CJDS faculty, staff, and board members celebrated the conclusion of a three-year professional development grant experience with Hebrew at the Center. The Leading in Hebrew initiative, a selective three-year plus program, was designed by HATC to create model schools of Hebrew excellence in regions throughout the country. HATC chose to partner with CJDS, providing our teachers with support, tools, best practices, and conceptual and theoretical frameworks to bring to their efforts. The leadership of Judy Finkelstein-Taff, Tamar Cytryn, Penina Berdugo, and Hadar Markin was instrumental in the success of this experience. Below are some direct quotes from the day...

“It was an extraordinary opportunity for us to work with CJDS and with the other Leading in Hebrew school, Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School. You are now becoming a demonstration school where we can send others to come and see how it’s done, which is not just academically and intellectually honest but is incredibly soulful and incredibly child-centered and done in such a warm way.” -Rabbi Andrew Ergas, CEO of Hebrew at the Center

“We owe HATC a debt of gratitude for showing us a roadmap and helping us get closer to being the best Hebrew day school program in the entire United States. Thank you to all of our teachers who signed up for this intense three-year period of self introspection, opening their minds and hearts to their partners and putting in really hard work.” -Tamar Cytryn