The Charlotte Jewish News - September 2012 - Page 8
Schools
David Epstein Speaks at Grandparents’
Day 2012 at Charlotte Jewish Day School
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“Our sages teach us that the
purest form of philanthropy is
when the donor gives anonymous
ly and the recipient is also anony
mous.
“However, there is a corollary
to this teaching — our sages also
teach us that we should be a model
for others and that we should lead
by example.
“And so, on that basis, hoping
that you will follow our example,
and the example of the previous
recipients of this award [Jerry and
Barbara Levin and Bill and Patty
Gore lick], we are extremely
thrilled and appreciative to receive
the Barbara and Jerry Levin
Visionary Award.
“ ... I hope you don’t mind the
infomercial I am about to give. ...
I was mentored many years ago to
understand that whenever there is
a Jewish gathering, whatever the
reason, there should be some
fund-raising. It seems to be part of
our DNA.
“Well, Aleen and I are here to
tell you that thanks to ... Mariashi
Groner, our outstanding and total
ly committed faculty, our
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Development Team, our PTO
organization, our support staff,
and our Officers and members
of the Board of Trustees, the
Charlotte Jewish Day School
is, for its size, the best day
school in our entire country.
“Our children are getting a
fabulous secular education,
which more than matches up
with any private or public
school in Charlotte. Our children
compete well with their peers in
the private and public school sys
tems and our children always
come out at or near the top, when
they are tested against their peers.
“Mariashi and her staff are
innovative, progressive, and for
ward thinking. For example, this
year, as part of our ever-changing
curriculum, they have installed the
most advanced global studies pro
gram available, which has opened
our children to the world in which
we live.
“Our children are taught to be
curious and to think outside of the
box. Best of all, our children are
being given the basis of a moral
compass that will serve them for a
lifetime.
“Our children are happy, they
are eager to come to school every
day, and they are excited with
what each school day brings to
them.
“Our children are also getting a
very strong background in
Judaica. Now, that does not mean
that all of our graduates will be
rabbis. Nor is that the school’s
purpose. But, our graduates will
leave our school with a knowledge
of Judaism that will give them
comfort regardless of the environ
ment they’re in.
“I recently attended a Bat
Mitzvah of one of our recent grad
uates in which the rabbi paid trib
ute to her Hebrew education.
Paraphrasing the rabbi, he said:
‘You have not been trained only to
be a Bat Mitzvah; you have been
taught what it means to be a young
Jewish woman who will comfort
ably take her place in the Jewish
community.’ This is what our Day
School is all about and I could not
think of a bigger compliment to
our school.
“And I can assure you that each
of our students is educated from
their first day in school until their
graduation to take their place as
members of the Jewish communi
ty when their time comes.
“Now, for some bad news. I
recently spent some time on a
website that concentrates on Day
School education.
Unfortunately, I must
report to you that I do
not think there is a Day
School in the United
States or Canada that
does not operate at a
deficit. It just is not
possible to give the quality educa
tion which our children receive
and keep the tuition affordable
without running at a deficit.
“And, I cannot emphasize how
important it is to the Day School
and our families that our tuition is
kept affordable. This is something
9
0
Aleen and David Epstein
that Mariashi and the Board strug
gle with on a daily basis.
“ ... it is important that our
tuition be kept affordable because
many of our families have more
than one student in the Day
School; our families have mort
gages, they have auto payments,
and they have many other obliga
tions, not to mention the difficult
economy they are experiencing.
“ ... it is also important that our
tuition be kept affordable because
our school competes with the pri
vate school sector. For some of
our families, where they send their
children to school is strictly an
economic decision.
“Fortunately, here in Charlotte,
we get significant support from
our Federation, for which our
school is deeply appreciative. Our
annual campaign is also a very
essential source in closing the gap
in our annual deficit. Our school is
always having one sort of
fundraiser or another and our PTO
and others are always looking for
new fundraising ideas. However,
none of these sources is enough.
“And this is where all of us
come in; it is critical that we, the
grandparents of our students, sup
port the Day School to the greatest
extent possible. Without the sup
port of our grandparents, our Day
School cannot exist.
“I realize that many of our
grandparents gathered here today
are already helping your children
with the tuition payments. Isn’t
that a ‘no brainer’? What better
use can any of us make of our
funds than to insure that our
grandchildren are able to receive a
Day School education?
“And I urge you not to forget
the Day School once your grand
children graduate. Please continue
to keep the Charlotte Jewish Day
School in your charitable
thoughts.
“It is true that many of you sup
port Jewish institutions in your
own home cities and I agree that
this is your first obligation. But,
we are all here today to celebrate
the accomplishments of these
wonderful children at this very
special school right
here. This is only the
beginning of your
grandchildren’s Jewish
life.
“Statistically, study
after study has estab
lished that our grand
children who have
received a Day School education
are more likely to be leaders in
high school, on college campuses,
and in their communities. I am
sure that their intermarriage rates
(Continued on page 9)