Questions Are B'Seder

I remember well, as a young child, sitting around the Seder table with my family, a magical feeling in the air, the table set for a royal feast, with Seder Plate, Haggadot, and pillows on which to recline. My father would begin to recite the Haggadah and would call on everyone around the table to take turns reading. We would hide the Afikoman and try our best to stay up late until the end so that we could sing Who Knows One and Chad Gadya. It was all so different and interesting. Of course, as the youngest in my family, my starring role was reciting the Ma Nishtanah questions: Why is this night different than all other nights?

You know, as an educator, questions are at the heart of everything we do. Sometimes we ask our students questions, pushing them to think deeper and trying to pique their curiosity. And other times our students ask us questions. These questions can include everything from “why do we have to learn this?” to “how do we know there is a G-d?” Some people are afraid of questions, seeing them as distracting or perhaps even disrespectful. But if you really think about it you will recognize that questions are at the heart of learning. In Educational circles this is known as Inquiry-Based Learning, and it means very simply that we tend to be more motivated to work hard and learn when we have questions that we want to answer, problems that we want to solve. One of the fun challenges of parenting and teaching is recognizing the unique personalities and learning styles of each child so that we can support their search for meaning and understanding. And maybe that’s the idea behind the Four Children mentioned in the Haggadah. Every child is unique and therefore learns differently. Our job is to help each child, in their own way, develop their curiosity and desire to learn.

This Haggadah represents the 2nd straight year that we as an Upper School have collaborated to make a Haggadah made up of Student Divrei Torah. We asked each student to ask a question and share one approach to answering their question. The answers are insightful and thought provoking, but to be honest, to me a good question is almost always more interesting than a good answer.

In Judaism we have an expression: “שבעים פנים לתורה – There are 70 faces to the Torah.” This means that for any question there are numerous possible approaches, each with its own validity and meaning. The specific answer that speaks to you does not necessarily have to speak to me. But what is important is that we all (adults and children alike) ask questions.

So, on behalf of our wonderful Upper School teachers and students, please enjoy this year’s RMBA Haggadah. And when you are sitting around the table at your Seder, maybe put down the Haggadah every few minutes (after all, it is not just a script to read) and ask the people you are with a question that peeks your interest. The youngest ones may recite the Ma Nishtana, but asking questions is something every one of us should do, on Seder night and throughout our lives.

Chag Sameach!!!

http://online.flipbuilder.com/huqb/ekzm/mobile/index.html

AIPAC Policy Conference

These next 2 posts are from the last few months, but I am only getting around to posting about them now.

I had the incredible privilege a few weeks ago to chaperon six High School students to Washington D.C. for the AIPAC Policy conference. I came away so impressed by the professionalism of the conference and so inspired by the unity and support of the State of Israel. The Convention Center was literally packed with over 16,000 delegates, including over 3000 students! The many sessions given by experts of all types (including my brother!) were informative and engaging. And the lineup of keynote speakers was incredible!

Among the many speakers I heard over three days were Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Czech Republic President Milos Zeman, Former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, Former Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird, US Representative to the United Nations Samantha Powers, US National Security Advisor Susan Rice, Senators Joseph Lieberman, Lindsey Graham, Ben Cardin, Robert Menendez, and Mitch McConnell, Congressmen Kevin McCarthy (House Majority Leader) and Steny Hoyer (House Democratic Whip), and many others. We should not take for granted that we live in a country that gives us the freedom to gather in support of Israel and that supports Israel to the extent that it does.

We also got to hear from Israeli entrepreneurs inventing incredible technologies, Americans and Israelis (both Jewish and non-Jewish) with so many inspiring stories, and the son of the leader of Hamas, known as The Green Prince, who became a spy for Israel.

AIPAC was very focused during the conference on the ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Iran about a nuclear deal. They sent us to Capitol Hill on Tuesday with a clear message to ask our elected officials to vote for bills that would allow congress to review any possible deal, and to bring the message that no deal is better than a bad deal (i.e. a deal that would allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon and to continue funding terror).

It is amazing that just a few months after a major war in Gaza there was very little focus on that. It was almost entirely on Iran. We did get to meet a resident of Sderot who takes exploded Katyusha rockets and turns them into Art. And we heard something amazing about the residents of Sderot, that when the Red Alert siren goes off indicating an incoming missile, the 1st thing they do is not to run to the shelter, but to leave their front doors open for anyone else who may need shelter.

Getting back to the lobbying, we had large groups (we are from Texas after all) visiting our local Congressman, John Culberson, and our two Senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. But my students and I arrived a little early and paid a visit as well to another Houston area Congressman, Al Green, who has been to our school and was helpful a few years ago when our basketball team's playoff game was scheduled on Shabbat. It was kind of him to see us, and it was a powerful lesson for my students to be able to sit in a private meeting (just 5 of us) with the Congressman. In fact, it struck me throughout the conference what a pivotal role young people are playing both within the AIPAC organization and standing up for Israel on the front lines of college campuses.

On a personal note, I had the chance to see many old friends from Rabbinical school and from our years in Boca Raton, including many old students of mine who are now either in High School or College and doing great things. It's an underrated joy to see your students a few years later and to see what fine people they are turning into.

So, I return to Houston inspired and full of ideas about how to develop our Israel Advocacy here at Beren. We have already started laying the groundwork for an Israel Ambassadors club, invited Congressman Culberson to come visit us when he is back in town, and made plans to take students next year not only to the National Policy Conference, but also to the Teen Conference as well. When I see how passionate our students are in support of Medinat Yisrael and see the potential leadership experiences they can play, I am very excited.

Getting Engaged

This week I had the opportunity to learn with thousands of other educators at the National Conference of ASCD (Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development) which took place here in Houston this year. It is always uplifting to be a student and inspiring to meet other educators from around the world, all of whom are dedicating their lives to helping others discover and develop their potential. Isn't it ironic that when we are in school many of us can't wait to get out, and later we cherish the opportunity to learn with others?

Even though the theme of the conference this year was Disruptive Innovation, what I found was that in session after session that I attended the key word that kept coming up was Engagement. What is Engagement? According to Allison Zmuda, who gave a talk on Student Engagement, it refers to "when students choose to invest and reinvest their attention and their effort in the pursuit of a learning goal."

Andy Hargreaves, in his talk on Uplifting Leadership, discussed the origin of the word Engagement. It turns out that the word Engagement comes from 16th century Europe where it referred to military battle. Only about 100 years later do we find the word starting to be used in the context of getting married [insert marriage joke here...]. And Dr. Hargreaves noted that we think of marriage as long lasting, as requiring sacrifice and hard work, as being worthwhile and uplifting. So when it comes to engaging students in learning, the goal is to help students see that by working hard they will reap long lasting benefits to themselves which will open new horizons to them.

The question then becomes, how do we do that? One of the best talks I attended was given by an amazing educator named Rafe Esquith (trust me - look him up!)He mentioned two strategies that successful teachers do to engage their students. 1) They take the time to explain the relevance of what he is teaching them so that students understand why it is important for them. 2) They teach things that they love and do so in a fun way. You can't expect your students to be excited and engage did you are not yourself.

Along the same lines, I loved a talk I heard by Myron Dueck, who spoke about how to assess Creativity. He gave many examples of teachers who are allowing their students to demonstrate learning in creative ways, which builds their interest and keeps them engaged. And he showed that you can do so without sacrificing expectations.

Another great talk was by Dr. Rick Duvall, who had several hundred attendees learn practical activities we can use in our classrooms to engage students by having us experience those activities ourselves. Many of the activities were fairly simple games and collaborative activities, but if you develop a bag of these tricks up your sleeve it allows you to engage the entire class (not just the extroverts) in a fun and interactive way.

But as Allison Zmuda noted, there's a difference between engaging students and entertaining them. The goal is for them to be active learners, curious about the world, confident that they can find solutions to the questions that are bothering them. In fact, Myron Dueck noted that when hiring, Google looks for people, not necessarily with the highest GPA or test scores, but who like figuring out stuff where there is no obvious answer. This is what we call inquiry. And in fact, he said, the ones getting paid the most are not the problem solvers, but the problem predictors.

Student Engagement sounds great on paper, but as every teacher knows, it is not easy. Not every student learns the same way, is interested in the same things, or has the same drive. I have been thinking a lot about another talk I heard, from Stacy Nelson, about Bridging the Gap between Expectation and Performance. He helped us think about the different types of conversations we have with people who are not engaged and are not meeting our expectations. And one of the key things is establishing trust and conveying the feeling that you are friend; not foe. That will open up dialogue and help you understand why the person is not on board and what you can do to help get them going in the right direction.

As a classroom teacher and a Principal I think about Student Engagement on a daily basis (maybe that's why I naturally kept hearing that theme come up again and again). I hope that when my students think of me years down the line they will picture more the type of engaging teacher associated with close relationships than with battles, and that they will remember that I taught them that with hard work they really can solve problems and make the world better.

The Reunion Of A Lifetime

This past summer I had the privilege of returning home to Boston for my 20th High School reunion. It was great to reconnect with old friends and to relive great memories. Many years have passed since we experienced our formative years together, and we have spread out all over the map. We have taken many different paths since our shared beginning, and we each have our own journey to pursue. But what was so great was remembering where we came from, reliving what inspired us, and reflecting on how far we each have come. In a certain sense, reuniting with old friends helped me recalibrate my route towards my own goals by remembering where I started and where I wanted to go.

As we approach the new year, with Rosh Hashana just hours away, it occurs to me that this too is a Reunion of sorts. It is a Reunion with our Creator, to whom we reaffirm our allegiance and rededicate our efforts. And it is a Reunion with ourselves, the true selves inside, the great person we know exists deep inside of us. It is a chance to reflect on who we are, where we come from, where we are heading, and how we want to get there.

So this Rosh Hashana I would like to challenge you. Take a few moments at some point in the Tefilla, and think of yourself when you were in High School. Ok, ignore the social awkwardness, the self-centeredness, and the thinking that you knew more than all the adults in your life. But think about your hopes, your insecurities, the people and moments that inspired you. Give yourself a virtual Reunion. And think about the journey you have taken since then. What have you learned since then? Where have you gotten off track? If you were starting your journey from scratch right now where would you want to go? What kind of person would you want to be?

Reunions can be a little uncomfortable. Have you aged well? Have you accomplished as much as your old peers? Will they be happy to see you? And maybe reuniting with ourselves is a little uncomfortable as well. But you know what, after the 1st 10 minutes it feels as if you were just there yesterday. It just feels right. This Rosh Hashana let us reunite with ourselves. If we do, I guarantee it will be the Reunion of a Lifetime.

May All Your Matzahs Be Whole

Sitting at a breakfast in shul this morning after a siyum for Taanit Bechorot, enjoying one last bagel before Pesach, I overheard two gentlemen discussing their latest idea for a business: selling insurance policies to protect against broken shmura matzot. After complaining that the best you can hope for when buying a box of shmura matza is for 6 of the 8 pieces to be unbroken, they laughed it off and wished each other a Chag Kasher V'Sameach. As they were leaving one friend said to the other, "I give you a bracha that this year all your matzahs should be whole." His friend thought he said "old" instead of "whole," while another thought he was wishing him matzot with lots of "holes," and everyone walked out with a smile on their face.

But it got me thinking, that that bracha, "may all your matzahs be whole," is actually a beautiful bracha. You see, matzah represents two contradictory ideas. On the one hand it is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate as slaves in Egypt. And on the other hand it is the bread of freedom that they ate as they left. Maybe the bracha our friend was really trying to give was that all the things in our life that seem contradictory, that don't seem to fit, should come together and make sense.

You see, to be Shalem, to be whole, does not mean to be one dimensional or simple. It means having different sides, like the 6 sides of a square. It means bringing together multiple perspectives, and letting each contribute to the greater whole. It means that all four sons add something to the Seder, and that all twelve tribes combine to make a Nation.

Shalem also has the same shoresh as Shalom, Peace. Because when we realize that by making room for opposing perspectives and meanings we create a greater whole, we are able to find peace instead of dispute, respect instead of resentment.

To the Jews, leaving Egypt must have seemed strange, and even ironic, to be eating the same slave bread they had eaten all those years, even after they were free. But maybe that was exactly the point. Matzah teaches us that the times of Avdut, of slavery, give meaning to the times of Geula, of Redemption.

Sometimes in life we wish we didn't have to go through certain experiences, and only later do we realize how they helped us grow. Sometimes we meet certain people who think differently than us, and only upon reflection do we sense that our thinking has become just a little bit more sophisticated after considering their perspective.

So this Pesach, among the many beautiful messages that we can learn, let us each receive the bracha that all our matzah should be whole. That we should find meaning and growth from every experience and every person. If we can do that then even those broken shmura matzot will truly have been a worthwhile investment.

Chag Sameach...

If Caine Is Able So Are You

I'm on a plane right now flying back from a great 3 day Yeshiva University School Partnership conference in NY and I have to jot down my reflections while they are still fresh in my mind.

1st and foremost, it is always powerful to get together with others and learn from one another. This conference had over 500 educational leaders from around the country (and the world) all seeking to learn new things, share ideas, and return inspired and invigorated to bring their school to the next level. There were experts giving sessions on 21st century learning, supporting diverse learners, and Day School sustainability. And there were also many opportunities to grab a coffee with a colleague and compare notes or collaborate on a project.

There were many highlights and insights from this conference, but when I reflect on the Big Idea that I kept internalizing again and again throughout the conference it was Promoting Children's Curiosity and Creativity.

It all started with an appearance by Nirvan Mullick the filmmaker of Caine's Arcade, a short documentary about an amazing kid whose dream of creating his own cardboard arcade became a reality beyond his wildest imagination.

http://cainesarcade.com/

After watching the film and hearing in person from Nirvan We had the opportunity to take on the Cardboard Challenge ourselves and build our own Jewish themed games using nothing but raw materials and our creativity. Our group created a Chesed Plinko game, not bad for a 45 minute activity.

In the 21st Century Learning Lab that I attended Heidi Hayes Jacobs exposed us to many web-based apps that kids can use to explore, observe, compare, contrast, predict, and teach. This focus on the child and inquiry-based learning was also emphasized in the presentation by Marie Alcock on the benefits and secrets of teaching through a flipped classroom.

During the conference we were privileged to hear from two amazing keynote speakers: Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and Dr. Tal Ben Shahar. Rabbi Sacks focused his talks on our mission to build future leaders telling us that "good leaders create followers but great leaders create leaders." And Dr. Shahar, an expert on Positive Psychology, encouraged us to focus on the positive with our children and ask them questions like, "What are you good at? What inspires/energizes you?"

Finally, in a breakout session Rabbi Dr. Gil Perl led a session on Developing a 21st Century Judaic Curriculum in which a consensus was reached that in order to inspire our students to grow into proud committed Jewish adults we need to empower them to take ownership of their Judaic development by giving them input into the curriculum and by making the learning experiential.

There were many many other things that we learned at this IJED conference. But as I ask my students to do at the end of a class, I take with me above all else one Big Idea. That every one of our students is a future Jewish Leader, and that, just like Caine, with encouragement, empowerment, a focus on the positive, and an unwavering belief in them, our students and children will develop their own God given talents and realize their amazing potential.

"Let Me Give You The Bracha" - Grandpa's 100th Birthday

Yesterday was a big day in the Levitt family. About 50 relatives from around the country gathered to celebrate my Grandpa Levitt's 100th birthday. It was a beautiful party, with children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren paying tribute to the patriarch of the family.

I looked up what the world looked like in 1913. The Czar was still in power and World War I was about to break out. The average life span was only 52 and the 16th Amendment (federal income tax) was 1st introduced. My grandfather has certainly lived through a lot, to say the least. And he didn't just live through it. He was part of it, having served his country in World War II fighting in the Battle of the Bulge.

My grandfather immigrated to this country as a young boy from Russia, and lived the American dream. He worked hard, became a pharmacist, and put in long hours at Levitt Pharmacy for many years. He found an amazing woman to marry and together they raised my father and my uncle. Sitting there at the party yesterday, together with an extended and devoted family, it was amazing to think of how far he had come.

My favorite moment of the party was when Grandpa gave everyone a big Bracha (blessing). Because Grandpa is famous for his Bracha. Every time any of us speak to him he always says "let me give you the bracha." And he blesses us, whether in person or over the phone, with the words from the Friday night blessing that parents give their children. My father has carried on this tradition of blessing each of his children and grandchildren, and we are each carrying it on with our kids as well.

I was wondering what gift you can give to someone when they turn 100. At the party there were nice tributes and gifts presented. But I think the best gift we can give Grandpa is for him to see that we are carrying on his legacy of hard work, of respect, of devotion to family. That we are taking all his Brachot and passing them on.

Happy Birthday Grandpa. May Hashem continue to bless you and Grandma with good health and nachat. And may we merit to continue receiving and passing on your Brachot for many years to come.

Leaving Home

I'm on a flight back to Houston now from Boston where I've had the incredible privilege to spend the last week learning about the Art of Leadership at the Harvard Graduate School of Education together with 150 other school principals from around the country, and indeed, the world. It has been an amazing week and I'd like to share some of the highlights.

1st of all, it was great to be back in my hometown! I grew up in Boston but my family has since moved, so this was a rare opportunity for me to come back. Walking the streets of Cambridge, catching a Red Sox game at Fenway, strolling along the Charles river, enjoying a great meal at Rubins Deli, riding the "T," and hearing the local news (and accents) on tv, all made me feel right at home.

I also really enjoyed connecting with other people and building a network of principals with whom to share ideas or seek advice in the future. And on this trip I was fortunate to be part of two amazing groups.

The 1st group was the team of 11 principals from Jewish Day Schools around the country who were brought to Harvard by AviChai in order to develop our leadership and make our schools even better. We shared meals, spent Shabbat together, and met throughout the week (often after a long day of Harvard sessions) to discuss how we can use the learning from Harvard to enhance the Jewish missions of our schools. Though the group was a diverse mix, we all supported one another and learned from each other. And we enjoyed each other's company as well.

The other group I spent a lot of time with at Harvard was the small group I was assigned to by Harvard. At least once a day we took a break from the big group of 150 and met with our small group of about 15 to discuss what we were learning and to help each other apply the learning to our own contexts. We had a really great group of people, each of whom taught me a lot. Some members came from states like TX, CA, and FL, while others came from countries as far as India and Australia. What was amazing was how close we all felt to each other after being total strangers just 7 days before.

Part of the reason we became so close so quickly was because Harvard took us all to a place called Project Adventure on the 2nd day of the institute. It was basically an all day team building experience out in the woods. There were ropes courses and many other team building games. It was a really fun way to get to know each other and to drive home the message that we can accomplish more than we think we are capable of when we know others are there to celebrate our successes and to soften our falls. It made me think that if total strangers with such different backgrounds can bond so closely in such a short time, we can certainly do some great team building at school, both for staff and for students.

One additional note about my small group. I felt very accepted by the group in terms of being a Rabbi. They understood about my practice not to touch women (which I'm sure seemed very strange), or about why I could not join them for the clambake (all I can say on that is wow! You have to see one to know what I am talking about), or about why I had to miss the session on Shabbat morning. They were very respectful and actually interested to learn more about Judaism. So that also helped me feel very supported. And in general during the conference, Harvard went out of their way to make our AviChai group feel comfortable and to provide kosher snacks, etc...

Ok, so I've shared how being in Boston and how connecting with other people made the week special. That brings me to the heart of why this week was so powerful for me, and that was the Harvard experience itself.

I cannot tell you how great it felt to be a student again. Which is funny, because I can remember once upon a time longing for school to be over. But being accepted to such a prestigious program and learning from some of the top experts in the field of educational leadership was so fulfilling. And walking around Harvard with my student ID (including eating a kosher meal in the Harvard Faculty Lounge, having my phone go off in the Reading Room of the Widener Library, and eating lunch in Haaavaahd Yaaahd) reminded me of just how much I love learning and studying.

Each morning we would show up to the lecture by 8:30 sharp. Dr. Pamela Mason from Harvard, who ran the institute, would start the day asking "who is feeling lucky?" and she would then draw three names to see who would win a Harvard keychain. This was an incentive to come on time, but as one participant reflected on the last day, it was also a reminder to each of us to remember how lucky we are to have the opportunity to inspire and empower children every day when we show up to work. Dr. Mason would then ask if anyone wanted to "celebrate the success." And each day would begin with several people sharing successes they had as a way of inspiring others.

As to the sessions themselves, most of us can't imagine sitting through more than about a 20 minute speech before we start to fidget and check our phones. But each morning and each afternoon there was a 3 hour lecture (with a 15 minute break in the middle). And do you know what? With maybe one exception, every single speaker was so interesting, engaging, and entertaining, that I found the time flying by as I tried to take notes on all the concepts I was learning.

There was some sharing of research, and some teaching of new skill sets (ex. Teacher Supervision and Writing Across the Curriculum). There was inspiration and reflection on why what we do is so critical. But the biggest learning for me over the conference was the emphasis on new mindsets that have the potential to make us more effective school leaders. We learned about Social Perspective Taking (the ability to see things from the other person's perspective), about the Immunity to Change (a way of digging deep to see why we hold ourselves back from accomplishing the goals we set for ourselves), and about Adaptive Leadership styles (how our thoughts and actions effect the way others react to us). I really wasn't sure what to expect when I got to Harvard, but I can tell you that it was the greatest professional development program I have ever been on. And I think what I have learned this past week will help me be not only a better school leader, but also a better person.

So the question now becomes what will I do with all this learning? How will I bring it back to my reality and make sure it doesn't get left behind in Boson?

I read an interesting quote just now in the in-flight magazine:

"Success isn't how far you got, but the distance you traveled from where you started." (Steve Prefontaine)

I don't know yet "how far I've got" from this institute. I need to spend some time processing everything and making some action plans. But I do know that I've traveled a long way from where I started.

As this flight lands in Houston I am both leaving home and coming home. And it reminds me of something one of the speakers talked about on the very 1st day of the institute. She said sometimes, when you want to bring others along with you and share your passion, inspiration, and vision, it can take a little while for them to "leave home," to be open to considering a new way of looking at things.

As I return home to my family what I do know is that I have left home. I have left my hometown of Boston. But more importantly, I have "left home" on some of the mindsets I used to have. And I am very excited and hopeful about the direction I am headed.

My Most Important Students

Six years ago today Hashem blessed us with the birth of our twins, Rina and Simcha. On one level it seems like so long ago, when you think of all the memories, the diapers changed, bottles fed, and bruises kissed. And on the other hand it feels like just yesterday. Suffice it today that June 13th, 2007 (like the 613 mitzvot) will always be one of the happiest days of our lives.

It's amazing to see them grow up, not only physically, but in every way. They are so smart, so funny, and already you can see their unique personalities and middot tovot developing. It's also amazing to see how their older sister Shira is growing, both as a big sister, and as a young woman in her own right (about to enter High School!). We feel blessed to be on this incredible journey, even with its twists and turns, and are so grateful to Hashem for everything.

I once heard from Rabbi JJ Shachter that sometimes mechanchim (Jewish educators) work so hard to inspire and teach those around them that they take for granted that their most important students, their own children, will follow as well. And that is why Hashem had to remind Avraham ״כי ביצחק יקרא לך זרע״ - "Your ancestry will come through Yitzchak." I hope and pray that Hashem will continue to guide us in raising our children the right way, and that we remember that the lessons we teach at home are the most powerful lessons of all.

So I guess the lesson of this post is to appreciate everything you have, to buckle up for the journey, and to remember that we are all teachers, all of the time. The question is, will we put in the time to prepare great lessons?

The Last Day of School

I can't believe an entire school year has come and gone! It feels like we just left our friends in FL and moved to TX. And yet, today was the last day of school!

How do you summarize a year?

There were meetings. Lots of meetings! And programs, and trips, and emails, and phone calls. There was curriculum, and professional development, and mentoring. There was laughter, and frustration, and exhaustion. There were successes as well as mistakes. There was learning and discovery, courage and fear. There was a never-ending desire to make things better, and still there was pride in the good things being done. There were days that everything went right, and days when nothing seemed to go as planned. There was rarely a quiet moment, and never any boredom. There was almost never energy at the end of the day to update this blog. There were 265 beautiful kids and their amazing teachers who made each day inspiring and meaningful. And there was a loving and supportive wife who helped me every step of the way.