who have already been most welcoming to their new Himel Branch Principal.

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When it comes to connecting with students, she regularly reads what they do — for instance, Fatty Legs for Grades 5 and 6 — and watches all the Star Wars spinoffs in preparation for hallway conversations.

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Admissions

Admissions Team Is Tipping the Scales Connecting with the inspiring Admissions team

Director of Admissions, Danielle Waltman, above, and Admissions Officer, Bethany Baram, left.

about being able to open the doors to Jewish education to children in the Greater Toronto Area.

Mother of three Bialik graduates, Danielle has worked in Admissions for 13 years. She has very positive feelings about the high quality of education that her children received here, although, initially, her husband needed to persuade her before she agreed to send their kids to a Jewish day school.

“My nieces and nephews went to Bialik. It was beyond impressive,” she says. “For me, it was being able to look at them and see the academic excellence, the sense of Jewish identity and heritage, Zionism and the close-knit community. That’s what tipped the scales when it came time to decide on a school for my children.”

So convinced was Danielle after a few years that she decided to leave her career as a social worker to take on an Admissions role at Bialik. And she has never looked back.

Danielle has served, and continues to serve, our new families at the Viewmount Branch. But when the call came to set up the Himel Branch, Danielle enthusiastically answered.

She fondly remembers searching for families to launch the new branch. Her “office” was in a trailer on an empty plot of land in Vaughan, now the site of Himel West. It took a huge amount of community outreach for Danielle and Bialik’s administrators to attract the first families to be part of our opening in September 2013 — 64 students in all.

Fast forward ten years and two more construction phases, and

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here’s no secret sauce or magic potion when it comes to filling Bialik’s classrooms with students. But there is a strong belief in what we do, and why and how we do it, that is palpable amongst our families. Two avid believers in the Bialik brand are our dynamic Admissions team, Director of Admissions Danielle Waltman and Admissions Officer Bethany Baram, who both chose Bialik for their children and are now helping other families start their Bialik journeys.

We caught up with Danielle and Bethany — in between their many school tours, answering inquiries and supporting prospective families — to get to know what makes them so passionate

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Bialik has expanded into a second facility — Himel East — and has an enrolment of more than 550. As Himel came of age, Danielle realized she couldn’t keep up with the demand on her own, and the school brought Bethany onto the Admissions team.

As an active Himel parent, Chair of the PTA and a very strong supporter of her children’s Bialik experience, Bethany was perfect for her new role.

Reminiscing, Bethany remembers her tour with Danielle the year before her eldest child entered JK. “I felt that grassroots community vibe. That was a really big attraction because, even though I knew the intention was for the school to continue to grow, my hope was that the community feeling would stay. And it certainly has.”

Bethany suggests that it’s the combination of academic rigour, our community feel, and an acceptance of the different ways families live Jewishly at home, that are important to our families. “Those three pieces are working together and that’s why people love this school,” she says.

As Himel came of age, Danielle realized she couldn’t keep up with the demand on her own, and the school brought Bethany onto the Admissions team.

SEE BIALIK YOUR WAY. Be part of Bialik’s growth at our Viewmount and Himel Branches.

We welcome you to book your personal tour at inquiry.bialik.ca.

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Bialik continues on a growth trajectory.

Last year, an extra Grade 1 class was added at Himel. For September 2023, in response to the incredible demand, Viewmount has added an additional JK class, bringing the branch’s total to an unprecedented six JK classes. “It is really important to us that we can offer a quality Jewish education to as many students as possible,” says Danielle. “Unfortunately, there is still a wait list for JK for September 2023. In fact, we have already received some applications for September 2026.”

Both Danielle and Bethany have stressed that it is never too early to start your research for a Jewish day school for your children. If anyone you know is interested in Bialik for their child, no matter how young, we encourage them to reach out to our Admissions team to find out more and book a tour. Email Danielle Waltman at our Viewmount Branch, or Bethany Baram at our Himel Branch, at admissions@bialik.ca.

Family Spotlight

Ties Make School Special For the Koral family, Bialik is the perfect fit

THERE’S NO MISTAKING Ryan, Jake and Nate Koral’s arrival at the Himel Branch on Fridays for Grades 3, 1, and JK, respectively. Each of them wears a tie, choosing from the selection of 50-odd ties they’ve accumulated between them.

“We celebrate Shabbat every Friday and the kids wanted to do something special for it at school,” says mom Rachel. “That’s why we fell in love with Bialik and the community.

We’re traditional and the school was the perfect fit for us.”

A teacher before focusing fulltime on her family, Rachel worked at Associated Hebrew School teaching nursery school, JK and SK. Both she and her husband Michael, an entrepreneur who runs a cryptocurrency exchange, attended Jewish day school themselves, so they really wanted their kids to have that experience too.

“When the holidays come around, the kids know the songs and traditions,” says Michael,

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pointing out that it’s not just the academic education Bialik provides, but also the Jewish cultural learnings that are important.

With Nate starting JK this year after being home without the experience of daycare or nursery school, and the isolation of the pandemic, the couple was anxious about the transition. Turns out, his regular exposure to Bialik by accompanying Rachel on school drop-offs and pick-ups for his brothers made it easy. “He just walked in and had the best day ever,” she says.

The Koral family is now fully comfortable at Bialik. The boys are thrilled when they see their two older cousins, who attend at the Himel East facility. And Rachel’s sister, Bethany Baram, works in Admissions at the branch.

Rachel is active in the Himel PTA, where she is focused on paying it forward to other families new to the community. “I want them to feel welcome and make it the best experience.”

A Home away from Israel Bialik provides support and friendship for this Israeli family

WHEN THE GENDLER family travelled to Toronto from Israel in 2021, they planned to enrol sons Oded and Gilad in public school. An ophthalmologist, Shai Gendler is currently completing a twoyear surgical fellowship at the University of Toronto where he is specializing in cornea transplants.

The boys participated in a summer camp at Bialik that helped open the family’s eyes to the possibility of a scholarship that could make the school accessible to Oded and Gilad during their time in Canada.

“Financially, I couldn’t consider private school,” says mom Meital, a dentist and oral medicine specialist who took a leave for the fellowship period. “Other parents encouraged me to research the support available and I saw that we could achieve something that is more suitable for the kids as foreigners here.”

This was particularly beneficial for Gilad, who is now in Grade 1. He had minimal knowledge of the English language, while Oded, in Grade 4, found it easier to adjust.

“The first two months were rough for Gilad; he couldn’t communicate well, but the kids in class were so nice and kept trying,” says Shai. “In two to three months, he came to life, started speaking English and it all fell into place.

They have so many friends now.”

What stands out to Shai and Meital is the communication from Bialik’s teachers, who they describe as very at-

As Shai points out, it’s not just about meeting curriculum or test scores, but about enjoying their learning.

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tentive. They regularly share how the kids are doing and ways that they can continue to excel. As Shai points out, the school is focused on ensuring the kids have a good time. It’s not just about meeting curriculum or test scores, but about enjoying their learning.

“They can find their interests in the school. Even if it’s not in the curriculum, it’s easy to find what they love to do and develop it,” says Meital. For Oded, that’s included coding for LEGO robotics as well as performing in class plays — he loves practising all the songs at home. Shai was reminded of his grandfather’s voice when Oded first spoke Yiddish that he learned as part of Bialik’s language program.

Now the boys are so happy to go to school that Shai is amused when they ask, after they’ve been off for a long weekend or holiday, when they get to go back. As well, both Gilad and Oded continue to make strides in Hebrew to ensure they are on track for their return to Israel.

“We are planning to go back to Israel since it is a two-year contract, but if there’s one thing that makes us sad, it’s to leave Bialik. We are so thankful for the opportunity,” says Meital, adding that the kids say, “We wish we could take the school with us and, if not the school, then the friends.”

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Our Alumni

BRYAN KESHEN’77

A MissionDriven Mensch Values are vital when choosing your school

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hen Bryan Keshen’77 graduated from Bialik, it was one of the last years the school included Grade 9.

He recalls that time as “the early days of the school.

I remember some of the teachers had just come to Toronto from Israel and my parents invited them to Seder or other dinners.” Bialik was intimate and everyone knew each other.

Reflecting back on that time, Bryan believes the Bialik value system was very strong, instilling a respect amongst the students and families. He remains friends with people from his years there and knows that “if I bump into people from school today, I can rely on those from Bialik.”

Helping to develop those relationships was Bryan’s participation in youth movements that he was introduced to at Bialik.

“In the Bialik context, I loved being an activist and was involved in Student Council as Co-President in my graduating year,” says Bryan. “I remember fundraising and selling dried fruits and health foods because we had a teacher who wouldn’t let us sell sweet stuff or junk.” Bryan learned his activism not only at school but also at home. His mother Sandy was a voice for inclusion and advocated for children with learning disabilities, often bringing Bryan along to knock on doors or accompany her to City Hall.

After completing high school at TanenbaumCHAT, interspersed with a year off to attend a leadership development program in Israel, Bryan attended York University. He earned concurrent degrees — a B.A. in Judaic Studies and a B.Ed., which brought him back to Bialik.

“I had a teaching placement for four months and it was a lot of fun,” he says. “But I’m an informal educator, preferring social programming to following a curriculum. I enjoyed allowing kids to explore.”

So Bryan pursued a master’s degree in social work, after which he continued advocacy in a number of roles in the Jewish community. This included his work with the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, and work advising on strategies for schools to expand and develop on the Lebovic Campus in Vaughan, of which Bialik was one.

“To see how Bialik has evolved today, and what they’ve done with the Himel Branch makes me very proud,” he says.

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“It was the only school that seemed likely to succeed at developing a new branch in the newly established community.”

Now, Bryan is the second generation CEO of Reena, a nonprofit that celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Reena provides services to more than 1,000 individuals with developmental disabilities in 36 locations throughout the Greater Toronto Area. One of those locations is on the same campus as the Himel Branch.

“Some of the people who live in our building get to meet the kids during various activities, such as reading buddies, delivering Shabbat challahs or in the garden,” says Bryan. “Students learn to be sensitive to all abilities and accept them.”

Although he’s not teaching at the front of the classroom, Bryan’s work at Reena means he’s shaping what students are learning about the broader community. It’s a mission that is driven by his values Reflecting back and aligns with his Bialik roots. on that time, “You can choose a school based Bryan believes on geography or friendships, but I the Bialik value think if you want a lifelong impact system was very you’ve got to choose based on values,” he says. “Values such as believing strong, instilling a in the potential of each child and respect amongst promoting Jewish peoplehood are imthe students and portant. Bialik is a great place to build families.

Mensches out of people.”

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MADDIE KIRSHENBLATT’05

Tuned In to Talk TV A glamorous gig built on hard work

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hen the school day finished, Maddie Kirshenblatt’05 would run home from school to watch The Oprah Winfrey Show before doing her homework.

“I was an avid TV watcher and fascinated by talk shows,” she says. During Bialik’s annual Learn In program, Maddie would spend the day learning about work in the entertainment industry.

Now living in Los Angeles, Maddie has translated her passion into real life. She has spent the last seven years working in publicity for The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Ellen Digital and Ellen’s prime-time shows, including Game of Games. When the talk show ended this past spring, she moved on to launch The Jennifer Hudson Show in September 2022.

“My role is to create, maintain, and elevate the profile and image of the show,” says Maddie. “I secure and execute interviews for talent and executives and identify the best moments from every episode.”

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‘‘

Bialik gave me a strong foundation for hard work. We juggled a lot in school and it was challenging, but it set me up well for the future.”

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It’s work that Maddie loves, saying it never feels like a job and it’s where she’s made many friends. Despite her hectic career and distance from Toronto, Maddie’s Bialik friendships also continue to this day.

“We’re a very tight-knit group,” she says, adding that some friendships date back to JK. “I think it’s an environment that Bialik fostered. Our experiences outside the classroom, like trips to Quebec City and New York, helped solidify those connections.”

Maddie has also benefitted from the school’s education on core Jewish values and traditions. She continues to celebrate the High Holidays and has occasional Shabbat dinners with friends she has made in LA. “I’ve always thought it’s so impressive that we learned several languages,” she says. “My grandmother was from Poland and spoke Yiddish, so it was very special for me to keep the language alive.”

After graduating from Bialik, Maddie spent a year at TanenbaumCHAT, then switched to The Bishop Strachan School where she could pursue film studies and other creative programs. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Television, Radio and Film from Syracuse University, which offered a career-oriented semester in LA as part of the program.

“I interned at Conan, the late-night talk show. It was so much fun because every day was different, the guests were always different,” she says. She moved to LA after completing her degree, eventually landing with Ellen.

As glamorous as a career in television may seem, it does involve long hours, and Maddie sometimes works late into the night. She thanks Bialik, in some ways, for her ability to manage it all.

“Bialik gave me a strong foundation for hard work. We juggled a lot in school and it was challenging, but it set me up well for the future. I don’t think I’d be where I am today without my Bialik education,” says Maddie. “Every time I travel home, as I drive in from the airport, I pass Bialik and have the best memories. I truly feel a sense of home whenever I drive by.”

Our Alumni

SARA MITCHELL’97

A Mind Focused on the Brain Taking a multidisciplinary approach to brain health

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f you unearthed the time capsule Dr. Sara Mitchell’97 created during her time at Bialik, you’d fi nd she predicted the invention of video phones and the end of sickness.

This early interest in innovation and health has stayed with her.

Now a neurologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Sara is keenly aware of how technology can help improve patient care. In her role as Assistant Professor at University of Toronto’s (UofT) Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Sara teaches all levels of medical students to see how innovation can contribute to quality healthcare, such as using virtual care to suit a patient’s needs.

As a cognitive neurologist, Sara studies cognition and behaviour in the brain, treating complex neurological diseases such as dementia. She has a passion for the brain.

“It defines us. I thought, if I’m going to spend my life trying to understand one thing, it’s going to be the brain,”

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‘‘

I thought, if I’m going to spend my life trying to understand one thing, it’s going to be the brain. No other organ tries to understand itself.”

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says Sara. “No other organ tries to understand itself.”

For Sara, this fascination played out in an atypical route into the medical profession. Despite the long hours she remembers allocating to studying science while at Bialik, she also loved languages.

“My mom is a native Yiddish speaker, so being able to study the language at school and connect with her in that way was special and very unique to Bialik,” says Sara, who was the Yiddish valedictorian of her Grade 8 graduating class.

So she pursued the arts at McGill University, earning an honours degree in psychology with a minor in the philosophy of neuroscience. Sara was captivated by philosopher René Descartes’ theories and the concept of the separation of the brain and the mind.

From there, she decided to return to science and was accepted into McMaster University’s medical school as one of a few students with an arts background. With her medical degree, she continued her journey at UofT towards specialization as a neurologist, then travelled to Boston to complete a fellowship in cognitive behavioural psychiatry and neurobiology at Harvard.

She also completed a master’s degree in public health at Harvard.

The breadth of experiences that people have with neurological illness and the range of specialists that treat them inspired Sara to lead the creation of the Brain Medicine Fellowship at UofT. She started this initiative to help integrate all the different approaches and disciplines of medicine that touch on the brain.

“It gives medical professionals the ability to learn about other specialties related to the brain,” she says, which is important in a healthcare system that can be so siloed.

“The way brain disease can impact an individual’s relationships, view and experience of the external world in such unique ways is fascinating. I learn from each patient I see and from their experience,” says Sara.

While she can now treat patients virtually or check in with her husband and two kids via FaceTime, Sara is committed to achieving her second prediction from her Bialik days — working towards brain health.

ROBBIE WULFSOHN’07

Ripe for the Stage

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ialik alum, Robbie Wulfsohn’07, is living every young musician’s dream as the lead singer and songwriter for the band Ripe. Known for their upbeat alternative-pop funk sound, the band formed over a decade ago while the members were studying in Boston at the renowned Berklee College of Music. The band’s goal? To make dance music that gets people on their feet.

“There’s a tension between studied conservatory musicians trying to make dance rock and trying to make music that gets people moving,” shares Robbie. “Our music tends to be more escapist while still being cathartic. We’re playing those two things off each other and seeing what happens.”

While Robbie’s musical experiences at Bialik were limited to school plays and the choir, he credits Bialik for giving him the tools to explore Judaism and look at the world with critical thinking skills. “Being a student at Bialik with a second education happening alongside the first definitely shaped me,” he shares.

After graduating from Bialik and TanenbaumCHAT, Robbie began his musical collaboration at Berklee College of Music, making friends in his freshman year with musicians who would become his bandmates. Since then, together as Ripe, they have enjoyed steadily rising success, opening for artists like Milky Chance and Jason Mraz. Ripe’s global streams have surged past 65 million, thanks to an ongoing touring schedule, including sets at

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festivals such as Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, and appearing on PBS’s Austin City Limits.

With a recent move from the east coast to Los Angeles, Robbie is gearing up for a nationwide tour to support Ripe’s sophomore album, Bright Blues. The album paired them with new producers who have worked with the likes of household names such as BTS and Olivia Rodrigo, and their single “Settling” has reached the top 15 at Sirius XM Alt Nation. Stops on the tour include storied venues such as The Fillmore in San Francisco, but a highlight Robbie is looking forward to is returning to his hometown of Toronto to play The Danforth Music Hall.

Accolades aside, making it through COVID as a working musician is a feat on its own. “Getting to still be a band ten years later and surviving the pandemic and watching the growth can be considered a big accomplishment,” says Robbie, who also graciously lent his talents to our school’s virtual iHeart Bialik Living Room Concert in May of 2020, during the isolation of the lockdown.

Indeed, making it as a successful working musician, pandemic or not, is cause for celebration. Robbie certainly enjoys proving the early naysayers, who pointed out the unlikelihood of music as a profession, wrong. “A music career can happen for someone who goes to Bialik,” says Robbie. “Don’t be afraid if it’s what feels right; lean into that and do the thing that feels the most correct.”

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ASTRIDA VALIGORSKY/GETTY IMAGES

This Bialik chart-topping grad will get you on your feet

Our Alumni

Simchas and Stories

Hearing all the Nachat our alumni are enjoying since graduation brings us great joy. Mazal Tov to all our alumni who have celebrated their weddings and the arrival of new babies. If you have news to share, please update us by emailing advancement@bialik.ca.

WEDDINGS

Jessica Danilewitz’06 and Daniel Wise

Madison and Daniel Bronfman’06

Jason Wolfe’04 and Alexa Kady

Josh Sonshine’06 and Rachel Benitah

Noah Epstein’06 and Marine Blondiaux

Ace Mason Tanz Howard Parents Josh Howard’02 and Tiffany Tanz Howard

Preston James Cowley Parents Ben Cowley’04 and Jordyn Cowley

Cole Miles Cohen Parents Josh Cohen and Gillian Blustein’05

Dylan Brody Friedlich Parents Josh and Raquel (Walman) Friedlich’04

Jude Pierce Bitran Parents Courtney Conway’02 and Jonathan Bitran

June Sable Cooper Parents Zac Cooper’04 and Allie Alvarado

Micah Brody Brickman Parents Laura and Zane Brickman’05

Romy Hazel Goldberg Parents Alix Gropper’05 and Adam Goldberg

Scottie Monroe Lastman Parents Nicole and Cory Lastman’04

Wesley Miles Farber Parents Sloan Baron’05 and Aaron Farber

BABIES

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Our Community

‘‘

We don’t speak Hebrew well, but the fact that our children can learn it, sing songs at home and are excited about school performances, is wonderful.”

Setting the Right Example Taking an active role in the community helps create meaningful connection GROWING UP IN Calgary, Stephen Libin learned two key ideas: the value of attending a Jewish day school and the importance of being active and contributing to the community.

“My parents were heavily involved in the Jewish community growing up and so volunteering and engagement were always around me as a kid,” says Stephen, a litigation partner at Dutton Brock LLP in Toronto. “When we joined Bialik, I got involved pretty quickly.”

It’s been nearly six years that Stephen has been participating on the Board or in committee work at the school, where his sons, Dean (Grade 6), Warren (Grade 3), and Joey (SK), attend the Viewmount Branch. Most recently, he’s chaired the Board’s Governance Committee. He finds it rewarding for the community connection, as well as for the practicalities of supporting his family’s biggest investment. Giving back to Bialik reinforces the larger school community as well as the education it provides to his sons.

For Stephen’s wife Robyn, who is a tax accountant, the decision to enrol Dean for JK in 2015 was made based on the school’s values. A positive school tour helped them see the culture and community that their children

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would be exposed to, and now all three boys are loving Bialik.

“They are excelling,” says Robyn. “We don’t speak Hebrew well, but the fact that our children can learn it, sing songs at home and are excited about school performances, is wonderful.”

It was Bialik’s strong emphasis on teaching about Jewish culture and history that they sought.

While the Libin children benefit from being part of the Bialik community, each of the boys is also provided an appropriate level of challenge to develop academically and socially in their own unique way.

“There are so many areas within the school where they love learning and want to show us,” says Robyn, who recently toured the new Viewmount Discovery Den. Warren is particularly excited about the STEM Learning Commons, where he’s learning about hydroponics and growing plants.

Stephen says the whole family has a lot of pride in being part of the Bialik community. Whether it’s the boys representing the school in Caribou math contests or at a cross-country meet, or Robyn seeing teachers, students and other families looking out for one another at school drop-offs and pick-ups, he describes the community as very caring. Likewise, Stephen cares about what he’s teaching his sons.

“One reason I got involved on the Board is what I call ‘leadership by example’,” he says. “If I take these active roles in the community similar to the way my parents did, I teach the kids through my actions.”

Robyn adds that they also see this concept play out in the school. “With Dean in Senior Division now, he’s quite busy. He has lots of presentations and tests, and he has learned to get involved and advocate for himself. We feel the whole Bialik community wants success for all the kids.”

Our Community

‘A Bialik Straight’ is a Winner for this Family A close-knit family’s commitment to Bialik

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WHEN FARA AND EFREM Mandelcorn chose Bialik for their eldest daughter, Abby, over 12 years ago, they didn’t realize the family trend they were about to set in motion.

Abby flourished at Bialik and graduated as one of the 2021 valedictorians. Her positive experiences, academic success, and commitment to Bialik’s Jewish values inspired several family members to follow in her footsteps. Brother Zach entered the school two years later. Next came cousin Reese (daughter of Jessica and Sammy Redlick), followed by Abby’s brother Jacob, then cousin Jack (Reese’s brother), and fi nally another

cousin, Julian (son of Robyn Waxman and Harley Redlick).

Although familial connections are nothing new at Bialik, these five siblings and cousins form a unique chain.

They’re now in Grades 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 — a Bialik straight if you’re a poker player!

The family’s trendsetters, Fara and Efrem, did a lot of research into Jewish day schools before picking Bialik. “We chose Bialik based on the fact that we were so impressed with the initial orientation and curriculum outline,”

recalls Fara. “My siblings saw how happy our children were in the early years and wanted the cousins to be together, so they put their faith in Bialik too.”

Still, Sammy and Jessica did their due diligence before committing Reese and Jack to the Bialik community. And they’re not disappointed with their decision. “The teachers, the administration and all of the staff are really positive, warm and caring towards the kids — they go above and beyond,” says Sammy. “And the kids have made some great friendships.” Likewise, the adults have forged good friendships and share common values with other parents.

When it came time for the youngest family member, Julian, to attend JK, the positive experience of his older cousins was key. Now in Grade 4, “Julian absolutely loves Bialik and I love that he loves it,” says Robyn.

The cousins — minus Abby, who’s in Grade 10 at TanenbaumCHAT — “adore seeing each other at school every day,” says Fara. “They play together at recess, high five each other in the hallways, and often have after-school playdates.”

Zach and Reese, currently in the Senior Division, enjoy being role models and leaders for not only their younger siblings and cousins but for the whole student body.

And Jacob, Jack and Julian — the “J boys,” as the family calls them — dream of being together on a Bialik Bears sports team someday.

“My favourite part about Bialik is that Julian gets to go to school with his five older cousins,” says his dad, Harley.

“It’s made the cousins a lot closer,” says Jessica of the school ties. “They talk about school all the time — their teachers and the funny things that happen at recess — and the older ones will even help the younger ones with homework.”

That closeness permeates the adult relationships as well. “We were a closeknit family anyway, but we’re all closer because we’re part of the Bialik community,” says Fara.

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‘‘

Bialik does a very good job of making the entire family feel inspired and part of the community.”

“Bialik does a very good job of making the entire family feel inspired and part of the community,” says Efrem.

“This even extends to the grandparent level — all grandparents get invited into the school for special programs, Yiddish nights and ceremonies.”

The family is so satisfied with their experience, that they’re among Bialik’s committed volunteers and donors.

For example, Fara and Jessica began their involvement as Grade Parents, and then moved on to serve on the PTA Executive for two years. They’re currently in their second year as Co-Chairs of the Day of Giving at Viewmount, serving as school ambassadors and bringing in volunteers and donors for the Day of Giving.

“I enjoy giving back to the school and it models the importance of goodness for our children — it’s important to lead by example,” says Fara. “Hopefully, they will follow and participate in leadership or community volunteer opportunities.” Adds Jessica, “There’s such a nice sense of community in being involved.”

While it’s obvious that being at school every day together has made the cousins closer, it has also brought the whole family together. They all agree that they are proud to be part of the Bialik family for 12 consecutive years and counting.

Our Community

‘‘

I want to see Jewish education thrive and the school continue to grow and prosper and be accessible to more Jewish families.”

Campaigning for a Strong Jewish Community Volunteering to foster a sense of belonging

LAUREN AND MARK Greenbaum met in high school at TanenbaumCHAT. Both graduates of Jewish day schools, when they married and had kids, they knew they wanted their children to experience that too.

“When I was growing up at CHAT, I saw that the kids who came from Bialik were really well prepped. They excelled in both Jewish and secular studies,” says Lauren. This memory supported the family’s decision to move their eldest son, Jamie, to Bialik in Grade 1, once the Greenbaums had settled in Vaughan.

Not only was the school’s Himel Branch close to home, but it also meant Jamie could have friends in the neighbourhood.

Now in Grade 5, Jamie is very happy at Bialik and has been joined by younger brothers Cole and Harley, who are in Grade 2 and JK, respectively.

Lauren already sees that Bialik has provided a strong foundation for her boys who have a good understanding of Israel and Jewish culture and traditions.

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This was evident during a family trip to Israel in which her sons could speak to Israelis in Hebrew despite there being no fi rst-language Hebrew speakers at home.

So Lauren gladly joined the Annual Campaign last year as Co-Chair. As a teacher herself, Lauren can help the children with their academics, but found this opportunity allowed her to understand the broader Bialik community.

“I really value the education that Bialik is delivering, and now I can support the school’s ability to provide more for our kids. Bialik just excels in their programming. I want to see Jewish education thrive and the school continue to grow and prosper and be accessible to more Jewish families,” she says.

This year, Lauren continues her participation in the role of Co-Chair of Himel’s Annual Campaign, which complements the overall committee by bringing together families to address the needs specific to the Himel community.

“We continue to meet this year to engage families, especially after COVID when families couldn’t come into the building,” she says.

“We’re working to foster a sense of belonging and bring additional resources and funds to the school.”

And those connections are part of what drives Lauren, who describes the volunteer work as an enjoyable experience that is well-supported by the school. She gets to meet more parents and reconnect with people she went to school with or who live in the neighbourhood.

“It’s social and rewarding to invest in the community this way,” Lauren says. “It’s small work that can make a big difference towards enriching the educational experience for our kids.”

: Community Events : Maintaining a sense of unity and providing opportunities to gather, albeit virtually, during the pandemic have been central to Bialik’s communitybuilding mission. While we still could not get together in-person for the first half of 2022, Bialik relied on what it knows best — education — to bring our families together.

Grandparent Holocaust Education Series OUR TREASURED BIALIK grandparents are an important part of our community. With in-person Grandparents and Special Friends Days off the table due to the pandemic, we found ways to stay connected through Zoom events. One such initiative that was a particular highlight was our first-ever Grandparents Education Series: Rising Above Hate.

The four-part series was held in partnership with Yad Vashem in Canada and Israel, addressing issues of the Holocaust and antisemitism as discussed through the lens of art, music and film. Each stimulating session was led by museum scholars and educators, bringing our grandparents together to learn about different aspects of the Shoah.

“To hear and to learn of the suffering of the elders and of these young talented artists is just heartbreaking. Viewing all the drawings they left behind is to never forget,” shared one participant after the session on art.

Parent Speaker Panel on Food and Eating AS PART OF our aim to “teach the whole child,” our administration and staff have been reflecting on our language and practices around food and eating in the classroom. To include our families in this conversation, we hosted an insightful online panel discussion with Dr. Michele Foster and Dr. Nina Mafrici, clinical psychologists and co-directors of Toronto Psychology & Wellness Group (TPWG) and Samantha Goren, Registered Dietitian at TPWG and a Bialik parent.

“I have had more conversations with parents about food, healthy eating and body image than you might imagine,” says Viewmount Branch Principal Jake Gallinger. “We were eager to support our families with an expert panel to answer their questions.” Our experts spoke to how to cultivate healthy body image and a positive relationship to food within the home. They also shared ways to prevent disordered eating and healthy communication strategies pertaining to food and the body. We look forward to continuing these conversations with our parents and supporting our families in navigating this important subject.

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“Before the Transport” by Bedrich Fritta, 1942, one of a number of artworks shown during the lecture “Art in the Holocaust” © Thomas Fritta-Haas, permanent loan to the Jewish Museum Berlin, photo: Jens Ziehe

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Our Generous Donors

The Impact of Your Philanthropy Thank you to our wonderful commUNITY for generously supporting Bialik this past year.

You’ve come together to make an impact on our school and our students — and truly shown that Your Heart Beats Bialik Blue.

The donors listed here have given generously towards the Annual Campaign, including the Day of Giving, the Capital Campaign and our Bialik Endowment and we are grateful for your committed support.

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Our Generous Donors Donations received from July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022

All lists have been checked for accuracy but errors may have occurred. If you have not been appropriately recognized, please email the Advancement Department, advancement@bialik.ca.

Anonymous (69) The Felicia and Arnold Aaron Foundation Yoel and Karen Abells Benjamin Abramov and Shari Golberg Audrey Abrams Sarah Abrams Keren and Eitan Abu Ronit and Ofer Agid Becky and Davit Akman Mark Alexander and Rachel Yeager Adam Allett Asaf Aloni and Nofar Hen Eli Alter and Jessica Fenton and Family Mark and Susanne Alter Seth and Michele Alter Jillian Altman Yoel and Galit Altman David Altshuller and Rebecca Cash Elaine Altshuller Dana Amar Irit Amar Eitan Amir and Adi Shvalbe Tomer Amir and Renee Ender-Amir Eti Amouyal Merav Anafi Mark and Karen Anhang Vivian Anhang Gerry Anklewicz Karen and Daniel Antchipalovski Rosalie and Brian Antman Mark Appelby and Kori Levitt Lawrence and Michelle Apple Adam and Lindsay Applebaum Alan and Rona Applebaum Michael and Zena Applebaum Jeffrey Appleby and Shayna Rosenbaum Michelle and Allen Aptekar Stephanie and Israel Apter Audrey and Dean Aronovici Ronnie and Debra Aronson and Family Susan and Dan Aroosi Karen Assaraf Galit and Amit Aviran Gadi Avishai and Yvonne Karijo Brian and Candice Bacal Norman and Sharon Bacal Phil and Deborah Bacal Sandra Bain Sherri and Michael Baker Cory Balboul and Jaime Shedletsky Elliot Balboul and Rachel Goldgut Alanna and Shmuel Balilty

Shirley Breido Marlene Brickman Ilene and Alex Bronsteter Allon and Pnina Bross Sandra and Melvin Brown Tammy and Paul Brown Matthew Buchalter and Robin Mandel-Buchalter Lorne Burger and Ashley Faust Georganne Burke Jay Burke Robert and Marilyn Burke Michelle and Mitch Burko Megan Candib Elana Caplan Lauren Caplan Ruth Cappel Terri and Jonathan Carr Jordan Carr and Stacey Silverstone-Carr Giacomo Cascone and Tiki Madar Aaron Cash and Erin Klinghoffer Barry Cayen and Dara Maker Central Canada Mortgage Solutions Bayla and Leo Chaikof Idit and Igor Chouminov John Cleworth and Yvette Mondesir Arnold and Joy Closner Ariel and Marianne Cohen Benjamin Cohen and Jane Rimmer Jack and Ruth Cohen Joanne Cohen Josh Cohen Justin Cohen and Alana Firestone Laurel Cohen David Cohen-Olivenstein Oz and Yael Cohen Shay Cohen and Meirav Cohen Sigal Cohen Avi and Leora Cole Bruce and Shayla Cole Michael and Josephine Cole Mihael and Simone Cole Abigail Colucci Matthew Connors Iain and Merav Cooper Sydney and Florence Cooper Foundation Ilana Coristine Laura Crangle Lior Cyngiser and Ilana Gould Lynne and George Czutrin Jeremy Dacks and Ali Taradash-Dacks Sally and Elliott Dale Alisa and Robert Daly Lauren and Craig Damelin Galit and Liron Daniels Debra and Larry Danilewitz Raphael and Andrea Danon Michal and Benny Daskalo Rebecca Davids Arnold and Naomi Davidson Miri and Jesse Davidson

Tammy and Jerry Balitsky Alex Ball and Suzan Kerner Fallah Bank Henry and Barbara Bank Shirley and Assaf Bar-menachem Bethany and Neve Baram Betty and Antonio Barbuzzi Adi Barel Henry Barkin Alex Barnes Nicole and Dale Barrett Yulia and Georgy Barsky Jeremy and Leah Baruch Michael and Tammy Baruch Shelby Baum Todd Beallor and Catherine Weinberg David and Lauren Becker Harold and Rene Becker Philip and Maxine Becker Samara and Brandon Bell Ilana and Bram Belzberg Michael Benadiba and Regan Tessis Sol and David Benaim Samuel Benchitrit and Sharon Telem Richard Bennett and Lisa Lipkin Bennett Alan and Jennifer Bensky Gary Bensky Jack Benzacar and Andrea Somers Maurice and Elise Benzacar David and Eileen Berger Gord and Ruth Berger Jonathon Berger and Ariella Shachar Steven and Deborah Bergson Chaia Berkowitz Joe and Roza Berkowitz Ana Berman Howard Berman and Joy Benatar Roy Bernhard and Caroline Cohen Debbie and Trevor Berns Michael and Liora Betsalel Bialik PTA, Himel Bialik PTA, Viewmount Bialik Social and Gift Fund Donald and Cookie Biback Samuel and Deena Biback Marsha Bielak Special Education Endowment Fund Robert and Gloria Bielak Ronny and Roy Birnboim Ella Bisher Leon Bloom and Bernita Young Myra and Steven Blustein John Bohnen and Anne Matlow Richard Borchiver and Elaine Naiberg Borchiver Marlene and Andy Borins Shauna and Jeremy Bornstein Abby and Howard Brass Kari and Andrew Bratt Candice and Mark Braun Jonathan and Naomi Breido

KOL BIALIK

29

WINTER 2023

Carolyn and Larry Davidson Marnie and Steven Davidson Martin Day and Martina Borchardt Gayle and Brian de Bloeme Eitan and Daniela Dehtiar Jason Delima and Ronit Goldsmith Howard and Mirah Detsky Sivanne and Jay Detsky Jaimee Diamond Jeremy Diamond and Sandra Zisckind Robyn and Stephen Diamond Susan Dick Marcus Dickler and Jaimie Kudlats Berta Dilouya Michal Dinary Jennifer Dolman Stefanie and Michael Dorfman Lana and Sheldon Dorfman Anna and Vadim Dreyzin Naomi and Mark Driman Aaron Drucker and Nicole Kozloff Daniel Drucker and Cheryl Rosen Joshua Drury Marvin and Miriam Dryer Lauren and Philip Duchen Sharon Dugdale Marcia and Bruce Earhard Sean Earhard and Brandie Hamm Anita and Fred Eckhaus Silvia and Ron Eilath Sherice and Arthur Eisenbaum Sean Eisenbaum and Amanda Dale Sam and Erin Elfassy Cheryl and Elliott Ellison Bruce and Nancy Elman David and Laura Elman Hilda Emberley Jonathan Ender and Sari Sadofsky David and Judy Engel Chuck English Diane and Ron Ennis Carl and Estelle Epstein Tina and Adam Erlich Martin and Krista Esken Danielle and Philip Faibish Stefanie Fallis Suzanne and Matthew Farb Peter Farkas Amy Feferman Michelle and Andrew Feifer Jay and Marni Feingold Barbara Feitosa Phil and Rochelle Feldberg Special Education Endowment Fund Saul and Toby Feldberg Special Education Endowment Fund Alisa and Michael Feldbloom Diane and Ra’anan Feldman Shane and Laci Fenton Karen Fenwick Annette and Lawrence Filler

Our Generous Donors

Benjamin Fine and Ronit Ossip-Fine Adam Fineman and Beth Title Adam Finkelman Molly and Henry Finkelstein Jamie and Michael Finkelstein Richard and Caren Finkelstein Sheldon and Norma Finkelstein Amnon Fisch and Roxanne Shiell Daniel Flatt and Dorit Smali-Flatt Raizi and George Fleischmann Fund Martha Fleury Michael and Sandra Florence Lally and Mel Fogel Allan Fogul and Julie Zimmerman Harry and Elaine Fogul Anita and Desmond Fonn Shauna and Robert Fonn Forest Hill Orthodontics Eric and Cheryl Foster Garry and Joanne Foster Carly and Seth Foucault Elisa and Jamie Fox Matthew and Sara Fox Ruth Frackson Michael Frankel and Irene Bass Stacey and Steven Frankel Samantha and Jonathan Freedland Johanna and Brad Freelan Jonathan Freeman and Cyrelle Muskat Steven Freiman Richard Fridman and Aviva Lowe Raquel and Josh Friedlich Alan and Michelle Friedman Earle and Phyllis Friedman Evgeny Friedman and Olga Zingerman Karin and Alex Friedmann Sari and Stephen Friedman Dani Frodis Michelle and Joshua Frost

Lori and Arnan Goldenberg Shira and Kyle Goldenberg Shelley Goldenberg Steven and Marsha Goldenberg Harry and Gayle Goldgut Richard and Jennifer Goldhar Barry and Karen Goldlist Rikki Bennie and Jared Goldlust Lynda Goldlust Tamara Goldman Tara Goldman Miriam and Abraham Goldsmith Allan Goldstein and Michelle Glied-Goldstein Jodi and David Goldstein Anette and Larry Goldstein Carol and Lorne Goldstein Ellen and Norman Goldstein Ron Goldstein and Renee Flamenbaum Aily Goodis David Goodman and Jessica Waks Pamela Goodman Val Gorbatyuk Special Education Endowment Fund Anna Gordon Gloria and Jacob Gordon Noah Gordon and Michelle Burger Roni Gordon and Syndie Singer Anita and Jack Goren Ilana and Aaron Graben Peter and Hazel Graben Henry and Helen Grad Jeff and Jordana Grad Iris and David Grant Justin and Jordana Grant Louis and Shirley Greenbaum Lauren and Mark Greenbaum Roslynne and Harry Greenberg Michael Greenberg and Debbie Miskin Natalie and Neil Greenberg Rachael and Robert Greenberg Daniel Green and Amanda Kushnir Karen and Eric Green Jason and Sarah Greenspan Ira and Shelley Greenspoon Jay Greenspoon and Janice Bacher Todd and Hayley Greenspoon Joey and Cliff Grevler Adar Grinbaum and Rachel Bloch Avraham and Noga Grinberg Special Education Endowment Fund Bella and Alexander Groisman Bernie Gropper and Elise Stern Gropper Jordanne and Adam Grossman Robert Grossman Sharon Grossman Stanley Grossman David Gurau and Rebecca Rockman Heather Gutmann Ellie and George Guttman James Guttman and Nicole Shievitz-Guttman Sandra Haberman Haim and Jacqueline Habsha Sarray Hadad Aussi Hagshi and Pamela Greenspoon-Hagshi Shelby and Ben Halberstadt

Shael Fryer and Danielle Lurie Jaime and Susan Furman Alec and Sienna Fux Carrie and Stephen Gaines Debbi and Steven Gallen Jake Gallinger Marsha Gallinger Arunachalam Ganashing Carly Garfinkel Sarit Gazman Carole and Howard Gelfand Vladislav and Heli Gelfand Erica Geller Bryan Gelman and Rebecca Farkas Sari Gerskup Karen and Abe Gerstein Ryan and Naomi Gerstel Sharon and David Gerwitz Jon and Sari Gerwitz Eleanor and George Getzler Yvonne Gilinsky David Gladstone and Gillian Kirsh Jonathan and Janice Gladstone Joan and Richard Gladstone Hava Glick Jordan Glick and Faye Kravetz Leora Glick Nadia and Matthew Glick The Lillian and Norman Glowinsky Family Foundation Alexander Gluzman and Elena Garderman Adrienne and Scott Gmora The Golberg Reid Family Celia and Leonard Golberg Norman and Linda Gold Jeff and Leah Goldband Adam Goldberg and Alix Gropper Linda Golden

KOL BIALIK

30

WINTER 2023

Lori and Alon Halbrich Willie and Mary Anne Handler Samara Hanick Brendan Hanna and Fern Matlin Shana and Jonathan Harris Lauren Hartman Nicholas and Rina Hartmann Michael and Dani Hazan Frank Hechter Michael and May Helberg Brian Heller and Beverly Kupfert Judy and Douglas Hendler Janet and Paul Hennick Renee and Mitch Henry Marilyn Herbert Ryan Herblum and Chelsea Kaplansky Agnes Herczeg Sharon Herman Mel and Elaine Hershenfield Stewart Hershenfield and Marla Engelberg Michael Hershorn and Rebecca Richman Jessica and Robert Herzig Shainey Himal Irving Himel Itche Himel Fund Mel and Pamela Himel Rafael and Raquel Hirsch Adam and Laura Hirsh Celia and Allen Hirsh David Holland and Ilana Zeidel Sam and Sonya Holtzman Allan Horenfeldt and Galla Erenberg Frances Houle Rebekah Houpt Brooke Huang-Edrey Yael Hubert Gershon and Heather Hurwen Moshe Ifergan and Yvonne Liu Linda Ingber Joanna Winter and Darren Inspektor Hanna Isaac Noah Ivers and Ilana Halperin Sharyn and Ellis Jacob Michael Shedletsky and Lauren Jacob Victor and Ella Jacobs Brittni Jacobson Paul Jacobson and Elaine Asselin Glynis and Jack Jerusalim Shawn and Jessica Jerusalim Ora Kagan Shahar Kalininsky and Ariela Levy David and Sandy Kaminker Shayne Kane and Tatyana Slavny Stephanie and Evan Karasick Reesa and Adam Karch Howie and Rose Kardish Lisa and Joey Kardish Aaron Kasman Steven Kastner and Alana Vertlieb Michael Katchen and Nikki Goldberg Cindy and Allan Katchky Ryan Katchky and Alison Kliman Vadim Kats and Risa Revin Judith and Arnold Katz Ian and Bonny Katz Dani and Jason Katz Adrienne and Oren Katz

Key Numbers 2021–22 Total Giving

$1,884,254

Number of Annual Campaign donors

1,020

Day of Giving

$244, 522

Number of Annual Campaign donations

1,477 Annual Campaign

$843,762 First-time unique donors Endowment

$793,630 Facilities Enhancements / Capital Campaign

$2,340

Melanie and Stephen Katz Stewart Katz and Liz Pearl Renee and Jesse Kaufman Joshua Kaufman and Daniella Saguy Michael and Alisa Kaufman Sherry Kaufman Andrew Kay Denise Kay David and Avital Kellerstein Gayle Kepecs Adam Kerbel and Avi Zucker Michael and Rachel Kerbel Elaad Keren and Karyn Dickler Ritika Khanna Ricki Kigel Jeffrey and Brie Kimel Alana and Aaron Kirsch Don Kirsh Norma and Ernest Kirsh Stacey and Michael Kirshenbaum Kiera and Benjamin Kirshenblatt Perri and Elliot Kirshenblatt Barbara and Ricky Kirshenblatt Jaclyn and Jamie Klayman Lisa and David Klein Les Klein and Toby Rose Ali and Marc Klerer Sharon and Amnon Klinghoffer Donna and Gerry Koffman Kimberley and Daniel Kofman Marty Kofman and Sherry Cohen Joy and David Kohn Melissa and Rolan Koifman Inna Koldorf Jennifer and David Komlos

Average Annual Campaign Gift

$413

Sara and Hartley Lefton Matthew Leibowitz and Gillian Lindzon Benyamin Lenchner Steven Leonoff and Deborah Miller Adam and Jamie Lepofsky Brittany Lepofsky Alan Lerman and Sharon Cohen Gregory Levey Ron Levi and Ronit Dinovitzer Shelley and Corey Levin Eric and Lana Levin Shelley and Aubrey Levine Lois and Ivan Levine Robert and Amanda Levine Schuyler Levine and Jill Greenspoon Lydia Levin Nisan Levin and Natalia Mizerniuk Ruth Levin Benjamin Levy and Danielle Zucker Gilad Levy and Carmela Serebryany Michael Levy Ashira and Rob Levy Shaun and Delia Levy Gregory Lewis and Adina Hoppe Joanna Lewis The Libin Family in Memory of Beryl Libin Stephen and Robyn Libin Emma and Howard Lieberman Mark and Naomi Lieberman Carla and Michael Lieberman Adele and Stanley Lieberman Ronald and Lora Lindzon Fabiana Lipka Inessa Lipkin

Judith and Peter Komlos Rachel and Michael Koral Smadar and Shelley Koral Nella Koren Katy and Clifford Korman Milly and Cliff Korzinstone Neil Kozloff and Susan Himel Justin and Melissa Kramer and Family Felix Kreichman and Lauren Nightingale Simon and Ruby Kreindler Joyce and Harvey Kreisman Sidney Kremer and Zoe Mandel Alex Krieger Loren and Susan Kruger Jayme and Remi Kruger Jessica Kudlats Elaine and Barry Kuretzky Josh Kuretzky and Andra Schwartz Jeremy Kushner and Shoshana Mezelski-Kushner Nati Kushner Gayle and Alf Kwinter Jordan Lack and Tamar Kopel Ladovsky Family/United Bakers Fund Henry and Miriam Lamasz Simone Landau Lenore and Gidon Lanel Corrine and Gavin Lange Lorraine Langer David and Joy Lanys Amanda and Jonathan Lapidus Elior and Lenor Lasry Liz and Ivan Lavine Miriam and Steven Leder Mara and Eli Lederman

KOL BIALIK

134

31

WINTER 2023

Rene and Allan Lipman Naomi and Hertzel Lipner Chloe Lipson LKG Inc. Baila and Marvyn Lubek Vicki and Bruce Lubell Ilana Lubetsky Mark and Eva Madras Jill Magen-Lichtblau Cherie and Mark Mager Fara and Efrem Mandelcorn Mark and Berenice Mandelcorn Marie Mandel Robert and Marlene Mandel Gabi and Ori Mandowsky David and Melissa Mann Molly and Harry Mann Guy Mannheim and Ilit Aharonson-Mannheim Rani and Lisa Mann Yehuda and Liliana Mann Angelo Marchini and Melissa Gerwitz Kerri and Eric Margel Joanna Margolese Helen and Alan Mark Market Next Inc. Sid Markowski and Carol Garson Mark and Leslie Marmer Gail Maron Eva Marx Roseanne Mason Robert Mastromatteo and Michelle Garber and Family Ilana and Lev Mazur Hila and David Meisels

Our Generous Donors

Doron Melnick and Shana Haberman Rivka and Elijah Melnick Suzette and Keith Meloff Sonya and Rich Meloff Jacob Melzer and Dafna Jalon Yasmine Merri Lisa and Daniel Metrikin Cindy and David Metrikin Alexandre and Yana Michel Allie Middlestadt Daniela and Jordan Milchman Michelle and Jack Milner Harlan and Whitney Miltchin Laura Mincer Ted Minden Alisa and Mickey Mingov Lynne and Michael Mitchell Suzanne and Aaron Mocon Rebecca and Andrew Moffs Paul and Louisa Morris Jason Morrow and Barb Nachman Stephen Mortfield and Donna Edelstein Kevin and Melissa Moshal Lawrence Moskovic and Lisa Brownstein Stewart Moskovitch and Janie Goldstein Amanda and Adam Moskowitz Brian Moskowitz and Jennifer Pearlman Sheila and Alan Mostyn Ronni Mozeg Shawna Mucher Steven Muchnik Saul and Susan Muskat Na’amat Canada Judy and Jerry Naiberg Matthew and Blair Naiberg Thomas and Grace Newman Special Education Endowment Fund

Isobel and Stephen Propst Dean Rabie and Michelle Jacobson Ralph Rabinowicz Brian and Adi Rakowski Elaine and Harry Rakowski Suzanne Rapoport Shan Rasul Harlan Redlick and Robyn Waxman Bev and Reuben Redlick Jessica and Sammy Redlick Tal Regev Jeremy Rezmovitz and Ellie Richmond Danny Richmond Leslie and Darren Richmond Mary and Les Richmond Samantha Richmond Jack Ritter Jonathan Ritter and Jill Spigelman Ritter Lauren and Paul Rivietz Eric Riz and Nina Rothman Rochelle Robbins Jonathan Robinson and Aviva Dworkind Leah and Steven Rodin Ruth Rohn Rachel and Jay Rolnick Mark and Alyssa Rolnick Mitchell Rose and Natalie Pancer Cory and Nicole Rosen Robyn Rosen Codas Malka and Harry Rosenbaum Deanna and Michael Rosenswig Chris and Joel Rosenthal Richard Roskies and Jessica Wertman Caryl and David Rosman Judi and Bobby Ross Debbi and Ted Ross Lauren Rotenberg

Mark and Sheryl Nightingale Shane Nightingale Aaron and Arlene Nisker Jason and Clare Nisker Matthew and Alex Nisker Betty Niznik Jaclyn and Roey Nofech-Mozes Leah and David Noon Johanna and Warren Novis Ilana Onel Octavia and Ely Oosterhuis Leslie and Nir Orbach Mori and Nimrod Oren Warren Orlans and Naomi Epstein Aaron and Jackie Orzech Gary and Fern Orzech Mary Orzech Naomi and Neil Orzech Marc Ossip and Bonnie O’Hayon Isaac and Claire Oziel Adrienne and Ben Pacht Cindy and David Pacht Lynnda and Jeff Pancer Linda and Scott Paris Eddy and Deanna Peranson Einav Peretz Iris Perlman Yael and Paul Perlon Nataly and Daniel Pesin Jassy and Patrick Philosophe Romy and Jeremy Pilarski Philip Plotnick and Bonnie Zelman Samantha Politzer Ron and Carolyn Polster Mordechai and Orly Porat Posner Metals Limited Joanna and Morton Prager

KOL BIALIK

32

WINTER 2023

Oshrat Rotenberg Sherryn and Paul Roth Danny and Sheila Rother Sharon and Richard Rotzang Gerry and Sonia Rowan Noa Rozenblit Inna and David Rubenstein Bernard Rubin Bruce Rubin and Steve Hummel Karen and Daniel Rubin David and Sheryl Rubin Jonas and Lauren Rubinoff Lloyd and Ellen Rubinoff Sari and Warren Rudick Susan and Stephen Rudin Marlene and Joey Sadofsky Alla Sagalov Melita and Eyal Sager Lisa and Mark Sager Jonathan Saguy and Lesley Glowinsky Saguy Andre and Rhoda Salama Frank and Irene Salomon Gary Salomon and Lisa Katz Mark Salsberg and Elisa Cogan Beverley and Stan Salsberg Simona and Jaime Salter Mark Satok Elan and Lynne Satov Betsy and Dan Sauder Robert Saunders and Barbara Grossman Alana and Michael Saxe Joel and Renee Schachter Mara and Robbie Schachter Gideon Schapiro and Natalie Ayers Honey Schein Jennifer and Noah Schein Mary and Louis Scheinman David Schlesinger and Lindsey Title Anne and Jack Schneiderman Judith and Akiva Schreier Adam Schwartz and Joanna Richler Carolyn and Bernie Schwartz Rhonda and Mel Schwartz Michael Schwartz Susan Schwartzman Mina and Charles Schwarz Jodi Schwarz Marlene and Alan Schweid Anne-Marie and Gerry Seetner Allison and Matthew Segal Russel Segal and Romy Saibil Zindel Segal and Lisa Morrison Lisa and Michael Seidman Evan and Marnie Selby Stephen Selznick Melanie and Darren Senensky Boris and Rita Serebryany Aner and Esther Shachar Michal Shahak and Shlomit Broder Varda and Shlomo Shalev Sarah and Andrew Shalit Leonard Shalit Erin Shapiro Susan and Mark Shapiro Andrea Sharvit Michael Shaw Janice and Phil Shedletsky

Alvin Sher and Sharon Wrock Evelyn and Shelley Sherkey Rachel Sherman Samantha Sherman David and Francine Shields Daniel Shiff and Dana David Bryan Shore Joanna and Jeffrey Shore Murray and Clara Shore Special Education Endowment Fund Judith Shostack Sonia and Van Shron Rhona and Ken Shulman Marvin Shumacher Marilyn and Michael Shupak Laura and Ryan Shupak Isaac and Rivka Shvalbe Matthew and Natalie Sidon Siegel Executive Search Solutions Inc. Brahm Siegel and Paula Feig Ellen and Michael Siegel Sheila and Sam Sieradzki David and Joanne Silber Jay Silber and Mara Cole Amanda Silver Larry Silverberg and Judi Gottlieb Evan Silver and Jennifer Shein Sheldon and Carol Silver Linda and Neil Silvert Miriam Simhon Rebecca and Jay Singer Jonathan and Adina Singer Kali Singer Murray and Cathy Singer Adam and Alanna Sklar Niv Slama and Anat Davidzon Harvey Sliwowicz and Erika Krausz Aron and Zina Smali Debbie and Lorne Small

Darien Sussman and Carrie Betel Lillia and Oren Swissa Shoshana and Michael Taitz Jodi and Eitan Tanentzap Maureen and Bernie Tanz Elisha and Irit Targonsky Estelle Tastasa Patti and Brahm Taveroff Stan and Marilyn Teitelbaum Michal and Doron Telem Miriam and Ehud Telem Errol Tenenbaum and Nicole Salama Tenenbaum Michael Tenenbaum Estee Teperman Amanda and Avi Tesciuba Dorothy Tessis Aidan Thompson and Candice Levy Thompson Cara and Jonathan Tkatch Janice and Murray Tkatch Jodi and Ryan Tkatch Michael and Judy Tock Shawn Tock and Joanna Grossman Karin and Daniel Toledano Victor z”l and Renee Topper Family Fund Torkin Manes LLP The Tropepe Bernhard Family Tybie Trossman Shirley and David Tsivian Nurit and Zeev Tuch Joseph and Judith Turkel The Tylman Family Albina Unger Ryan Unruch and Jessica Smuskowitz Marsha and Jack Urowitz Shane and Brittany Urowitz Jonathan Usher Izrail and Elena Vainberg Special Education Endowment Fund Daniel Vajda and Veronika Goldberg-Vajda Felicia Valo Jean Vertlieb Tal and Helen Vilenski Eric and Estelle Vilensky Vogue Wycliffe Limited Michelle and Adam Wagman Fred and Linda Waks Joshua and Katie Waks Amir Walden and Dara Schwartz Revie and Paul Walman Manfred and Michelle Walt Gilda and Barry Waltman Ruth and David Waltman Jessica and Jesse Waltman Danielle and Ruvan Waltman Michelle and Michael Warner Susan and Jack Waserman Andrea and Sam Waserman Mel and Maxine Wasserman Hayley and David Waugh Rochelle and Robert Waxman Galit Weig Eitan Weinberg and Diana Tamir Moshe and Debbie Weinberg Bob and Donna Weinerman Alyssa and Daniel Weinerman

Rhona and Mel Small Sarah Smelyansky Smile Squad Kids Dental Esther Smith Ellen and Mike Smith Miriam and Norman Smith Andrea and Zev Smith Jennifer and Corey Snider Carole and Marshall Snider Anne Sokoloff Christine and David Sokoloff Leah and Sheldon Sokoloff Rebecca Unterman and Adam Somer Michael Somer Renata and Arnold Somers Dina Somin Rosie Sosnowicz Jack and Sarah Spiegelman Janis and David Spinner Jonathan and Nicole Spinner Irving and Cathy Stal Special Education Endowment Fund Marcus Staviss and Honey Bloomberg Adam Stecher and Jacqueline Schwartz Alana and Ady Steen Eric Stein and Drorit Weiss Eli Steinberg Gord and Lily Steinberg Joey and Elaine Steiner Mark Steinman and Mariel Heller Stan and Bernice Steinman Karen and Jared Stekel Michelle and Daniel Sterescu Janis and Oron Sternhill Laura and David Steuer Shawn Stevens Jennifer and Jordan Stroll Aubrey and Andrea Sugar Galit and Rachel Sugar

33

Lainie and Scott Weinstein Leah and Eric Weisz Elana and Steven Weisz Sasha and Thomas Weisz Vera Weisz Debra and David Weizman Lisa and Shelly Werger-Adler Erin Wilson Jamie Wilson Jerold and Gale Winter Gerald and Marilyn Wise Lauren and James Wise Jack and Nan Wiseman Susan and Frank Wisniewski Jeff and Debra Wolfe Linda Wolfe Cheryl Wolfson Ernie and Shirley Wolkin Talia Wolkin Micah Wood and Amy Weizman Eileen and Phil Wunch Michael Wunder and Joanna Sugar Jessica Yakubowicz Liora Yakubowicz Robert Yealland Avivit and Eddie Yoffe Beverley and David Young Lea Zaltzman Hayley Colt Zarek Natalie and Matthew Zegman Melanie and Sean Zeitz Diane and Ed Zeligman Brian Ziedenberg and Tracey Lazare Leah and Dan Zilnik Rachel and Noah Zimner Tami and Yossi Zimner Limore and Isaac Zisckind Debra and Sidney Zucker Ilanit and Itzhak Zvi Julie and Michael Zylberlicht

Make your Impact on

Day of Giving

Join Bialik and Toronto day schools in coming together for the annual fundraising campaign that supports and highlights the many benefits of a Jewish education.

On Day of Giving, we look to our Bialik community to give to our school and help build a strong Jewish community.

Save the date for Day of Giving on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.