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.

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!

La célébration de la semaine de la Francophonie 2025

We are thrilled to announce that this very week (March 24-28) was “La célébration de la semaine de la Francophonie 2025”!  The goals remained beautifully simple: to immerse our students and community in the beauty of the French language, celebrate the achievements of our students and faculty, showcase the growth of our French program, and elevate French beyond the classroom into the heart of our OJCS culture. The highlight, of course, was Francofête on Thursday, March 27th!

What was “La célébration de la semaine de la Francophonie 2025” at OJCS this year?

To set the stage, students were greeted each morning with a customized French music playlist and daily announcements en français, naturally!

This year’s international theme was inspiring and timely: “Dis-moi dix mots pour la planète,” encouraging our students to explore and deepen their ecological awareness through French.  Here are the “dix mots” selected for 2025—each a vibrant entry point into environmental consciousness:

  • Biome
  • Butiner
  • Canopée
  • Conséconscient
  • Débrousser
  • Empreinte
  • Glaner
  • Palmeraie
  • Solaire
  • Vivant

On Monday, classes dove into special activities and engaging lessons around these evocative words, connecting French learning directly to global environmental responsibility.

Tuesday brought excitement as students participated in the beloved ‘Oui, Oui Baguette Café’ experience, featuring kosher French delights thoughtfully served by our Grade 7 students in the Makerspace.

Wednesday’s “Franco-foire” saw classes rotating through the school to enjoy French-themed activities, including karaoke, jumbo jeux, an obstacle course that promoted French language learning, French bingo, and a film screening.

Thursday culminated with our Francofête—a joyful showcase of student performances, songs, dances, and presentations celebrating the incredible progress our students have made in French.  Parents were warmly invited to join us at 2:30 PM to experience firsthand the ‘joie d’apprendre’ that defines French learning at OJCS.  And, don’t forget our Café Croissant for parents before and after the performances!

We closed out the week on Friday with a cozy session of French Reading Buddies, reinforcing the bonds of community and language.

Deep gratitude to our outstanding French faculty, especially Madame Wanda, whose leadership and vision continue to make this annual celebration meaningful and memorable.

Voilà! We invite you to peek into social media, class blogs, and student blogfolios, join the fun, and celebrate with us as we build another year of bilingual excellence at our proudly trilingual OJCS.

HUGE thanks and appreciation to Rob and Chelsea Levine who spent HOURS upon HOURS of their time contributing their ideas, physically making the decorations, and tons of other things behind the scenes to help raise this week in our school to the next level.  Merci, merci, merci!

Looking Backwards to Look Forward #1: A Floor, But No Ceiling (Personalized Learning)

Last week, I introduced a series of blog posts, “Looking Backwards to Look Forward” as I begin to contemplate the end of my 8-year tenure as Head of the Ottawa Jewish Community School.  They will not come in consecutive weeks, however, this week, I will move forward with the first post of this series focused on one of our North Stars that was, in fact, my “North Star” before becoming our North Star – an approach that has defined my work across all headships and in the field itself, so much so, that it is the actual title of my blog: “A Floor, But Not a Ceiling”.

Introduction (Looking Backwards):

When I first wrote about personalized learning at the Ottawa Jewish Community School (OJCS), I described our foundational promise to parents clearly:

“The promise we make to parents is that there will be an appropriately rigorous independent-school floor for every child, and no ceiling on expectations for how far each child may fly.  Our responsibility is to lovingly push each child toward his or her maximal potential.”

This metaphor of a sturdy “floor” paired with limitless “ceilings” guided our pedagogical decisions from day one.

What We’ve Learned (Anchored in Real Examples):

Looking back, personalized learning emerged as one of our most impactful educational innovations—deepening student engagement and improving outcomes precisely because we took personalization seriously.  Authentic personalization at OJCS meant understanding the unique starting points of each learner and providing genuine opportunities for meaningful growth.

Specific examples brought this promise vividly to life in our classrooms:

  • SK Literacy:  When a student arrives in Senior Kindergarten already reading fluently, s/he is not asked to spend the year sounding out letters. Instead, s/he receives immediately challenging reading materials aligned with their advanced skills.
  • Grade 2 Math Enrichment: Grade 2 students demonstrating mastery of grade-level math concepts aren’t left unchallenged; they are provided enrichment opportunities to go both deeper and father, but in-class and with pull-out enrichment opportunities.
  • French DELF Certification:  In French studies, personalized learning was evident through our preparation for the Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française (DELF) assessments.  Rather than teaching French as a one-size-fits-all course, students engaged in language instruction targeted to their individual proficiency, allowing them to earn internationally recognized certifications that authentically matched their skill levels.
  • Grade 4 Jewish Studies:  Students explored Jewish identity through personalized projects, like those featured on the Grade 4 Jewish Studies Blog, where each child’s individual experiences and questions shaped meaningful Jewish learning.
  • Middle School Science Inquiry: As highlighted in our Middle School Science  Blog, students don’t merely cover the curriculum—they pursue independent, interest-driven inquiries, taking their explorations beyond foundational standards to areas of personal passion.

These examples weren’t isolated; they represented the broader culture of differentiated teaching and learning we intentionally cultivated.  [Want to see tons of examples across the grades and curricula?  Check out the OJCS Blogosphere & OJCS Student Blogfolios!]

Challenges and Realizations (Anchored in Artifacts – CAT-4 Analysis):

Yet, even as we celebrated successes, our annual reflections—particularly my detailed blog posts analyzing CAT-4 standardized test results—reminded us of areas needing attention.  As repeatedly documented, data often validated our success at pushing high-achieving students even further but also raised persistent questions:

  • Were we consistently and effectively reaching every child—especially those requiring intensive support—to ensure our “floor” was genuinely rigorous for all?
  • Could personalized learning unintentionally widen achievement gaps, making equity even more essential?

Our response to these insights often include integrating evidence-based practices.  For literacy, for example we are informed by the “Science of Reading”, reflected in our adoption of the Amplify literacy platform. Amplify allows teachers to use precise, data-driven insights to personalize instruction effectively.  Similarly, platforms like IXL provided personalized, adaptive practice across multiple subjects, ensuring all students progressed meaningfully from their unique starting points.

Further, our comprehensive student-support network—covering enrichment programs, remediation, resource services, and ESL—ensure personalized learning remained inclusive and equitable, helping bridge potential gaps.

Looking Forward (Guiding Questions):

Reflecting authentically on these insights prompts critical guiding questions as we look ahead:

  • How can we deepen professional development so every teacher feels confident and well-equipped to personalize instruction effectively across subjects—from French to Jewish Studies, from Math enrichment to literacy intervention?
  • What new systems or approaches are needed to guarantee our personalization truly benefits every learner, particularly those most at risk of falling behind?
  • How will we consistently leverage data-driven reflection—such as our annual CAT-4 results and insights from platforms like Amplify and IXL—to continuously adjust and improve?
  • What new assessments will we create to ensure we apply the same rigour to Hebrew and Jewish Studies as we do to secular content?

As we move forward, our commitment to personalized learning remains steadfast yet nuanced.  We must ensure the educational “floor” remains robust and rigorous for every student, while genuinely eliminating ceilings—so each child truly has the opportunity to soar exactly as far as their unique potential can carry them.

Introducing “Looking Backwards to Look Forward”

Looking Backwards to Look Forward: An Introduction

It was exactly Purim, eight years ago, that Jaimee and I shared the news that we were leaving Jacksonville, Florida and were headed to Ottawa.  Eight years is a long time, but I still recall with great clarity how I felt during the interview process, why I accepted the position, the challenge and the opportunity I believed it presented, and walking the empty halls during the Summer of 2017 filled with equal parts excitement and anxiety about the journey we were about to embark on together here at the Ottawa Jewish Community School.

The beginning of any new headship by definition represents standing at the intersection of past and future.  I have always viewed the life of a school as a rich narrative, each era a distinct chapter authored by those at its helm. When I joined OJCS, I became a co-author of its unfolding story, building upon the visions of those who came before and setting the stage for those who would follow.

Coming into a new community as Head of School always involves navigating history and tradition while simultaneously pointing toward innovation and growth.  This intersection—rich with potential, laden with responsibility—is exactly where transformative leadership takes place.  Now, as my tenure enters its final stretch, I find myself at that intersection again—though the view feels profoundly different.  Instead of gazing forward into uncharted territory, I’ve turned around to reflect, to assess, and to ask honestly:

What did we achieve?  What truly mattered?  And how might these insights inspire future leadership?

Thus was born this new blog series: “Looking Backwards to Look Forward.”  Over the coming months, I’ll revisit pivotal moments, decisions, and ideas from my tenure at OJCS.  Each reflection will follow a consistent rhythm:

  • I’ll start by naming a “big idea”—something that significantly shaped our school’s journey.
  • Next, I’ll revisit and quote directly from my original blog posts to recapture the initial vision, my early hopes, and even the uncertainties we faced.
  • Then I’ll explore the journey since that moment—what unfolded, what we learned, and how we adapted along the way.
  • Finally, each post will close by raising essential questions and possibilities, offering future leaders, educators, parents, and community members an invitation to dream and build upon these foundations.

This reflective practice isn’t about nostalgia or legacy-building—rather, it’s an opportunity to spotlight the key decisions we made as a community, to understand their lasting impact on our students, staff, and families, and to thoughtfully imagine the next steps ahead.

For example, in the next reflection, we’ll revisit the concept of “Personalized Learning”—what we called a “floor, but no ceiling.”  This represented a major shift in our educational philosophy. At the time, I wrote:

We believe each student deserves to be met exactly where they are—and then challenged to go as far as their talents, efforts, and aspirations can take them. This isn’t about removing standards; it’s about recognizing that standards are the starting line, not the finish.

That was our bold promise then.  Eight years later, we’ve gathered powerful evidence—successes, setbacks, and profound growth.  How has personalized learning reshaped our classrooms?  How has our teaching staff evolved as facilitators of student-driven learning?  And importantly, what’s the next frontier under new leadership?

In the months ahead, I’ll reflect on other foundational decisions and initiatives from my headship: how we personalized learning, strengthened French outcomes, built a culture of transparency, nurtured leadership at every level, and clarified our core values through our North Stars.

Finally, we’ll culminate in reflecting on perhaps the deepest and most enduring theme of all—clarifying and strengthening the “J” in OJCS. Reinforcing our school’s Jewish identity has been my greatest passion and perhaps the most nuanced task of my tenure.  We’ll revisit how we deepened our school’s Jewish character, celebrating victories and openly acknowledging ongoing challenges.  And we’ll ask honestly: What opportunities still await?

Why do this now?  Because leadership in a school is rarely just about the leader—it’s fundamentally about the institution, the community, and its future.  Reflecting on these past eight years isn’t merely looking backward; it’s giving those who follow clarity, context, and insight—a foundation from which they can meaningfully shape the next chapter of OJCS.

As we stand together at this intersection—celebrating what’s been accomplished, acknowledging the road traveled, and anticipating what’s yet to come—I warmly invite you, the readers, our current and prospective families, to engage deeply.  Share your own reflections, your memories, your ideas, and your hopes for the future of OJCS.  After all, as Rabbi Tarfon famously taught:

“It is not your responsibility to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” (Pirkei Avot 2:16)

As my chapter at OJCS comes to its final pages, the narrative of our school continues to unfold.  The beauty of a school’s story lies in the fact that it never truly ends—it evolves, deepens, and passes from one set of hands to another.  I will soon hand the pen forward, confident that those who come next will write thoughtfully, courageously, and joyfully, authoring the next inspiring chapter of the Ottawa Jewish Community School’s ongoing story.

Our collective responsibility isn’t to finish the journey—it’s simply to ensure it continues purposefully, thoughtfully, and joyfully.

Looking backwards to look forward—I’m excited to embark on this final reflective journey with you.