Welcome to Issue 5
Spring It On, Alumni!
What does spring mean to the Jewish day school field? This season, known by the beautiful term aviv in Hebrew, is a time of graduation. Californian weather. Caps, gowns, diplomas. Optimism.
And, of course, Alumni.
In this issue of Sustained!, we do a lot of thinking about engaging Jewish day school graduates before they head off the stage. In “Where in the World Are Those JDS Alumni?” we talk about finding, cultivating, and (ultimately) transforming today’s grads into tomorrow’s loyal supporters.
Over in the Data-Driven Day School department, Measuring Success’ latest charticle asks, “Do Alumni Give Back?” The answer is embedded in the subtitle: “Tapping an Untapped Market.”
Spring for many schools means Grandparents’ Day, and so our Virtual Assembly column dons its bifocals for a piece entitled, “Would It Hurt You to Be In Touch? Knitting Nana and Grampa into Your School’s Social Network.”
The East Bay area of California is springy year-round, and there you’ll find Contra Costa Jewish Day School, which is the focus of our Illustrating the Case feature. Stroll down, in shorts and t-shirts, the numerous paths they paved to increased enrollment.
From here it’s a short stroll to our sunny interview with PEJE’s indefatigably energetic board chair, Diane Troderman. Her positive outlook and passion for Jewish education is on display throughout this lively Q&A: a grand feat of sustainable conversation.
Finally, watch this great video clip from Benjamin Sommers. He teaches at Harvard; he advises the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and he’s a proud and grateful Jewish day school graduate.
B'vracha,
Donna Woonteiler & Ken Gordon
Editors of Sustained!