By Emily K. Alhadeff, Associate Editor, The Jewish Sound
This fall the Seattle Hebrew Academy welcomes Rabbi Daniel Loew to its faculty as principal, a new position created to bridge the school’s Judaic and general studies.
Loew comes to the Modern Orthodox, dual-curriculum, early childhood-8th grade day school from the Hebrew High School of New England, where he had been head of school since 2005.
Loew’s appointment follows SHA’s new strategic plan, which seeks to achieve academic excellence, optimize enrollment, create a more sustainable financial model, and to expand the school’s role in the Modern Orthodox community.
“We are very determined to be the epicenter of Modern Orthodoxy,” SHA head of school Rivy Poupko Kletenik told the Jewish Sound. “We want to see ourselves having a role in the community at large.”
One aspect of achieving this goal is to better bridge “Torah u’madah,” or Jewish studies and general studies.
“The more that we can do to bring the two departments closer together, the more learning will happen in the classroom,” Kletenik said. “What has been troubling me for several years is the separation of departments. In the morning they learn about Greeks — how great the Greeks are. In the afternoon they learn about Hanukkah and how horrible the Greeks are. Well, which one is it?”
Students end up compartmentalizing their brains the same way their days are compartmentalized, Kletenik said.
“We don’t want that for our kids,” she continued. “We need a synthesized self. We need someone whose two parts of their brain are talking to each other.”
As principal, Loew will be the “central address” for all teachers in the K-8 program.
“As a Modern Orthodox school, the Torah informs our lives, and faithfulness to our tradition is absolutely paramount,” said Loew. “At the same time, that leaves so much opportunity and room for learning other disciplines.”
“This is big news,” said Kletenik. “I don’t know of other schools that have this structure.”
Jewish day schools across the country struggle with the financial burden placed on families, retaining teachers who could earn more in the public school system, and keeping educational standards top-notch. SHA’s strategic plan seems to be tackling this trifecta of issues by improving the financial model, educational approach, and community relationships.
“People will recognize the value of this education and continue to invest in it,” said Kletenik.
Raising the quality of the education at his previous institution is something Loew feels proud of.
“The faculty in the classrooms [is] the front line,” said Loew. “I’ve been really pleased to work with the faculty at SHA. They seem really passionate and dedicated and professional. That’s really where the success of the school lies: To empower the faculty to do what they do best.”
Loew and his wife, Chanie, moved here from Hartford, Conn. with their five children — four boys in 9th grade and under, and a 3-year-old girl. Feeling it was time for a change, Loew says they were open to anything when the job with SHA came around. He said they’ve been warmly welcomed into the community and feel privileged to be here.
“Things just sort of fell into place in terms of what I was looking for and what SHA was looking for,” he said. “This just seemed to be the place where God wanted us.”