Religious School Honored by Debbie Deitch

The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism is pleased to announce that Congregation B’nai Shalom’s Religious School has been recognized as a Framework for Excellence School. CBS Religious School is the first school in Northern California and fourth in the state to receive this status and is the seventy-third school out of a possible 610 affiliated schools nationwide to be recognized, marking it as one of the top religious schools in the country.

This prestigious certification marks the fact that our school has met rigorous standards in all academic areas that include: professional development, Shabbat programming, curriculum development, and family education. Further, this certification demonstrates our school program meets all of the goals, aims, and benchmarks necessary to be considered a school of exceptional academic quality.
As a Framework for Excellence School, our school has been recognized for its ability to integrate formal and informal educational programming in a seamless way, further highlighting the importance of both. This standard for academic excellence also recognizes the Congregation’s success in creating a partnership between the professional staff and the lay leadership in building the kind of relationships that result in establishing high-quality, meaning centered religious school learning opportunities.

The Education Committee and the CBS Board recognize the years of commitment to excellence in education from our Religious School staff, students and families, past committee members and Board members as being instrumental in the success of our school. Without the continual striving, re-evaluation, and dedication for improvement that both professional staff and lay leadership have shown, we would not have been in a position to apply for and be considered as a Framework for Excellence School.

Especially noteworthy is the contagious, enthusiastic energy of Educational Director, Eliyahu Krigel. He is an accomplished educator, driven to provide exciting, kid friendly, high quality, joyful education for our students. Eliyahu has put his mark on the school and congregation by propelling it to national heights of recognition. The momentum for becoming recognized as a Framework for Excellence School was initiated by Eliyahu this fall and was fulfilled largely because of his vision and hard work.

Rabbi Glenn Karonsky, Executive Director at the Center for Jewish Living & Learning sponsored by the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay congratulates our community by saying: “On behalf of the Federation President, Eileen Ruby, CJLL Chair, Jennifer Miller, and Federation CEO, Loren Basch, I send along a well deserved ‘Kol ha-Kavod’ and congratulations to the stewards of the CBS religious school. Those of us who have worked with you collegially here in the community have long known about the quality of B’nai Shalom’s educational programming and indeed you have stood out as a model of excellence over all these years. You are more then deserving of this high honor and national recognition. This is a moment to ‘shep nachas’ and to acknowledge the fine professional - lay partnership that both share in the pride of this accomplishment. May you continue from strength to strength.”

The highly capable staff of teachers at our school is enhanced by the teachings and presence of Rabbi Gordon Freeman and Hazzan Marc Dinkin. The Rabbi and Hazzan meet with sixth and seventh grade students and play a pivotal and inspirational role in the B’nai Mitzvah process at our school. Together all of our leaders are exemplary role models for their students as they are encouraged in the sacred task of transmitting and understanding the Jewish tradition.

Deeply satisfied, Eliyahu adds, “I feel the award represents the ideal vision and purpose of teaching, which aims, at our school, to support and challenge the understanding process of the students through relevant exercises and meaningful work. I’m honored to be involved with a community who puts learning first.” The United Synagogue Framework for Excellence certification is a testimony to the fact that our school and community have assembled a solid educational team that works closely with lay leaders, parents, and students to create and sustain a unique school, insuring the future of Judaism in America.

February 2005