Recent Happenings
September 11
Rabbi Benay Lappe at Westover School
October 6 and 12
High Holiday assemblies with Rabbi Josh Lookstein and Storahtelling at Trinity School
October 8-9
Jewbilee Student Board retreat
in the Berkshires
October 18
Sukkot at Miss Porter’s School
October 21
Shabbat dinner at Phillips Andover Academy
October 24
First meeting for newly founded Jewish student club at Cheshire Academy
October 27
Open School Night at Riverdale Country School with screening of “Trembling Before G-d” and discussion with director Sandi Dubowski
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 A Word from Eileen Gress, Executive Director
Unity through diversity. This simply stated theme reflects a growing commitment among independent schools not only to cherish their students’ cultures, but to foster common bonds among all students.
The Curriculum Initiative (TCI) makes a unique contribution to that end. Our commitment is to strengthen Jewish students’ connection to their heritage in ways that foster an inclusive school community.
We provide schools with resources and engaging facilitators for Jewish affinity groups; expert speakers for classroom and school-wide presentations; and professional development at our annual summer institute.
This e-update highlights TCI’s new student leadership board, an important addition to our programming. The board is composed of talented teens who are not only helping to plan Jewbilee, our annual student retreat, they are also developing their leadership capacity to foster diversity programming at their schools. We invite you to read along.
If you’d like more information about TCI, contact us at info@tcionline.org.
Eileen Gress
Executive Director
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First TCI Student Board Meets to Plan Jewbilee 2006
Josh Schultz, Phillips Andover Academy, jots notes during the retreat
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"I learned how certain things can only be accomplished through teamwork..."…
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Nine of us were packed on top of a small 3’ x 6’ drop-cloth, listening closely to the instructor as he set the stage for a team-building exercise: “Okay, imagine that you’re standing on a lifeboat and you have to get to shore…except that the lifeboat has capsized and you have to right it, without coming into contact with the frigid water. Oh, and by the way, three of you can’t see,” he chirped as he tied blindfolds around three students’ heads.
Thus began two days of intensive work and fun for TCI’s Student Board, a newly formed group of exceptional private school Jewish student leaders who gathered with TCI staff at the Berkshires-based Becket-Chimney Corners Outdoor Center in October to plan Jewbilee 2006. Jewbilee is TCI’s annual student retreat, which will take place February 4-5 at Milton Academy in Massachusetts.
The record-breaking rainfall did not ruin student and staff spirits. We were in and out of doors — participating in team-building activities; scrambling up rock climbing walls; hiking through soggy woods; contemplating Jewish texts—all activities that brought us together and stimulated us to build a framework for Jewbilee. Click here to learn more.
Adam Gaynor and Adrien Uretsky, Regional Directors, with the Jewbilee Student Board
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Staff
Executive Director
Eileen Gress
Deputy Director
Michele Israel
Bay Area Regional Director
Adrian Schrek
New England Regional Director
Adrien Uretsky
New York Regional Director
Adam Gaynor
Editor
Michelle Kay
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JEWBILEE:
