The Charlotte Jewish News - September 2008 - Page 9
Schools
CJDS Board of Directors Plans To Go from “Good to Great”
In his number one bestseller,
“Good to Great,” Jim Collins pres
ents the results of five years of
analyzing twenty-eight elite com
panies. His research has yielded a
set of explanations of how compa
nies have become great after start
ing out as mediocre or good.
This school season the
Charlotte Jewish Day School
(CJDS) Board of Directors will
study Mr. Collins’ book in depth
with the help of a corporate train
er. The goal is to make an already
good board into a great one that
will guarantee the stability of
Charlotte Jewish Day School. This
undertaking is in line with
Director, Mariashf Groner’s motto
that “Good enough is never good
enough.” Her ongoing commit
ment to excellence must be sup
ported by a highly focused and
energized board.
This dedication and rejuvena
tion will have huge payoffs for the
greater Jewish community. These
exercises will re-affirm the
school’s long-standing mission to
provide an outstanding academic
environment interwoven with
Judaic values; to help students and
their families to see the Torah as a
blueprint for their lives; to realize
the importance of unity among all
Jews; and to establish a positive
Jewish identity. The board’s strate
gic direction will provide vision
for all those whose lives are
touched by this mission ... now
and in years to come.
So how will the CJDS Board of
Directors go from “Good to
Great”? Collins’ ideas are vast, but
a few seem to ring out. Collins
suggests first having the right peo
ple who can share their unique set
of skills and talents and who strive
for excellence for excellence’s
sake ... then decide where to go
and what to do. He also suggests
confronting the brutal facts facing
an organization, yet never losing
faith.
Introspection is also vital.
Portions of the board meetings in
November, January, and March
will be devoted to this book study.
The Board of Directors’ focus and
tenacity will create this transition
from goodness to greatness. Their
diligence will bring about tremen
dous rewards as their fervor catch
es on. Imagine ... all those associ
ated with CJDS who are good will
become great...making tremen
dous contributions to this world
while serving God.
Happy New Year! ^
In the Director’s Words
What Does a “Lubavitch Preschool”
Mean?
hendrix-mitchener
properties
By Jen Lahn, M.S. JV., Director of
the Jewish Preschool on Sardis
Recently, I received a phone
call from a mother who was mov
ing to Charlotte with her family
and wanted information about reg
istering her three-year-old for our
program. She grew up as a Reform
Jew and her husband grew up in a
Jewish household, but was unaffll-
iated. Labeling her family as “not
very observant,” the mother
expressed concern'about the fact
that the school was a subsidiary of
the Orthodox, Lubavitch
Synagogue. She had not chosen
that lifestyle and was concerned
that it would be in conflict with
her family. Since I know that ques
tion bubbles up often, I decided to
share my response to her uncer
tainty in hopes that the Charlotte
community gains a clear picture of
the wonderful philosophies and
teachings that happen inside our
building:
“The families at JPS come from
all different religious back
grounds. All of our families are
Jewish, however some may be
Reform, Conservative, Orthodox,
practicing in their own way or not
practicing at all. When I first
looked at the preschool as a parent
eleven years ago, the ‘Lubavitch’
aspect was foreign to me as well’
Growing up, my parents were very
active at my Reform synagogue
and my husband grew up in an
observant Conservative home. 1
never imagined that we’d be con
sidering what 1 thought was going
to be such a serious religious set
ting for my child. But soon I real
ized that I had some misconcep
tions.
“At immediate glance, the day-
to-day mirrors other quality
preschools. Children play at vari
ous centers in their classrooms,
such as housekeeping and blocks;
laugh with each other; swing and
slide on the playground; sing
songs; and get encour
aging hugs from their
teachers. The natural
feeling of warmth,
friendliness, openness,
and just plain ftm is the
norm at JPS. But when
you look a little closer,
you realize that JPS has
something special to
offer. Rabbi Yossi and
Mariashi Groner founded the pre
school based on their love of chil
dren and Judaism. Their hope is
that each child not only loves
learning, but also loves being
Jewish. This is the incredible,
unique vision that guides the pre
school.
“I’ve been entrusted to continue
the highest standard of both secu
lar and Judaica education for our
preschoolers. Our one- and two-
year-old classes become familiar
with the brachot and jump for joy
when Morah Pessie, one, of our
Judaica instructors, comes for a
visit. The three- and four-year-
olds at JPS eagerly line up to go to
Judaica class every day, where
they learn about Jewish holidays,
give tzedakah, and leam, act out,
read, and live the common Torah
stories, such as Noah’s Ark. Our
students also look forward to other
special events that celebrate
Judaism, such as Shofar blowing,
the matzah bakery, and our Friday
Shabbat send-offs. The teachings
result in confident children who
are genuinely enthusiastic about
their religion. Overall, an educa
tion at JPS successfully provides a
strong Jewish foundation, yet also
prepares students for the academic
challenges they face upon entering
elementary school, whether they
continue onto a public or private
education—secular or a Day
School education. In fact, recently
I was told by many principals and
directors of area private and public
elementary schools that they look
Jen Lahn
forward to gaining our
graduates as students
because they come pre
pared and ready to
leam.”
Personally, the con
versation reinforced
what an unbelievable
feeling it is to be at the
helm of a school with
such a high standard of
excellence. As for the parent I was
speaking to, she was surprised that
she wasn’t “expected to become
Lubavitch” and she was comforted
by the warmth she felt throughout
our phone conversation. Confident
that her daughter would be
enveloped in that same feeling as a
student at the preschool, the moth
er happily enrolled her child for
the fall. $
4700 Morrowick Road
4 bedrooms, 3.1 baths
$829,000
Stacey Stolar
704-400-1539
stacey@hmproperties.com
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Psalm 27:7-8,11
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