Community News

Small-Schools Conference Scholarship

We are pleased to announce the inauguration of the RAVSAK Small School Professional Development Scholarship. This scholarship will make the training, networking and professional development opportunities of the RAVSAK Annual Leadership Conference accessible to educators from small Jewish day schools and small Jewish communities across North America.

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Job Market

Title: Head of School
School: The Akiva School
City: Nashville, TN

The Akiva School is the only independent elementary community day school of its kind in the region and has earned both local and national recognition as an outstanding academic institution. The school is located minutes from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, a culturally vibrant city...

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Featured School

The Paul Penna Downtown JDS

The Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School appreciates the diversity of contemporary Jewish life. Our Senior Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum presents children with a holistic view of the world, weaving together the Jewish and general facets of their lives. In this highly enriched learning environment, students develop excellent academic skills and a meaningful Jewish identity.
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Associate Member

The David Project
is a non-profit organization that is leading an educational movement of effective Israel supporters. We aim to inform and inspire strong voices for Israel through our dynamic and comprehensive educational curricula, workshops, and seminars.
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Project ROPE

Project ROPE: Roots of Philanthropy Education will give to a new generation of young American Jews the skills, tools, Jewish lens and experience to become lifelong learners, doers and givers. There are three core goals of Project ROPE: to teach teens the Jewish roots, values and imperatives of philanthropic giving; to give them an understanding of fundraising fundamentals including the grantmaking process and effective philanthropic methods; and to provide them with the hands-on learning experience of running a fundraising campaign for a cause of their choice and responsibly allocating the funds raised.

As a direct result of Project ROPE, participating students will

  • Understand how and why Jewish tradition has mandated philanthropic giving for thousands of years and what the implications are for us today
  • Develop a basic knowledge of, and a desire to engage in, effective methods of philanthropy
  • Experience the job of working collaboratively with fellow Jewish teens to identify and support causes of their choice

Each year the grantmaking focuses on a different theme. Students learn about needs, and allocate money, both in their local community and in Israel.

Project Rope is open to students in grades 9 to 11. The first year of the program, 2008-2009, will include students in five schools, with more schools joining thereafter.

 

Here are the schools participating in Project ROPE's pilot year:

  • Donna Klein Jewish Academy (Boca Raton, Florida)
  • Gray Academy of Jewish Education (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
  • Herzl/RMHA at the Denver Campus (Denver, Colorado)
  • Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School (Phoenix, Arizona)

If your school is considering participating in Project ROPE, please contact Dr. Elliott Rabin, RAVSAK's Director of Educational Programs, at erabin@ravsak.org or 212-665-1320.