Author: Jon Mitzmacher

Dr. Jon Mitzmacher is the Head of the Ottawa Jewish Community School. Jon is studying to be a rabbi at the Academy for Jewish Religion and is on the faculty of the Day School Leadership Training Institute (DSLTI) as a mentor. He was most recently the VP of Innovation for Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools.  He is the former Executive Director of the Schechter Day School Network.  He is also the former head of the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School, a K-8 Solomon Schechter, located in Jacksonville, FL, and part of the Jacksonville Jewish Center.  He was the founding head of the Solomon Schechter Day School of Las Vegas.  Jon has worked in all aspects of Jewish Education from camping to congregations and everything in between.

Looking Backwards to Look Forward #6: The “J” in “OJCS”

What does the “J” in “OJCS” (really) stand for?

When I first posed that question in a blog post back in October 2017 (The Transparency Files: Let’s Talk About the “J” In OJCS), it was not rhetorical. It was existential.  It was a genuine inquiry into who we were, Jewishly, as a school — and more importantly, who we aspired to become.

This post marks the final entry in our Looking Backwards to Look Forward series.  It is not my farewell post — that will come in due course — but it is my last opportunity in this format to reflect on one of the great honours of my professional life: stewarding the Jewish mission and vision of the Ottawa Jewish Community School.

Over the past eight years, we have done the hard work — and the heart work — of bringing clarity, coherence, rigour and joy to Jewish life at OJCS.  And in doing so, we’ve ensured that the “J” is no longer a question mark.  It’s a celebration.

Looking Backward: From Fog to Framework

The journey to articulate our Jewish vision began in earnest with our Jewish Town Halls (Part I | Part II).  We asked our stakeholders — students, teachers, parents, board members, rabbis — what kind of Jewish community school they wanted.  What kind of Judaism we should model. What values we should lift up.

From those conversations emerged not just answers, but a framework.  We identified four core drivers of Jewish life at OJCS:

  1. Ritual & Practice – From the joyful chaos of Kabbalat Shabbat to our revamped Tefillah curriculum, from the Chaggim to Shavuat HaRuach, we infused our calendar — and our classrooms — with meaningful Jewish rhythm.

  2. Text & Literacy – We expanded Jewish Studies and Hebrew instruction, introduced Rabbinics, and made sacred text a daily companion, not an occasional visitor.  Hebrew fluency – embedded into our mission from the beginning – is the key that unlocks all doors; the spine upon which the Jewish Studies program is built.

  3. Community & Mitzvot – The Rabbi Bulka Kindness Projects, family learning programs, and Middle School Retreats gave students a chance to live their values, not just learn about them.

  4. Israel & Zionism – We built a curriculum that treated Israel not as a postcard or a prayer, but as a complex, beloved homeland — worthy of both celebration and critical engagement.

These weren’t abstract ideas.  They became lived experiences.  The joy on the faces of Kitah Alef students receiving their first siddurim at Kabbalat Ha’Siddur — not as a trophy, but as a tool (The Gift of Joyful Prayer).  The pride of Middle Schoolers singing Kabbalat Shabbat at Hillel Lodge, leading Yom HaZikaron ceremonies, or offering divrei Torah from our bimah.  The contagious joy of Jewish learning, song, dance, and pride that began to echo through our halls.

October 7th: A Test of Vision and Values

And then came October 7th.

Like every Jewish institution around the world, we were shaken.  But we were not unmoored.

What we had built together — a Jewish school anchored in pride, pluralism, and purpose — held fast.  In the days and weeks that followed, we leaned into our Jewishness.  We stood with Israel.  We created space for grief, for solidarity, for complex conversations. And just as importantly, we insisted on joy.

Because Jewish joy — especially in the shadow of antisemitism and violence — is not naïve.  It is defiant.  It is resilient.  It is necessary.

We didn’t cancel our celebrations.  We deepened them.  We didn’t shrink our curriculum.  We sharpened it.  And through it all, our students felt what we hoped they would: that being Jewish is a gift, not a burden; a source of strength, not fear.

Looking Forward: The Work Ahead

Clarifying our Jewish mission didn’t conclude the work.  It began it.

The next phase belongs to those who come next — to build upon the pluralistic adventure we’ve begun.  To ensure that ritual deepens, that literacy expands, that connection grows, and that the joy of being Jewish at OJCS never dims, even when the world feels dark.

Pluralism is not easy.  It never was.  But we have shown that it is possible. That children can grow up learning that there are many authentic ways to be Jewish — and that what unites us is stronger than what divides us.  That sacred disagreement can be a sacred gift.  We model the Jewish value of machloket l’shem shamayim — argument for the sake of Heaven, i.e., disagreements that are principled, respectful, and in pursuit of truth rather than ego or power.  [The origin of that phrase is Pirkei Avot 5:17.]

And that is the “J” we want our students to carry with them.  Not just into high school, but into life.

Closing: Ivdu Et Hashem B’simcha

There’s a verse from Psalms (100:2) that has echoed in my mind throughout these years: “Ivdu et Hashem b’simcha — Serve God with joy.”  Joy, not as an afterthought.  Joy, as the path.

We’ve tried — in ways large and small — to make OJCS a place where Jewish joy is not only possible, but palpable.  Where learning to chant Torah, or argue Talmud, or dance on Purim, or cry on Yom HaZikaron, are all expressions of what it means to live Jewishly.

And there’s something even deeper.  The joy that comes from seeing a school where students with pe’ot and tzitzit sit at the same lunch tables as students who wear nail polish and identify as non-binary — and nobody flinches.  The joy of a community that does not demand consensus to offer belonging.  A place where “pluralism” isn’t just an aspiration, but a process.

This, I believe, is our true miracle.  Not just that students learn how to lead tefillah — but that they learn how to lead lives of empathy, curiosity, and kavod.  That they come to see disagreement not as a threat, but as an invitation to deeper relationship.  At a time where polarisation and disunity is all around us, OJCS is the rare place where everyone not only has a seat at the table, but they are willing to come in and sit down together.

It has been the blessing of my professional life to walk this path with you. To look back and see how far we’ve come.  To look forward and know that the best is yet to come.

The “J” in OJCS?  It stands for joy.  It stands for Judaism.  And it stands for “just getting started”.

Looking Backwards to Look Forward #5: North Stars

We are, in many ways, a 70-year-old start-up.

When we first described OJCS that way back in early 2018—part legacy, part launch—it was an attempt to name something true and tender.  OJCS had decades of proud history, beloved teachers, loyal families, and deep community roots.  But we were also in the process of becoming something new: more transparent, more innovative, more defined in who we were and what we stood for.

At that time, we were also coming to terms with a generational shift.  As a Canadian Jewish day school, we were perhaps a decade behind our American peers in facing a hard truth: that families were no longer going to choose a Jewish day school simply because it was Jewish.  That reality may have felt new in Ottawa, but it was already well underway across North America.  We needed to clarify our identity, strengthen our programs, and most of all, articulate a compelling reason why a family should choose OJCS.

We knew that solving these wouldn’t just take policies or programs. It would require culture change—and that would require shared language, shared goals, and shared vision.  That’s when the idea of the North Stars was born.

Guiding Light: The Creation of Our North Stars

The North Stars were not handed down by any one individual or department.  They were co-created by our entire school community. Through deep and intentional work with two outstanding educational consultancies—NoTosh, who guided us through strategic framing, and deepened by Silvia Tolisano z”l, who helped us refine our learning principles—we brought together voices from across the school: faculty and staff, administrators and board members, parents and students, alumni and donors.

Through workshops, surveys, town halls, and countless drafts, we asked ourselves and each other:

  • What do we believe to be true about how children learn best?

  • What kind of graduates are we trying to shape?

  • What values do we want to guide our decisions?

  • What makes our school not just good, but worth choosing?

From this rich, communal process, we emerged with a set of six aspirational beliefs—what we came to call our North Stars:

As we wrote in one of the earliest blog posts introducing them:

“We chose the term ‘North Stars’ quite intentionally. North Stars are aspirational.  North Stars help you find your way.  North Stars are what you aim for.  North Stars are bright and visible.  North Stars are eternal.”

From Vision to Practice

Once our North Stars were named, we began the long—and ongoing—work of making them real.

We embedded them into the physical space of the school, into our strategic documents, into our classroom practices, and into our school culture.  They became a touchstone in how we spoke to students, how we evaluated teachers, how we communicated with parents, and how we made leadership decisions.

They showed up in places big and small:

  • We own our own learning. 

    Example: Students maintain digital portfolios, or “blogfolios,” where they document their learning journeys, reflecting on their growth and taking ownership of their educational narratives.

  • Each person is responsible for the other.

    Example: Our community engagement initiatives, such as partnerships with local organizations and social action projects, embody this value by encouraging students to contribute positively to society.  The Rabbi Bulka Kindness Project serves as a clear example.

  • We learn better together.

    Example: Collaborative learning is emphasized through group projects and peer-to-peer teaching, fostering a culture where students and teachers alike benefit from shared knowledge and experiences.

  • We are always on inspiring Jewish journeys.

    Example: Our curriculum integrates Jewish learning with modern experiences, encouraging students to explore their heritage and identity in meaningful ways.

  • There is a floor here, but no ceiling.

    Example: Our commitment to personalized learning ensures that while every student meets rigorous academic standards, there are no limits to how far they can go, with opportunities for enrichment and advanced studies.

  • Ruach (Joyfulness/Spirit)

    Example: Joy and spirit are infused into learning through various programs and celebrations, fostering an environment where enthusiasm and positivity are integral to the educational experience.

As we wrote in a follow-up reflection:

“They’re not decorative statements. They’re action-oriented commitments that should shape what we teach, how we teach, how we lead, and how we relate.”

That’s exactly what happened.

Looking Around and Looking Ahead

Seven years living our North Stars later, it is clear that we are no longer the school we once were.   We now have a clear and compelling value proposition—one rooted in the North Stars we chose, the culture we shaped, and the learning we champion.

That doesn’t mean the work is done.

But it does mean that the purpose of our North Stars has shifted.  In 2018, they were a response to institutional uncertainty.  In 2025, they are anchors of identity.

As we look forward, the work is not to revise or revisit them. It is to reach ever closer.

These North Stars were not meant to be milestones to hit and then move past.  They are permanent touchstones in the sky, fixed points by which we steer the ship.  They continue to ask us hard questions:

  • Are we truly empowering students to own their learning?

  • Are we living the value of mutual responsibility?

  • Are we continuing to meet the moment, as a school for this time?

We believe the answer can keep being “yes”—if we keep following where the North Stars lead.

Two Posts Remain

This is the fifth in a six-part series looking back at the work we’ve done together—and looking forward to where the school may go next.

The final installment, coming soon, will focus on the “J” in OJCS.

And then, one final post will follow: my words of farewell as I prepare to step away from this remarkable school and community.

Until then, I’ll simply say this:

May we always be a school with stars to guide us—and the courage to follow.

A Time To Count; a Time To Be Counted

Here are the words I shared with Kitah Bet this morning in celebration of their Chaggigat Ha’Torah:

There is a time to count, like one does when counting one’s blessings, and there is a time to be counted, like one does when showing up for oneself, one’s family, and one’s community.  Today is a rare opportunity to do both.

Today we celebrate the gift of Torah, and in this week’s reading of it—Parashat Bamidbar—we encounter the census of the Israelites in the wilderness.  This detailed counting of each tribe and individual highlights the significance of every member within the community.  Each person’s unique role and contribution are recognized and valued.  This notion resonates deeply with us today, as we mark a moment in which our children, our families, and our school joyfully write our stories into the Jewish narrative.

Bamidbar not only reminds us that each person matters—it reminds us how we matter.  In the wilderness, the Mishkan and the Ark of the Covenant were placed at the very center of the camp.  Every tribe encamped around Torah. Every journey began with Torah.  Torah was the heart of the community.  So too here at OJCS.  In our classrooms, hallways, assemblies, and celebrations—Torah is our anchor and our compass.  (Dare I say…a North Star?)  And for our students in Kitah Bet, who today receive their own Torah, it becomes something more personal: a source of joy, a sense of pride, and a connection to a much larger whole.

As it says in Pirkei Avot: “תַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה כְּנֶגֶד כֻּלָּם – the study of Torah is equal to them all.”  Why?  Because Talmud Torah is not only about learning what Judaism says; it is about discovering who we are, and what it means to live a Jewish life of meaning and purpose.  And at OJCS, that learning is joyful.  It’s a Torah learned through song and story, drama and dance, chagigot and blogfolios.  It’s a Torah that children can taste and touch and carry.

In the shadow of current events, when public expressions of Judaism sometimes feel vulnerable, this school remains a sacred space of safety, of pride, and of unfiltered Jewish joy.  Here, our children get to experience what it means to be publicly and unapologetically Jewish—through love, not fear; through celebration, not silence.  This is where Judaism is lived out loud, in bright vibrant colours, and with hearts wide open.

That is why, as was true with the siddur they received at the end of Kitah Alef, the Torah they receive at the end of Kitah Bet is not intended to be a trophy to sit upon a shelf, but an inspiration to continue the Jewish journey they are just beginning.  It is our hope and our prayer that the work we have begun together as partners—parents and teachers; home and school—continues in the years ahead to provide our children with Jewish moments of meaning and Jewish experiences of consequence so that they can continue to receive and accept Torah in their own unique way, infused by a love of Judaism, informed by Jewish wisdom and aligned with Jewish values.

Ken y’hi ratzon.

Kabbalat Ha’Siddur 2025 / 5785: The Gift of Joyful Prayer

The following was shared with our Kitah Alef (Grade One) Families during our school’s annual Kabbalat Ha’Siddur – our celebration of early Jewish learning with the gift of a siddur:

Before we call each student up by name to give them their siddur, let me assure you that I will keep these remarks brief, knowing we have eager students—and cupcakes—waiting for us!

Today we celebrate more than just a book.  We celebrate Jewish joy.  When the world outside continues to cast shadows, our community at OJCS continues to find ways to refract beams of joy.  Choosing joy has become a powerful act of resilience—a reciprocal dance between our inner selves and our outer community.

The Hebrew word for prayer, l’hitpallel (להתפלל), comes from the root פ-ל-ל, and appears in the grammatical form or binyan of hitpa’el.  This binyan is both reflexive and reciprocal.  What does this mean for prayer?  It suggests prayer isn’t only about looking inward, judging ourselves, and cultivating personal spirituality.  It’s equally about the joyful exchange that happens outwardly—connecting, sharing, and strengthening one another through communal experience.

The siddur we present today is not intended to be a trophy to sit quietly on a shelf; rather, it is intended to live loudly as a vibrant tool.  It invites our children, and through them, you, into a rhythm that connects personal joy to shared celebration.  Each page is a doorway to discovery—the joy of singing boldly, the warmth of friends praying side-by-side, the confidence of being unapologetically Jewish.  Watching young children pray unselfconsciously—without hesitation or fear—is itself an inspiration, a beautiful model for all of us of how prayer can and should feel.

If I can take just a moment of personal privilege to speak to you parent-to-parent, on occasions such as this, I cannot help but to be reminded of my own daughters, alumni of this school, who joyfully used their Kitah Alef siddurim to lead services at their Bat Mitzvahs, and then later carried those same siddurim to Israel and, now, to university campus.  My hope for them – and your children – is that each interaction with their siddur will continue to connect their inner journeys with their communal Jewish identity, creating lasting memories.

As this marks my final Kabbalat Ha’Siddur at OJCS, I must express my gratitude for the countless moments of happiness I have been privileged to witness.  My deepest wish and prayer for this year’s Kitah Alef is that today’s simchah becomes a joyful touchstone—reminding each child, family, and all of us, that prayer at its best is an experience of both personal meaning and communal delight.

One of our school’s North Stars is that “we are all on inspiring Jewish journeys” and the Kabbalat Ha’Siddur is just the next stop on a journey that, for many of you, began together under the chuppah on the first day of Kindergarten.  Let today’s simchah not merely serve as a moment to celebrate, but an inspiration to reach the next stop and the stop after that in your inspiring Jewish journey.

Ken y’hi ratzon.

Thank you to Morah Ada for the care and dedication that makes today possible.  Thank you to the entire Kitah Alef team for their commitment and enthusiasm.  And thank you, parents and grandparents, for nurturing the joy of Jewish living within your families and our community.

Let me now welcome Keren Gordon, our Principal, and invite the teachers in Kitah Alef, as we prepare to celebrate each of our students.

Looking Backwards to Look Forward #4: Leadership

When people think about leadership in schools, they often imagine principals making announcements, board chairs running meetings, or student council presidents handing out spirit day schedules.  And sure, those things happen.  But if there’s one thing the last eight years at OJCS have taught me, it’s that leadership isn’t about who holds the microphone. It’s about who makes space for others to lead.

At OJCS, leadership is more than a title—it’s a culture.  A culture that runs through students, teachers, administrators, and our governance structures. A culture shaped by trust, transparency, empowerment, and purpose.

This post, the fourth in our “Looking Backwards to Look Forward” series, traces the arc of how leadership has evolved and expanded at OJCS—not from the top down, but from the inside out.

Student Leadership: “We Own Our Own Learning” in Action

Our North Stars say it plainly: “We own our own learning.”  That guiding belief is foundational not just to how we teach but to how we raise leaders.

We began by redefining what student government could look like.  Our Junior Knesset (Grades 3-5) and Senior Knesset (Grades 6-8) were restructured to provide students with meaningful roles in shaping school life—from Jewish Life to Communications to Environment.  This wasn’t just about letting students vote on Dress Down Days. It was about giving them voice and responsibility.

And student leadership didn’t stop at Knesset.  We’ve seen remarkable growth in student-led clubs: Bracelet Making Club, Math Club, Game Design Club, and more.  These initiatives have emerged not because an adult created space, but because students claimed it.

You can see this leadership captured in real-time on our student blogfolios. In a 2022 Grade 6 post titled “Leading the Way with Knesset”, one student reflected:

“Being in Knesset is more than saying announcements. It’s showing others what our school values.”

That’s the kind of ownership we’re after—not just of learning, but of identity and responsibility.

And, of course, the hoped-for transition to Student-Led Conferences (with Goal-Setting already in place) will, perhaps, be the clearest pedagogical expression of this ethos. When students articulate their own growth, name their goals, and share their work with families, they’re not just learning leadership. They’re living it.

Faculty Leadership: Treating Teachers Like Learners

From the start, we committed to a simple principle:

If we believe students learn best when they have voice, choice, and agency—why wouldn’t the same be true for our teachers?

This principle guided our transformation of professional learning at OJCS. It’s why we moved to teacher-led evaluations, why we created the APReP process (Annual Performance Review Process), and why we implemented Professional Growth Projects (PGPs).

Instead of imposing top-down checklists, we asked teachers to reflect, dream, and define what growth would look like for them. As I wrote in How We Grow Our Teachers:

“Our teachers are learners, too. If we are asking them to personalize learning for students, shouldn’t we model the same for them?”

This commitment to faculty empowerment hasn’t just strengthened morale—it’s elevated our teaching.  Teachers now co-lead PD, mentor colleagues, and regularly share practice through classroom blogs and peer observations.  It has been among the most transformative leadership decisions we’ve made.

Middle Leadership: Tzimtzum and the Art of Making Space

In Jewish mysticism, tzimtzum refers to God’s act of self-contraction to make space for creation.  I’ve often borrowed that idea as a leadership model—reframing headship not as “filling the room,” but as creating the room in the first place.

That’s been our approach to middle leadership at OJCS.

Rather than centralizing decision-making in the admin suite, we’ve empowered classroom teachers, coordinators, and administrators from all places on the org chart to lead—from curricular design to scheduling, communication, and culture-building.  Whether it’s planning PD, leading committee work, or piloting new initiatives, our middle leaders are central to how the school runs.

And the truth is: when you lead through tzimtzum, you don’t disappear—you multiply.  You build a culture where everyone sees themselves as part of the mission.

A few weeks ago, our board chair suggested making sure Ms. Gordon had opportunities to “hold the microphone” during assemblies, as a way of signaling transition.  We both laughed.  Ms. Gordon has been holding the microphone for years—not because it was handed to her, but because she helped build the stage.  That’s what leadership looks like here.

Governance: Leading with Clarity and Care

One of the quieter success stories of my tenure has been the strength of our governance.  I inherited a model with built-in advantages: I already knew three of the four board chairs I would eventually work with—not personally, but as community leaders with vision, integrity, and purpose. Each brought a different kind of leadership, and together they modeled what shared responsibility really means.

Governance at OJCS has never been performative.  It’s been strategic, transparent, and deeply values-aligned.

Together, we’ve launched multiple strategic planning processes, created structures for board education, improved committee functioning, and clarified roles and responsibilities.  Our board hasn’t just supported our leadership—they’ve modeled it.  That’s why our faculty, families, and students all feel empowered to lead.

Conclusion: A Culture of Leadership

Leadership at OJCS doesn’t live in a title or a microphone. It lives in the daily decisions to make space—for students to blog, for teachers to grow, for staff to step forward, for lay leaders to partner meaningfully.

It’s also deeply tied to our broader vision for change.

Throughout my time at OJCS, I have tried to follow a leadership arc that begins with naming a challenge, gathering stakeholders, prototyping solutions, iterating with feedback, implementing with support, and creating a new normal.  That’s how we approached personalized learning. That’s how we approached French.   That’s how we revised homework.  That’s how we clarified the “J” in “OJCS”.  And that’s how we approached leadership.

As I look ahead to our final two posts—on North Stars and Jewish Life—I’m struck by how much of what we’ve accomplished at OJCS isn’t about any one person.  It’s about the culture we’ve built.  A culture where leadership is shared.  Growth is expected.  And everyone has the chance to step forward.

The Transparency Files: Annual Parent Survey

Just when you thought you were out…they pull you back in.

🙂

Yes, I know.  I said last year that after years of diminishing returns, we would finally put to bed this version of the Annual Parent Survey and start transitioning to new feedback loops that would – hopefully – yield greater engagement and, thus, more actionable data.  And that will be the path forward…next year, when the school will be under new leadership.

With our energies focused on the future and the hope that the pending change in leadership would inspire greater participation, we once again invited current OJCS Parents to share feedback.  And, that hope did pay off with a meaningful uptick in participation.  Last year, although 47 individual surveys were turned in, only 36 individual surveys provided data on the main sections.  This year, 62 individual surveys were turned in, with only 48 who provided data on the main sections.  It is a better result, but still, this means that this survey represents less than 25% of the students in our school.  This is why the decision to pivot to a different methodology is warranted.

It simply defeats the purpose of gathering feedback in service of making decisions that impact students if only 1/4 of students are sharing that feedback.  Whether we move to a third-party vendor, a new format for surveys, focus groups, or some combination therein, the school will cast a different and a wider net to ensure it truly captures the feedback it needs – and that your children deserve – to aim closer to the OJCS North Stars; to be the best version of OJCS.

But that’s the future…for now, one last time, let’s thank and lean into the parents who did participate and try to make meaning of what they are telling us.  [If you would like to see a full comparison with last year, you can reread those results, or have them open so you can toggle back and forth.  In this post, I will try to capture the highlights and identify what trends seem worth paying attention to.]

This represents a decent distribution…it does make questions about “high school readiness” less helpful with such little representation from Grade 8.

Without knowing how representative this quarter of students is, this year’s data set is lighter on the “NOs”.  Of course the “NOs” are always complicated to unpack because we have no way of knowing who of the “NOs” represent graduation or relocations, as opposed to choosing to attrit prior to Grade 8.  However, what continues to be true is that the overwhelming majority of families – regardless of their feedback – stay with us year-after-year.

Let’s look at the BIG PICTURE:

The first chart gives you the breakdown by category; the second chart gives you the weighted average satisfaction score (out of 10).  I will remind you that for this and all categories, I look at the range between 7-9 as the healthy band, obviously wanting scores to be closer to 9 than to 7, and looking for scores to go up each year.  In terms of “overall satisfaction”, we have now gone from 7.13 to 7.20 to 8.17 to 7.91 to 8.0 to 7.44 to 7.53 to 7.65 Although it continues to tick up over the last two years, the differences are statistically insignificant.

Overall, this seems to be a good news story, but let’s dig deeper…

Each and every one of these numbers are not only up from last year, but may very well be the highest we have ever scored!  Not one below the “acceptable range” and a lot are, or nearly are, at an “8”.

This is an interesting split.  The topline number – being prepared for high school – is one of the highest scores we have received.  The one number that took a dip is about “technology” and that is not a surprise considering the ambivalence many parents are sharing with us.  The good news is that between our work with The Social Institute and The Anxious Generation – work that Mrs. Thompson is leading –  OJCS is tackling this head-on and in partnership with our parents.

The numbers connected with IEPs and resource are as high as we have received, with the acknowledgement that the communication result (just  barely below 7.0) has room to grow.

These are just about the highest numbers we have ever had!  First time cracking 8.0 for the topline number and a few of the subcategories.

The good news?  Every one of these scores is up from last year.  The not-that-great news?  They are still lower than the acceptable range, although we pleased to see Extended Social Studies zoom over 7.0 for the first time.  Improvement?  Yes.  Real work ahead?  Oui.

These are great numbers!  The only items below the acceptable range is Tefillah which is up from last year and the participation of our community’s clergy, which though important, is not entirely within our control.  But this will land on the agenda for the Rabbinic Advisory Committee moving forward.

These numbers are all up from last year, but clearly there is work to be done.  [A reminder that the addition of Music has not yet made its way into the survey, but is worthy of feedback.]  Morah Dina, however, should be proud to see Art surge up over 7.0 for the first time in a long time!  There are variables here that are not entirely within our control, but this entire section is worth our thinking more deeply about and identifying a few changes for next year.

I am pleased to see that all these numbers are up, even the first two which are still technically below 7.0.  Paring this with comments, we believe we have made meaningful responses to feedback last year about progress reports, goal-setting, and the transition to semesters.

Maybe this is a “goodbye present” or maybe by taking myself out of the survey, the rest of the administration is shining more brightly.  🙂  Either way, these are – by far – the the best scores we have ever received in these categories.  Whether it is the renovation, or all the work we have done over the years to improve behaviour outcomes, this is a wonderful result.

Last data point [Remember this question was scaled 1-5.]:

Our score has meaningful recovered from the last couple of dips as the journey has gone from 4.44 to 4.34 to 4.34 to 4.14 to 3.92. to 4.25.  This absolutely jives with overall theme of this year’s consistently high scores.

So there you have it for 2024-2025!

Thanks to all the parents who took the time and care to fill out surveys!  In addition to the multiple-choice questions, there were opportunities for open-ended responses and a couple of experimental sections.  Because the school is in transition, your feedback in those experimental sections counts more than ever.  Please know that all comments will be shared with those they concern.  (This includes a full set of unedited and unredacted results which goes to our Board of Trustees.)

Eight years.  Eight Annual Parent Surveys.  There have been zigs and zags, to be sure, but the trajectory has been constant – onwards and upwards.  From strength to strength.  I look forward to the school reaching even higher heights as the torch is passed to new leadership…

Ken yehi ratzon.

Looking Backwards to Look Forward #3: Transparency

Why would a Head of School publish board reports, blog weekly, and invite the world into classrooms online?  Why make every family survey public? Why post meeting agendas and reflections before anyone asks?  Why, in short, would you willingly lead in full view?

For me, the answer has always been the same: because we asked our teachers to.

Going all the way back to my time in Jacksonville as the head of MJGDS, we launched classroom blogs and student blogfolios to help parents see into the learning process.  Teachers were expected to open their practice, and I knew I couldn’t ask something of my team that I wasn’t doing myself.  So I started blogging.  And I never stopped.

What began as modeling evolved into a methodology.  Here, at OJCS, transparency became a leadership strategy, a pedagogical philosophy, a brand identity — and most importantly, a cultural norm.

Looking Backwards: Why We Went Transparent

When I arrived at OJCS in 2017, I inherited a school that needed rebuilding — not just in curriculum or enrollment, but in trust.  And for me, rebuilding trust meant radical transparency.

Inspired by what I would later codify in a presentation called “Radical Transparency: Finding Wellness Through Brazen Vulnerability”, I made a conscious choice to lead in public.  That meant:

I called this ongoing series “The Transparency Files”, and it was never just PR. It was pedagogy. As I once wrote, “transparency is not an initiative — it is a disposition.” It’s a way of being in relationship with your community.

Blogfolios, Blogfolios Everywhere

One of our biggest culture shifts came from embedding that same philosophy of transparency into teaching and learning.

At OJCS, we developed a school-wide blogfolio platform where every student maintains a digital portfolio of learning.  But these aren’t just showcases of final work.  They’re public learning journals — spaces for reflection, process, revision, and voice.

I’ve written about this shift many times, including this (First) Trip Around the OJCS Student Blogfolio-Sphere, and even shared moments where my own children were the test cases for what authentic documentation of learning can look like.

The result?  A culture where students take ownership of their learning, teachers reflect on their practice publicly, and parents gain real-time insight into school life.  Transparency became not just what we said, but what we all did — together.

Transparency as Pedagogy, Not PR

As I’ve written in “Transparency as Pedagogy”, the point of all this wasn’t optics.  It was ethics.  Educational ethics.

We want students to own their work — so we model that by owning ours.

We want teachers to iterate and reflect — so we give them space to blog honestly.

We want families to trust us — so we show them how we think.

And as I later reflected in “Transparency as Good Business”, transparency is a trust-builder.  And trust is the only sustainable growth strategy for a Jewish day school.

Looking Forward: From Transparency to Culture

What started as a leadership strategy has since become a cultural norm. Teachers, students, and families now expect communication to be open, frequent, and reflective.  It’s not radical anymore — it’s routine.

This culture of transparency paved the way for us to clarify and align around our North Stars (post pending!).  It made it possible to co-create mission, strategy, and school identity in public.  And it gave every stakeholder — from students to trustees — a reason to believe we meant what we said.

Because they could see it.

Final Reflection

Transparency isn’t about oversharing.  It’s about earning trust through clarity, vulnerability, and consistency.  It’s about documenting the journey, not just the destination.

And maybe more than anything else, it’s about this: If you can see it, you can believe in it.  And if you believe in it… you just might want to be part of it.

From Remembering to Leading: Empowering Our Students on Yom HaShoah

This year’s Yom HaShoah marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau—a somber reminder of the horrors of the past and a powerful call to action for the future.  As I’ve reflected in previous writings, the phrase “Never Forget” carries a responsibility not only to preserve memory but to translate it into meaningful action and leadership.  At OJCS, our students exemplify this commitment, particularly through our restructured Grade 7 Holocaust curriculum.

Why We Remember

Yom HaShoah serves as a profound moment for reflection, mourning, and education.  “Never Forget” isn’t merely about recalling historical facts; it’s about actively engaging with the ethical and moral imperatives that emerge from history’s darkest chapters.  When we say “Never Forget,” we commit ourselves—and our students—to creating a world rooted in empathy, justice, and compassion.  As I’ve previously shared in “Remember” With Your Mouth; “Don’t Forget” In Your Heart, this underscores our belief that remembrance must live both outwardly and inwardly, through our actions and our attitudes.

Grade 7: Stewards of Remembrance

This year, we’ve introduced a revitalized Holocaust studies curriculum in Grade 7, positioning this grade as the focal point for Holocaust education and community leadership at OJCS.  Students delve deeply into survivor testimonies, historical narratives, literature, and ethical discussions, developing not only knowledge but emotional intelligence, empathy, and a profound sense of responsibility.

The culmination of this curriculum is our school’s Yom HaShoah commemoration, fully planned and led by our Grade 7 students.  They organized and facilitated a thoughtful Grades 5–8 Assembly designed to foster meaningful reflection and community engagement.  Additionally, Grade 7 students showcased their learning through a Holocaust book presentation, sharing powerful and insightful projects with their peers, faculty, and families in a science-fair-style exhibition.

Connecting Memory to Action (and Zionism)

Our commitment to remembrance, of course, extends beyond Grade 7.  The comprehensive Holocaust curriculum serves as a critical foundation for Grade 8’s exploration of Zionism and modern Jewish identity.  By understanding the profound impact of the Shoah, students gain essential context for why a Jewish homeland—and the continued strength and vitality of Israel—remains vital to the Jewish people worldwide.  This thoughtful progression prepares our graduates not only for high school but also for meaningful engagement with complex contemporary issues affecting Jewish communities today.

Our sequential approach – reimagined to meet the needs of a post-October 7th world – beginning with deep Holocaust education in Grade 7 and moving into an exploration of Zionism in Grade 8, is designed to equip our students with critical tools and context.  This intentional curricular progression addresses a real and pressing need, as many of our alumni share experiences of encountering antisemitism and anti-Zionism in high school and university settings.  By embedding rigorous historical knowledge, critical thinking, and moral clarity early, we ensure our graduates are ready not only to respond thoughtfully but to proactively advocate for themselves and their communities.

Additionally, as the community Jewish day school located in Canada’s national capital, OJCS offers a uniquely rich environment for nurturing student leadership.  Our emphasis on public speaking, civic engagement, and meaningful interactions with leaders and institutions of national importance provides students unparalleled access and opportunities. Particularly in an election year, our students witness firsthand how critical active citizenship is, empowering them to become articulate and confident participants in Canada’s broader civic life.

Commitment to the Future

As we mark this significant anniversary, our commitment remains clear and strong.  At OJCS, remembering the Holocaust isn’t confined to a single day or event—it permeates our educational approach, shaping young leaders who are ready to carry forward the lessons of history into meaningful action.

May our Grade 7 students’ leadership on Yom HaShoah continue to inspire us all toward deeper empathy, greater justice, and a relentless pursuit of a brighter future.

Looking Backwards to Look Forward #2: Les résultats en français et le bilinguisme à l’OJCS

In a trilingual Jewish day school, French isn’t just a subject—it’s a statement.  A declaration that our students can be proudly Jewish, fluently bilingual, and fully Canadian all at once.  This year’s Francofête celebration was a joyful reminder of how far we’ve come.  But like all meaningful school growth stories, the journey toward French excellence at OJCS has been anything but linear.

This second post in the “Looking Backwards to Look Forward” series reflects on the incredible progress we’ve made in French language outcomes and the evolving vision of what it means to be bilingual—no, trilingual—at OJCS.

Looking Backwards: De l’incertitude à la confiance

There was a time—some of our veteran parents will remember it well—when the very mention of French at OJCS was cause for concern.  We had families who loved the Jewish and General Studies offerings of our school, but quietly (or not-so-quietly) began looking elsewhere after Grade 3 to place their children in the public board’s French Immersion programs.  It wasn’t just about instructional minutes or vocabulary lists—it was about confidence.  Could our graduates truly function bilingually in Canada?

That question drove a major strategic reset in how we approached French at OJCS.

Nous avons écouté. Nous avons agi.

It began with Town Halls and parent consultations, the results of which were shared transparently through blog posts like this French Town Hall Recap and others.  What emerged from these conversations was both a diagnosis and a direction: we needed a clearer, more rigorous, and more immersive approach to French that parents could trust.

Enter TACLEF—an early and important partnership with an external benchmarking program that provided individualized assessments and targeted next steps for students.  As documented in this post, it helped our French team begin to professionalize and personalize how French was taught and learned at OJCS.

Un socle plus solide en Maternelle à 3e année

One of the biggest shifts was our investment in French before the Core/Extended split in Grade 4. By enriching K–3 with more immersive and academically rigorous French experiences, we laid a stronger foundation for both tracks.  Today, students experience meaningful immersion even before they enter Extended, and Core students benefit from that as well.

Réinventer le programme “Étendu”

For students in our Extended track, we’ve worked hard to create a program that increasingly mirrors what one might expect from public school French Immersion—without sacrificing any of the other pillars of an OJCS education.  A bold example of this is the prototyping of French-language PE, which was shared in this blog post. Teaching physical education en français does more than increase instructional time—it increases confidence, context, and connection.

And the results? Well, the simplest metric might be this: we no longer lose students due to French. That’s anecdotal, yes—but it’s a powerful indicator of changing perceptions, and more importantly, changing realities.

Looking Forwards: DELF, identité, et la puissance du trilinguisme

We’ve always said we are a trilingual school—English, Hebrew, and French. But in the years ahead, we’re working to move from claim to clarity: what does trilingual fluency look like by Grade 8?  What does it feel like?

S’appuyer sur le DELF

The last three years mark a significant leap forward in our French program: the integration of the DELF (Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française), an internationally recognized certification awarded by the French Ministry of Education and aligned with CEFR standards (A1, A2, B1, B2).

Starting in Grade 5, our students begin working toward the competencies needed for success on the DELF by Grade 8.  We’ve restructured our curriculum to align with DELF expectations, especially in Grades 7 and 8 where speaking and listening take priority.  We’ve also invested in resources like Littératie en action to support this transition, allowing students to explore social studies and science en français—just like in public immersion programs.

And how’s it going?  In the past two years, 100% of our Grade 8 students have passed the DELF—a powerful sign that we’re not only preparing students well, but giving them real confidence in their abilities.

The proof doesn’t end in Grade 8: our graduates are returning from high school saying, “French is easy.”  That’s a new and remarkable kind of feedback.

Une voix en français

While we value reading and writing in French, we know that speaking is the ultimate proof of fluency—and the hardest skill to master.  That’s why our next frontier is amplifying student voice in French: through presentations, assemblies, conversational games, and performances.  The goal?  For students to graduate from OJCS speaking French with confidence and joy, not just test scores.

Trilingues. Juifs. Canadiens.

Finally, there’s a deeper vision at play.  OJCS graduates aren’t just learning French for travel or tests.  They’re learning it as part of a larger identity: as proud Jews living in bilingual Canada.  Being trilingual is more than a skill—it’s a strength.  It’s the ability to code-switch across communities, to feel at home in diversity, and to lead in multiple languages.

Mot de la fin

When we tell the story of French at OJCS, we’re not just talking about curriculum—we’re talking about culture.  A culture of transparency, growth, and pride.  One that took the hard feedback seriously, asked big questions, and made bold changes.

We still have work to do.  But the journey from Grade 3 exits to DELF-certified graduates is a remarkable one.  And as we look forward, we do so with the confidence that our students won’t just leave OJCS bilingual or trilingual on paper—they’ll live it out loud.

And for OJCS Parents…we hope your children enjoyed this year’s Model Seders and other Passover Activities!  Please fill out your Annual Parent Survey if you haven’t yet!  Enjoy Passover Break!

Chag Pesach kasher vesame’ach!  Wishing you a kosher and joyous Passover! A Zissen Pesach to all!

Tips for Planning Your Seder Too Good to Passover: Remixing the Remix One Last Time

Why am I pushing out a blog post on preparing for Passover the week after an incredible Célébration de la Semaine de la Francophonie, with Passover still more than a week away?

Each year, I get inspired to help families elevate their seder experience—oftentimes just a bit too late for them to do anything with it.  So this year, I’m giving you enough runway to actually make use of these ideas—especially if you’re taking on seder leadership for the first time, or the first time in a long time.

This year is different in so many ways.

It’s the second Passover / פסח since October 7th, and although we carry the weight of that day with us, I’ve also witnessed, within our school and community, an incredible resilience.  There’s still heaviness, yes, but there’s also hope.  And for me personally, this will be my eighth and final Passover blog post as Head of OJCS—a role and a community that has shaped my leadership and my soul in ways that will echo far beyond Ottawa.

But let’s get down to business.

Each year, I share a “Top Ten” in service of helping people plan for seder—not just logistically, but spiritually and emotionally. Whether you’re hosting, helping, or Zoom-ing in, let’s make this year’s seder something that nourishes more than just our bellies.

Jon’s Annually-Revised (and Final?) Top Ten Suggestions for a Meaningful Passover

  1. Tell the Story (Really).
    The mitzvah of the night is sippur yetziat Mitzrayim—telling the story of our exodus.  Not just reading from the Haggadah, but telling it.  Make it personal, make it interactive, make it real.  Bonus points if you connect it to the personal or collective redemptions of this past year.  Ask: What does freedom mean to us today?
  2. Sing Like No One is Zooming.
    Whether you’re into the classics or love a good parody song like
    this Les Misérables Passover Parody, music makes the night come alive. Don’t be afraid to sing loud, even if it’s off-key. (Especially if it’s off-key.)
  3. One Haggadah to Rule Them All?
    Choose one Haggadah to anchor your seder, but don’t shy away from bringing in others for commentary or variety.  Need something fast and free? Try something from Haggadot.com’s free Haggadah library.  Just don’t let mismatched page numbers derail the vibe.
  4. Karpas of Substance.
    Don’t let hungry guests hijack your seder.  Upgrade your karpas / כרפס. Think potatoes, salads, or anything veggie-based that tides folks over. Especially helpful when candle-lighting is late or kids are melting down. (Gefilte fish before the seder = 💡)
  5. Assign Parts, Not Just Seats.
    Give your guests some homework!  Have someone prepare a skit, a midrash, a plague-themed costume—whatever works.  The seder is supposed to be חווייתי—experiential.  Invite creativity and joy at every age and stage.
  6. Know Thy Guests.
    Tailor the seder to who’s there.  Kids?  Keep it moving.  Newbies?  Be ready to explain.  Tech-savvy relatives joining by Zoom (depending on observance levels)?  Do a test run.  Your guests will take it seriously if you do.
  7. Bring the Fun.
    Try Jewpardy, plague charades, or “Who Wants to Be an Egyptian Millionaire?”  For more interactive families, try tech-friendly tools like Kahoot (again observance levels permitting).  Make space for laughter—it’s part of the liberation.
  8. Ask Better Questions.Move beyond the Four.  My annual Fifth Questions include:
    • Jewish Educator: What have I learned from the seder that I can apply in the classroom?
    • Israel Advocate:  How do I say “Next year in Jerusalem / לשנה הבאה בירושלים” with both hope and honesty?
    • Parent: What new conversations do I need to have with my children about trauma, resilience, and Jewish pride?
    • Community Leader: How do I hold space for joy and celebration even when we are still healing?
    • What will your fifth question be?
  9. Start a New Tradition.
    Add something new: A family story. A prayer circle. A moment of silence. A round of gratitude. Ask each person to pour into Elijah’s Cup and share a hope for the year ahead.
  10. Prep with Purpose.
    Whatever you’re bringing to the table—brisket, commentary, or comedic timing—preparation matters. OJCS families: lean on your kids! Let them share what they’ve learned. You paid for it—get your return on investment!

Wishing you and your family an early חג כשר ושמח.
Wishing our students and families a joyous Model Seder Season.
Wishing myself…a little extra gratitude for the privilege of sharing this space, this tradition, and this moment with you, one last time.

What will you do to make this year different from all other years?

Let me know in the comments or shoot me an email.

And for OJCS Parents…we hope you are looking forward to this year’s Model Seders and other Passover Activities before we hit the Passover Break!