Recently, during my daily walk through the school I spent a couple minutes in each classroom observing the different types of learning that were happening. Here is what I saw… In Gan the students were working in pairs on a Math activity called roll and record. Each student had a die which they rolled and then the team […]
At Schechter Manhattan we aspire for our students to develop the skills and dispositions to be active citizens in American society. This year, as every year, we are engaging students in study of the election cycle. The current presidential election campaign is very contentious and emotions are running high across the political spectrum. In this […]
A great part of my role as Head of School is welcoming visitors and new friends to Schechter Manhattan and showing them our special school in action. I am always proud and excited by the buzz of learning I find as we walk from classroom to classroom, as students and teachers work together to create […]
The centerpiece of the high holiday liturgy is the unetane tokef prayer added to the musaf amidah on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The prayer describes God, sitting in judgement over all creation, determining the outcome of our lives. At the apex of the drama we recite the line ותשובה ותפילה וצדקה מעבירין את רע הגזרה- “Repentance (teshuva), prayer (tefilah), and charity (tzedakah) […]
The students who started in Gan this month will graduate from Schechter Manhattan in 2025, high school in 2029, and college in 2033. Preparing our graduates for the word of the 2030’s and beyond calls for a vision of teaching and learning that nurtures key 21st century skills- the ability to think critically, collaborate, connect, […]
On Wednesday evening our community came together for our annual curriculum night and I was pleased to share the following story with all of our families and it feels like just the right story to share with all of you as well. This past Monday morning I was on my way down the hall, heading […]
“Hebrew… is the sacred language, it is the language of the Bible, it is the language of the prayer book and the depository of all the sublimest thoughts and noblest sentiments that Israel taught and felt for more than three thousand years. It is the tie that unites us with millions of worshippers in the […]
Welcome to the 21st volume of Daf Kesher. In my weekly column I plan to share my view of Schechter Manhattan and thoughts on broader Jewish educational issues. I hope that my writing will offer insights into what makes Schechter Manhattan such a special place to learn and grow. One of the things that makes […]
It has been a terrific year at Schechter Manhattan. As I look back on my year of columns for Daf Kesher, I am reminded of the many things the students, faculty, parents, and friends of Schechter Manhattan did this year. Not surprisingly for a school, many of the columns were focused on the teaching and […]
On Sunday morning I attended a wonderful gathering at Schechter Manhattan-the first gathering of the students and families of the Schechter Manhattan class of 2025. These students will begin Gan this coming fall. It was great to welcome the excited preschool students to their new school, where they will spend the next nine years growing […]
