SPECIAL SECTION Check out our Fall 2022 Arts + Eats special section, with an extensive listing of upcoming arts and cultural events. PAGES 1B-16B
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Student volunteers in Poland to aid in Ukraine relief effort BY BILL MOTCHAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
Students prepare for Shabbat at Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community school with Rabbi Scott Slarskey. Pictured with Slarskey are (from left) Isaac Besmer, Karinne Haimann, Isaac Picker, Avi Terkel (in the back), Ami Shafrin and Penelope Gill-Gray. PHOTO: PATTY BLOOM/MIROWITZ
Local Jewish day schools share what’s new this year BY BILL MOTCHAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHT
& ELLEN FUTTERMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The Jewish Light contacted each of the Jewish schools in the St. Louis area to find out what was new for the 2022-23 school year and learn about any new projects or initiatives in the works. What follows is a round-up report from each of these schools:
Esther Miller Bais Yaakov What is new for the 2022-23 school? “We hired a new executive director, Rabbi Avi Feigenbaum,” said Tova Greenblatt, principal of the high school. “He relocated with his family from Jacksonville, Fla. “We have created a Learning Center with a new hire, Dena Love, who will be coordinating all the services, academic and emotional, for our struggling students. We have added structure and hours for our mental health professional. “We are back to having all four grades
(we were missing a grade for the last four years). “We hired a new history teacher, who has taught at several colleges. He came in with a flair — painted his room, redecorated — brought in tons of exciting materials.” What projects or initiatives are you most excited about? “We are looking forward to our major shabbatone, which we have in the alternate year to (a major theatrical) production. We invite small Bais Yaakov schools from around the country to spend the Shabbos with us. We usually host about 120 students. We have themes, workshops, performances, art, food and lots of good socialization. In the past we have had students from Palo Alto, Las Vegas, Houston, Dallas, Portland, Norfolk, Minneapolis, Rochester, Cincinnati and more. “We are also looking forward to going through our re-accreditation process with Cognia. Although it is a tedious process, it is well worth the efforts. This will be the fifth time achieving this recognition (it’s done every five years) “We will be having a Causematch Campaign and a Golf Tournament fund-
raiser in September.” Has enrollment returned to pre-pandemic levels? Greenblatt said EMBY never waned in its enrollment due to the pandemic, although it did struggle with attendance from both students and teachers, as well as with consistency, rigor, anxiety and academic gaps. She added that the number of students has gone up to 37, from last year’s 23 students.
As college classes wound down last spring, Michael Schmitz started looking for a summer internship. With no prospects on the horizon, he found a much different college break experience: volunteering in Poland for Ukraine relief efforts. Schmitz, 21, grew up attending Congregation B’nai Amoona. He attends the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Watching the news, he was horrified by the reports coming out of Eastern Europe. “When I first heard about the war in Ukraine, I thought ‘Oh, my goodness, what does this mean for America in the future?’” Schmitz said. “It’s a very scary thought, and you can just rewrite those borders if you want, if you have an army, and if you’re Vladimir Putin. I study international politics and history, so I was very tuned in to the conflict in Ukraine. It was just absolutely flabbergasting, especially being in Europe. See VOLUNTEER on page 9A
HF Epstein Hebrew Academy/ Yeshivat Kadimah High School What is new for the 2022-23 school? “Mrs. Itta Boyko has been promoted principal of the entire school,” said Rabbi Shmuel Miller, head of school. “We also have a curriculum coordinator for Judaic studies, Rabbi Jonathan Fruchter, which is also new for this year. “We really celebrate the fact that families are coming from what I would call different stations of Jewish expression. And we pride ourselves on our Jewish education.” See Q&A on page 7A
College student Michael Schmitz, who grew up in St. Louis, has been volunteering in Poland this summer.