In June 2008 Gesher Jewish Day School launched a strategic planning initiative called Destination GESHER! Much of the effort involved listening to Gesher’s stakeholders. These included the parent body, faculty and staff, board of directors, local preschool parents, congregational rabbis, and other members of the community. Many ideas for new initiatives were generated, but what emerged from the parent focus groups ultimately made clear the overriding vision for Gesher.
Drawing upon a visioning technique described in Moment magazine (May/June 2008, “The Re-Branding of Israel”), focus group facilitators asked parents to close their eyes and imagine Gesher as a house. Each participant then spoke about what they saw happening there: the images, feelings, sights, and sounds that were invoked.
Parents spoke of a place brimming with learners of all ages gathering to pray, learn, play and solve problems. They described the smell of challah baking in the kitchen, the sound of music coming from the living room, and the sight of children laughing and playing in the yard. Some saw it as a messy place, with toys and books mixed together and available for all to share. Others felt it as a place of security, warmth, and a sense of belonging. Nearly all saw it as a magnet, drawing in people from all directions to be a part of the Gesher community.
These impressions of Gesher as a home of learning, not only for its students, but for the entire Jewish community, helped guide the strategic planning committee in developing a two-part vision for the school as both a Destination school for K-8 education excellence and a Destination home for Jewish learning and community. ♦
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