November 5, 2009

When it came to choosing a high school, you could say that Sabrina Livne-Kennedy did her homework.

After starting ninth grade in public school in 2006, the Ojai teen’s desire for a Jewish education and a more rigorous curriculum led her to move in with her father in Los Angeles and transfer midyear to Shalhevet School.

But Shalhevet’s Modern Orthodox teachings were out of synch with Livne-Kennedy’s Conservative leanings, so she found herself by year’s end looking once again for a solution to her scholastic conundrum.

That’s when she discovered the Greensboro, N.C.-based American Hebrew Academy (AHA). Now 17, the high school senior and aspiring pediatrician hasn’t looked back.

She’s not alone. Since it opened its doors in September 2001, AHA, the nation’s only pluralistic Jewish college prep boarding school, has become the academic choice of a small but growing number of Los Angeles-area students. Originally conceived as a resource for families in communities with no Jewish high schools, the school’s L.A. contingent has grown by four or five students annually since 2006, with six currently enrolled. Similar trends are occurring in New York, Miami and other major Jewish population centers.

Why would parents in the second-largest Jewish community in the United States send their child 3,000 miles away to a Jewish high school when they have multiple alternatives closer to home?

“When we’ve questioned parents about what attracted them to the academy, we find that the academy offers students not competition, but a model of Jewish education that’s quite different and unique than traditional Jewish high school models,” said Glenn Drew, AHA’s executive director.

That model, Drew says, is a blend of a nationally accredited college prep program and Judaic studies courses, combined with the bonding and camaraderie that is at the core of the Jewish summer camp experience, and an intensive, 12-week experiential learning opportunity in Israel that is mandatory in the junior year. Founder Maurice “Chico” Sabbah, a Sephardic philanthropist and ardent Zionist, fulfilled his vision to create an elite academic center where Jewish teens would live and learn together in a collaborative spirit regardless of their religious affiliation or cultural background.

“When you combine the sum of the parts, you get a whole you couldn’t even begin to measure,” said Drew, a nephew of Sabbah. “That’s the secret of the academy’s success, one all-encompassing experience for teens.”

That and an abundance of cutting-edge technology and rich educational and extracurricular activities situated on a majestic setting. Designed by renowned architect Aaron Green, a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright, the 100-acre lakeside campus is marked by Jerusalem stone buildings integrated into their lush surroundings. All students are given laptop computers and classrooms are equipped with SMART boards, ELMO projectors and equipment that records and stores what happens in class, giving students and their parents 24-hour access. A $15 million, 88,000-square-foot athletic center and boathouse provide a training center for eight interscholastic and three intramural sports.

All that comes at a hefty price, though one that is comparable to other Jewish high schools. Tuition for 2009 was set at $26,340, though nearly 60 percent of AHA’s 160 students from 23 states and 14 foreign countries receive some sort of financial aid.

Regardless of where the students are from, administrators have found the concept of a Jewish boarding school a hard sell to parents, especially since before AHA it hadn’t existed outside the Orthodox yeshiva setting.

“We had to create the understanding and instill confidence in parents that this was a model that had tremendous benefits, that was safe for their children, and that what they’d see in their children was an incredible sense of maturity, independence, knowledge and Jewish values that would make the personal sacrifice they were making as parents well worth it,” Drew said.

“My friends can’t wrap their minds around it, and it’s so sad because it’s such a great school,” said Lyn Ayal of Malibu. Ayal’s daughter, Danielle, graduated from AHA in May; her son, Alex, is currently a sophomore.

Adolescence is a good time in a child’s life to attend boarding school, she said, because it gives them a sense of freedom in a structured environment and teaches them critical life skills, such as time management, financial responsibility and independence.

Getting her children away from Los Angeles’ notorious social pressure was another major factor in Ayal’s choice of AHA for her children.

“It gets a bit superficial in L.A. because so many people are connected to showbiz,” she said. “You don’t have that at AHA. The girls aren’t wearing makeup, no diamond jewelry, no lululemon yoga pants. It’s all about being a kid. They just care if you’re a nice person.”

“[The social pressure] was not what I wanted,” said Danielle Ayal, now a freshman at UC Berkeley. “I wanted to learn things without worrying about all those stupid things that don’t really matter. North Carolina was definitely like that.”

That nonjudgmental environment is reflected in AHA’s diverse denominational student population, where 18 percent define themselves as Modern Orthodox, 24 percent as Conservative, 28 percent Reform and the rest, rejecting the perceived confines of denominational descriptions, self-identify as “just Jewish.” While the school holds religious services for each denomination, it also exposes students to Judaism’s full range of customs, traditions and teachings, breaking down barriers and fostering a greater sense of Jewish identity over time, according to Drew.

For Alex Ayal, 14, AHA’s religious and cultural diversity provides the ultimate learning experience.

“The best thing for me about going to the American Hebrew Academy is the potential for learning. When you group together people from all around the world into a prestigious boarding school, you have so many things to learn, not just from your classes, which already provide so much, but from the kids around you.”

Young athletes will combine core sports training with a Jewish summer camp experience for the first time when the 6 Points Sports Academy opens its doors in June 2010 at American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, N.C.

Part of the Union for Reform Judaism’s family of summer camps, the 6 Points Sports Academy will provide four hours of daily instruction in boys and girls basketball, soccer and tennis, boys baseball and girls lacrosse to campers ages 10 to 15. When they’re not training, campers will enjoy traditional camp activities led by Jewish counselors.

“For a long time, young Jewish athletes and their parents had to choose between top-level sports training or a Jewish values-infused camp,” said Randy Colman, director of 6 Points Sports Academy. “Not anymore. Young girls and boys can spend their summer in intensive programs to improve their athletic skills while enjoying a Reform Jewish camp environment. Our campers will come away with learning and values that will help them both on and off the field.”

The camp will also emphasize proper nutrition, conditioning and wellness to instill healthy habits that will guide the athletes throughout their lives, Colman said.

Two hours each day will be devoted to cross training in one of several electives including swimming, kayaking, group exercise and nutrition class. Instruction will be provided by college and high school-level coaches.

The 6 Points Sports Academy is one of six new, innovative nonprofit camps to open this summer as part of the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Specialty Camps Incubator Program. Funded by the San Francisco-based Jim Joseph Foundation, the incubator program addresses growing demand by parents and children for high-quality specialty summer camp options that integrate Jewish culture, according to the Foundation for Jewish Camp Interim CEO Maggie Bar-Tura. Six Points received a $1.1 million grant from the Jim Joseph Foundation payable over five years. The camp is offering three 12-day sessions, with tuition of $2,250.

For more information, visit www.6pointsacademy.org.

I am a Jew, a Marlborough graduate, a Pacific Palisadian and now a freshman Yalie. Last summer, I was also a participant in the Dr. Bessie F. Lawrence International Summer Science Institute (ISSI) at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science, and I guess I could also be considered a “science nerd.”

The Weizmann Institute program brings together 18-year-olds interested in science research from 18 countries — United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Hungary, Serbia, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Kazakhstan and Israel — to work in their laboratories. I worked on a project exploring the neurobiological association between major depressive disorder and substance use disorder. I would love to go into the specifics of that project, but space is limited, and, given that, I prefer to describe the experience of this program beyond rats and micropipettes. What will remain with me, and what is probably more interesting to you, is the ongoing dialogue about science, religion and politics among people from all over the world in a place of undeniable tension. Below are a few of the many lessons I learned and hope you can learn vicariously through me.

History is best left in the past. Our first weekend in Israel we traveled from Rehovot (where the Weizmann is located) to Jerusalem and, as is custom, carved out half a day to visit Yad Vashem (the Holocaust memorial). I had visited twice before, but never in a group with non-Jews and definitely never in a group with non-Jewish Germans. As we walked through the exhibition, our tour guide recited the chronology of the Holocaust: “The Germans” did this, “The Germans” did that, etc. Each time he said it, I felt a pang of guilt, wanting to whisper into my friends’ ears “I know it wasn’t you! I don’t blame you!” It felt as if time had reversed itself — Germans feeling attacked in a characteristically Jewish place, and it simply wasn’t right. Knowledge of history does not necessarily protect us from its re-creation; rather it is the knowledge that history is in the past that might save us.

There is always another side. In Israel, large groups always travel with a security guard, someone who is usually fresh out of the army. One afternoon in Jerusalem, our security guard sat with us on the bus and was asked what he, as an Israeli, thought of the Obama administration, the Cairo speech and the “two-state solution” in general. His response was really quite simple. He described the physical struggle his friends endured to pull people out of their homes in the Gaza settlements. To him, the “two-state solution” was a nice idea, but insanely unrealistic. Just because something is “politically correct” in the current ideological climate of the West does not mean it is correct. In fact, the word “correct” is hazy and misleading.

We still haven’t gotten over the Enlightenment. Hands down, Israel is one of the strangest places in the world to conduct science. We were constantly forced to switch perspectives. Lab work took the enlightened perspective that humans are omnipotent, because we can use our minds to solve any problem. Visiting Israel’s holiest sites took the Biblical perspective that God is omnipotent because He created the world. To reconcile the two is something I found that many struggle with. One night in Eilat, I was talking with two friends of mine on the beach, as we dipped our toes in the Red Sea. Someone posed the question of evolution versus creationism, and we all said we believe in both. How? Because we just do.

People are people are people. The night before my 18th birthday was the night we slept outside at the base of Masada. We were all exhausted from four days of hiking and the unrelenting, smothering heat. As it got closer and closer to midnight, and I was otherwise distracted, a few people would say “32 minutes” or “17 minutes.” But at midnight, the friends I had made during the past month started screaming the “Happy Birthday” song at the top of their lungs. I’m sure it was annoying to hear a song sung in English, Swiss and Israeli accents, especially to those who were already asleep, but it made me happy. How different can we all really be?

For information on how to apply for the Dr. Bessie F. Lawrence International Summer Science Institute (ISSI) at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science, visit www.weizmann.ac.il/young/issi.

Marissa Caan is a freshman at Yale University.

Four Jewish educators were surprised with $15,000 Milken Family Foundation Jewish Educator Awards on Oct. 13. Foundation Executive Vice President Richard Sandler recognized this year’s recipients, Shelley Lawrence, Melanie Berkey, Rabbi Mitchel Malkus and Rabbi Dov Goldman, at surprise assemblies at their respective schools. Also participating in the ceremonies were Gil Graff and Aviva Kadosh of the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Los Angeles, which has co-administered the award since it was established in 1990.

Lawrence has been the lower school director for Sinai Akiba Academy in Westwood since 2001, and was honored for her leadership, including her dedication to training teachers in innovative and student-oriented classroom methods. “I really, truly feel that I have the best job anywhere,” Lawrence said.

Berkey, chair of the English department and a teacher at Shalhevet High School, is a student favorite who was honored for her work in propelling students to excellence. In addition to raising the bar as department chair, she is also involved in softball and volleyball coaching.

Malkus is head of school at Temple Beth Am’s Pressman Academy, and was recognized for his innovative methods of educating youth. Under his tutelage, the preschool introduced Hebrew immersion, and the program now extends through the fifth grade.

Goldman is a fourth- and fifth-grade Jewish studies teacher at Cheder Menachem boys’ school and constantly challenges his students to aim higher. He was honored for creating programs to inspire achievement among his students. One parent said of him, “Rabbi Goldman never removes his jacket. If he did, you would see his wings.”

“With these awards, we acknowledge our debt to the men and women whose intelligence, scholarship, commitment and compassion not only help young people achieve individual success, but also help ensure the continuation of the heritage that gives meaning to that success,” said Lowell Milken, chairman and co-founder of the Milken Family Foundation.

The recipients will be honored at a luncheon Dec. 10.

Jewish Family Service (JFS) of Los Angeles supplied 1,100 disadvantaged children in the Los Angeles Unified School District with new backpacks filled with school supplies through its Tools for Schools program.

The program, now in its third year of operation, provides backpacks with supplies including pens, rulers, erasers, notebooks and other school necessities to children whose families are helped by one of the JFS social service programs. “Due to the financial hardship faced by many in our community, the need for basic school supplies was even higher this year,” said Paul S. Castro, JFS CEO/executive director. 

This year, Tools for Schools enlisted the help of campers at Camp Ramah in Ojai, who helped put the backpacks together as part of a social action project.

“Tools for School is a simple yet very powerful project whose goal is to prepare children to start the school year with the tools they need to feel prepared, motivated and proud to attend school,” said Sherri Kadovitz, JFS community outreach coordinator, who oversees the project. “Studies have shown that children who have the basic tools required in the classroom actually have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem, leading to greater achievement and socialization in school.”

For more information about Tools for Schools, contact Sherri Kadovitz, (323) 761-8800.

The Shalhevet High School Choir was one of eight groups performing Sunday, Oct. 25, at the eighth annual Daniel Pearl World Music Days festival concert at the Ikeda Auditorium in Santa Monica. Also on the program were the American Victory Orchestra, the Buddhist-affiliated ensemble group that organizes the concert, conducted by Patrick Scott; a Cambodian girls dance troupe in traditional costume; the world champion acrobatic dancing duo Realis; sopranos Alise Richel and Connie Smith; and jazz saxophonist Bernie Maupin of Herbie Hancock fame, who closed the concert accompanied by the orchestra.

About 700 people attended the concert, which was one of more than 3,100 to be held this month dedicated to the memory of slain journalist Daniel Pearl. Pearl, who grew up in Encino, was South Asia bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal when he was kidnapped and murdered by al-Qaeda terrorists in Pakistan just after the 9/11 attacks.

Pearl’s parents, Ruth and UCLA professor Judea Pearl, addressed the audience and said they always attend this particular concert because of its international flavor and because it pre-dates the formation of their foundation, which seeks to advance their son’s ideals of peace and global understanding. 

Shalhevet’s 20-voice a capella choir, the only Jewish group on the program, sang Ernst Toch’s “Geographical Fugue” along with “Hiney Ba Hashalom,” by Mosh Ben Ari, in an arrangement by Pizmon, the Jewish a capella group of Columbia University.

Asked why the couple had founded the festival, which sponsors concerts in places as far away as Slovenia, Saudi Arabia, China and Sudan in addition to all over the United States, Judea Pearl said that at Danny’s death, he and his wife had the feeling that it was a unique moment in world history, when people everywhere were feeling very emotional and very united.

“Those moments don’t come along very often — fortunately,” he said. “And we thought, ‘We have to use it, for good.’”

The Shalhevet choir is directed by Joelle Keene. It will perform again at the annual dinner of the Los Angeles Holocaust Memorial and Monument at the Beverly Hills Hotel Nov. 8.