When the big guys do it right

Wednesday was a great day for the entire Jewish community. PEJE (Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education) awarded twenty-five $25,000 awards for ideas of innovation around three different discreet yet closely linked areas of school governance: endowment building, student recruitment and annual fund. They were looking to motivate the greater community to think of creative new ways to innovate the entire Jewish day school field.

I am proud to say that Lander~Grinspoon Academy was one of the winners. We submitted a proposal for our "Double Chai campaign" from the summer. Double Chai was a combination of social networking, rallying a community and finding the right amount to "ask" for from our community all focused around bolstering our annual campaign. The momentum that we built from that project was stunning. And now being acknowledged by a national organization for the work that we did is so gratifying. 

The original intention of my blog was to talk about being Jewish in a small community. The Pioneer Valley is a little bit of everything. It is rural. It is urban. It is suburban. It is exurban. It is really whatever you want it to be. The people you meet here are unique individuals, many of them choosing to move here because it is this valley life they are seeking. One thing that holds true (for me at least) is that it is sometimes challenging to have a "big" Jewish life with all of the trappings that come with being in a bigger community. Please don't mishear me, I appreciate my friends and colleagues here and in the almost four years that we have been here, we have made incredible friends and met amazing individuals who are unique and interesting each in their own right. 

But what this blog has turned into showcasing what a fine school LGA is and how we as a community continue to reflect on educating young people on a daily basis. LGA has been able to find the right balance of progressive education all the while seeking out multiples perspectives to traditional timeless lessons in both Judaic and general studies. This school and this community has the right vibe - hip, young, progressive yet academically challenging, high standards for all students (no matter where they are) and yet nurturing intellectual curiosity. Many schools do all of those well but one thing that makes us stand out is the COMMUNITY. The community that has been built here is unbelievably unique. Children are given examples of how community works on a daily basis. 

I have been attempting to illustrate them with this blog and hopefully will continue to do so. Double Chai reached out to the greater community and it responded. And now, PEJE has said what we did here at LGA was worthy of winning an award so that we could showcase for others that with a little ingenuity and creativity (and maybe a little people power!), we could find new ways to fundraise for the school. 

PEJE is in the business of helping day schools thrive and this challenge award was the best example of that. I maintain that we need more of these types of challenges to motivate our community. I cannot wait to read all about the other entries. PEJE got it right. For me delving into these other ideas is like eating a bag full of Jelly Bellys. Once you rip open that bag, there will be 140 other flavors to salivate over. Some you'll really enjoy exploring and want more of and others won't be your taste but you can understand why someone else might find it tasty.

Would I feel differently if LGA hadn't won a Challenge Award? I'd be lying if I said it wouldn't be as easy to jump on the bandwagon but I'd still be very intrigued and motivated to see what had worked for other communities and where we could improve. 

So, Todah Rabbah, PEJE! Lander~Grinspoon Academy, the Solomon Schechter School of the Pioneer Valley thanks you for this gift. We hope you'll enjoy a few words from our community.