I am very excited for the upcoming Schechter Manhattan Gala.  I hope that you will join me at was is sure to be a terrific evening on Monday, May 14.  An amazing group of over 15 volunteers has come together to plan the Gala and Auction, and their collective creativity and energy is adding wonderful new dimensions to the biggest fundraising event for the Schechter Manhattan annual fund.  Here are a few great reasons to come to the Gala.

First, at the Gala we will be honoring very deserving people who reflect the Schechter Manhattan community’s deepest values.  Dr. Ismar Schorsch was the Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America from 1986 to 2006 and we will present him the Schechter Manhattan Vision in Leadership Award.  Dr. Schorsch is a role model to me of commitment to sustaining Jewish tradition through a lens of the highest scholarship. When I studied at JTS in the 1990s, Dr. Schorsch’s teaching and leadership had a personal impact on me, and when I encourage our students to ask critical questions of Jewish texts and also find the Jewish commitments that they are ready to make, I feel I am furthering Dr. Schorch’s work.

Along with Dr. Schorsch, I am thrilled that we will be presenting Avital Morris (Class of 2008) with the first ever Schechter Manhattan Alumni Impact Award.  During her time at the University of Chicago, Avital was a co-founder of the Hyde Park Teen Beit Midrash at Rodfei Zedek, a program for middle and high school students to develop literacy in reading core Jewish texts and to motivate excitement about Judaism through the creative energy of Torah study.  I am so proud of the positive impact Avital is having in the world and on the Jewish communities, she joins. Avital will begin doctoral studies in Jewish history this fall, so it will be especially beautiful to honor her along with a renowned scholar of Jewish history. Come to the Gala to honor Dr. Schorsch and Avital!

Second, the Gala is going to include Broadway theater stars performing for us.  Talented and artistic members of our parent body have reached out to their networks and arranged for this special performance.  This is going to add to an event already filled with fun socializing, good food and drink, and celebrating the school we love. Come to the Gala to enjoy a theatrical performance!

Third, the Gala raises funds to support the unique and powerful Schechter Manhattan Jewish education.   Overall, the tuition that comes in does not cover the full costs of educating all the students at Schechter Manhattan, and each year Schechter Manhattan’s mission is sustained by many people who care about our school and donate to support the annual fund. Buying a ticket, a journal ad, or bidding on an auction item (details about the auction to come) is an investment in the amazing students in our school – their future as leaders of the Jewish community and as agents of positive change in the world.  Come to the Gala to support and sustain the mission of Schechter Manhattan – to ignite within our students a passion for learning and to cultivate their Jewish identities.

I hope to see you on May 14th.

Shabbat Shalom

Benjamin Mann

Author’s Chair

Each week we will feature the written work of our students. We hope that you will stop back next week and see what they are writing and thinking about.