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.

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.”