THE JEWISH CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 24, 2011 — 5
METRO Briefly Continued from page 3. Munro, head of school at Community Day School, and Avrumi Sacks and Sammy Weinberg from Hillel Academy. The conference, which ran from Feb. 6 to 8, addressed issues relevant to the day school movement. Participants examined issues and approaches changing the face and direction of Jewish day schools, from making special education a priority, to harnessing technology to enhance and strengthen curricula and classrooms, to maintaining financially sustainable institutions of quality. The North American Jewish Day School Conference was a joint initiative of the Solomon Schechter Day School Association, RAVSAK: The Jewish Community Day School Network, the Institute for University-School Partnership at Yeshiva University, and Pardes: The Progressive Association of Reform Day Schools. This is the second year that the organizations, representing the arc of Jewish movements and educational approaches, joined to organize the conference and explore common issues. The theme of the 2011 conference — The High Performance, High-Tech Jewish Day School of the Very Near Future — underscored how Jewish educational professionals are transforming their individual institutions, and the day school movement itself, into inclusive venues of educational quality and value utilizing proven, effective and emerging approaches. The North American Jewish Day
School Leadership Conference was sponsored by the AVI CHAI Foundation, the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education, the Covenant Foundation, ERB, the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education, The Kohelet Foundation and several anonymous funders. Rabbi Mark Mahler of Temple Emanuel of South Hills, and Executive Director Saralouise Reis, recently attended the Kellogg School Management Program for Jewish Leaders at Northwestern University. Seventy-nine rabbis and administrators from across the nation attended the program to study cutting edge leadership and management skills. This year’s program, which was started in 2008, drew 50 rabbis, two cantors and 26 executive directors from all three major streams of Judaism, from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The Kellogg program is currently enrolling participants for 2011. Contact Dina Jacobs, academic director, at dinah-jacobs@kellogg.northwestern.edu for more information. Sara Hecht, an international singer and composer, will appear at the Eddy Theatre, Chatham University, Monday, Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m. The concert for women will be a celebration of Jewish music as well as Jewish femininity. It will provide an opportunity for women in the community to enjoy a night of celebration and entertainment. Hecht, a 25-year-old singer originally from Australia, has inspired audiences across the globe with her soulful melodies and warm personality. The program is partially funded by
the Chatham student government and is co-sponsored by the Chatham Student Activities Council and Student Affairs, Chabad House at Chatham, Chabad House at the University of Pittsburgh, Chabad of Carnegie Mellon University and Lubavitch Women’s Organization. There is a charge. Contact Chabad at chabadchatham@gmail.com, or Sara Weinstein at sara@chabadpgh.org for more information. The Jewish Federation’s Centennial Fund for a Jewish Future, in partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Camp, is offering $1,000 grants to children attending Jewish overnight camp for the first time for a period of 19 consecutive days or more. Visit onehappycamper.org to submit an application. For children attending Jewish day schools, contact Sally Stein at (412) 992-5243 or sstein@jfedpgh.org. Congregation Beth Shalom is hosting a winter film festival class with discussions by expert facilitators. The last movie in the series, “Ajami,” (2008) will be screened Sunday, Feb. 27, 7 p.m. in the Samuel and Minnie Hyman Ballroom, 5915 Beacon St. Refreshments will be served, and all are welcome to attend. “Ajami” is the religiously mixed community of Muslims and Christians in Tel Aviv. These are five stories about the everyday life in Ajami. Deborah Fidel of the Pittsburgh Area Jewish Committee will facilitate. There is no charge but donations are appreciated. Call Beth Shalom at (412) 421-2288 or visit bethshalom.org for more information.
Aliyah Donsky, daughter of Temple Ohav Shalom Rabbi Art Donsky, is one of the scheduled speakers at the upcoming J Street International Conference in Washington, D.C. Donsky, a freshman at Princeton University, will a panel discussing the topic, “The Campus Challenge: Changing the Conversation in an Environment of Extreme Polarization.” The conference runs from Feb. 26 through March 1. Ohav Shalom is in Allison Park, in the North Hills. J Street describes itself as a pro-Israel pro-peace organization for liberal Zionists.
The Traveling Kosher Pickle Factory will be making a stop at Chabad of Carnegie Mellon University, Thursday, Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m. Students will leave with a jar of Kosher pickles which they will have made themselves, a better understanding of Kosher and pickles, and a night to remember. The Traveling Kosher Pickle Factory was created by Rabbi Shmuel Marcus of Cypress, Cal. His many visits with an 86-year old pickle-maker sparked the idea. The, designed to teach children about upcoming holidays through the shofar and m,atzah factories and the olive oil Press. Since it began in 2005, 4,000 people have prepared personalized pickle jars. The event is open to all university students, thjough there is a charge for those fromother schools. For more information, contact Chabad at rabbi@chabadofcmu.com.