2008 ANNUAL REPORT

JEWISH EDUCATIONMOVES THE WORLD

JEWISH EDUCATION SERVICE OF NORTH AMERICA

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The Berman Center for Research and Evaluation

provided valuable evaluation and consulting services to nearly 40 clients in a wide variety of settings and locations, helping to improve Jewish education across the spectrum.

The updated and fully-searchable Sosland Online

Resource Center was dramatically expanded and includes an ever-growing database of resources and publications in more than 30 topical categories on “what works” in Jewish education.

For the first time in recent years, decision makers

can base policy and program development on current empirical data about educators in Jewish schools in North America, thanks to JESNA’s publication of the Educators in Jewish Schools Study (EJSS).

Selected 2008 JESNA Publications

The Lippman Kanfer Institute worked with

communities and education leaders to put into action the design principles and strategies for change laid out in its Working Paper, “Redesigning Jewish Education for the 21st Century.”

1,500 professional development individuals

subscribe to PD Notes for up-to-date, usable information in their field.

1,852 synagogues are directly impacted by

change initiatives led by the organizations working with the Lippman Kanfer Institute.

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JESNA CELEBRATES A GREAT YEAR2008

JESNA | BERMAN CENTER FOR RESEARCH & EVALUATION | LEARNINGS & CONSULTATION CENTER | LIPPMAN KANFER INSTITUTE 1

rom our very inception as a people, we have been tasked with moving the world with our knowledge,

values, and beliefs. Today at JESNA, we are proud to play our part in that communal mission by helping to ensure that each generation has access to the learning and inspiration that makes real the promise of “a light unto the nations” envisioned in the Torah.

Of course, our annual report’s theme also has more literal meanings. JESNA is moving to new offices this winter, building a headquarters in a historically Jewish neighborhood of the city—the Garment District—that is now bustling with new energy from an influx of cutting-edge Jewish organizations. For more information on how our new space will help us accomplish our mission (and a list of the remarkable Jewish leaders who have helped us make this dream a reality), see pages 14-15.

And we’re moving in other exciting new directions, bringing information and solutions to an expanding list of clients and users in innovative ways. Perhaps the best place to see just how significantly we’ve progressed this year is to visit our newly-enhanced web site— www.jesna.org—where you can find an up-to-the-minute inventory of our work and a wide array of useful and user-friendly resources for leaders and decision-makers in the world of Jewish education.

Over the past three years, we’ve written in this space about the way that our learnings, dissemination and application strategy creates the essential underpinning of all our efforts. Today, we are delighted to report that our experience has enabled us to enhance the impact of our work and provide a robust set of practical solutions to our colleagues in communities and institutions across North America both inside and outside of Federations and Central Agencies for Jewish education. This annual report is packed with examples of our programs and consultations that are making a difference for communities and for the learners and families that are at their core.

We hope you’ll have the time to look through this report in its entirety, getting a real picture of how JESNA is working to advance Jewish learning and transform Jewish lives. It’s been an epochal year for our nation and the world, and certainly not all the news has been good. Like many non-profits, we’ve been affected by the global economic crisis and other difficult developments, but we cannot be anything but grateful and even optimistic as we look forward. We are the inheritors of a sacred mission and we will not be deterred as we seek to move the world.

David Steirman, Chair

Don Sylvan, President

ON BEHALF OF OUR LEADERSHIP2008

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”

—Henry B. Adams

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CHANGING COMMUNICATIONSOUR NEW WEB SITE

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SITE-WIDE USER FRIENDLY NAVIGATIONSEARCH TOOL FOR THOUSANDS OF PUBLICATIONSWEEKLY VETTED AND UPDATED NEWS ABOUT JEWISH EDUCATIONFEATURES LATEST JESNA PUBLICATIONSINTEGRATES PARTNER SITES

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

On Behalf of Our Leadership 1

Our New Web Site 2

JESNA’s Mandell L. Berman Jewish Heritage Center for Research and Evaluation in Jewish Education 4

JESNA’s Learnings & Consultation Center 8

JESNA’s Lippman Kanfer Institute: An Action-Oriented Think Tank for Innovation in Jewish Learning and Engagement 11

Our New Headquarters 14

Campaign for JESNA’s Future 15

Ner Tamid Society 16

With Deepest Gratitude to Our Supporters 17

How You Can Support JESNA 22

Financials 24

JESNA Board and Staff Inside Back Cover

Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource.”

—John Fitzgerald Kennedy

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IMPACTING CHANGE

JESNA’S MANDELL L. BERMAN JEWISH HERITAGE CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND EVALUATION IN JEWISH EDUCATION

Timely and usable data help clients understand and make informed decisions about program implementation and impact.

Systematic planning and consistent outcomes measurement improve program delivery and demonstrate accountability.

How does evaluation advance Jewish education?

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WHAT WE DO—AND WHY IT’SIMPORTANT TO JEWISH EDUCATION

JESNA’S BERMAN CENTER

Evaluation Studies: We Can Do It for YouThe Berman Center’s evaluation work provides our clients with specific, utilization-focused data. Our

analyses help clients better understand and make more informed choices about their work at any point in the life of a program. Berman Center staff work closely with clients to assess needs, plan for evaluation, collect and analyze data, draw conclusions, and make action-oriented recommendations.

Evaluation Consulting and Capacity Building: We Can Help You Do It Yourself

Funders and program providers understand the need for accountability in the non-profit arena and the challenges of demonstrating outcomes for Jewish education programs. The Berman Center is an experienced guide and able partner for philanthropies and program providers building their internal evaluation capacities. Our consulting services help clients define and articulate their goals and programmatic outcomes; build “logic models” to help them better plan for and assess the design of their programs; develop their internal capacity to gather, manage, and interpret meaningful evaluation data; and advise them about applying evaluation research strategically to their decision-making.

Evaluation Training and Workshops: We Can Teach YouThe Berman Center offers individuals and small groups training and professional coaching about

program evaluation. Our staff also share their accumulated knowledge and expertise of program evaluation with key audiences in public venues, including Jewish education conferences, annual research association meetings, and national gatherings of Jewish education practitioners and funders. The Berman Center is dedicated to increasing and improving the use of evaluation techniques and data to enhance the quality of Jewish educational programs in North America.

Basic Issues Research: We Are Constantly Learning to Serve You BetterThe Berman Center is confident that we can help the field achieve greater understanding of the

factors leading to Jewish educational change and excellence through educational research. The Berman Center’s expertise in the art and science of qualitative and quantitative research positions us to become field leaders in Jewish education research. Periodically, our expert and award-winning staff is commissioned to conduct non-evaluative research and/or systematic reviews of existing research on a particular aspect of Jewish education. We draw on our collective wisdom to deliver deep and broad knowledge of the content and context of Jewish education in North America.

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Founded in 1992, JESNA’s Berman Center for Research and Evaluation in Jewish Education is a field leader in program evaluation and applied research of Jewish education and identity-building efforts in North America. The Berman Center offers its evaluation expertise to private and community foundations, central agencies for Jewish education, Jewish community federations, and national and local Jewish education program providers through four principle lines of service.

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Figure 1 shows the relative distribution of the Berman Center’s evaluation work during FY 2008 across the Center’s four target client groups. Efforts to diversify our client base led to an increase in the proportion of our work with Foundation clients in 2008. We also increased the percentage of our business that came from Federations.

Figure 2 illustrates the proportions of the Berman Center’s work across our four lines of service in FY 2008. While evaluation studies continue to be our “bread and butter,” we have grown our evaluation consulting and capacity building services.

30%CENTRAL AGENCIES FORJEWISH EDUCATION

13%FOUNDATIONS

49%“STAND ALONE” EDUCATIONSERVICE PROVIDERS

8%FEDERATION

PLANNINGDEPARTMENTS

FIGURE 1: TARGET CLIENT GROUPS

40%CONSULTING ANDCAPACITY BUILDING

5%EVALUATIONTEACHING ANDTRAINING

52%EVALUATION STUDIES

5%BASIC RESEARCH

FIGURE 2: LINES OF SERVICE

We recently worked with a wonderfully professional team from the Berman Center in the development of a proposed initiative and were very pleased with the assistance they provided. They skillfully facilitated our meetings, thoughtfully guided our research, and carefully documented our decisions in this complex and collaborative effort.”

—President, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation

We retained the services of the Berman Center to help us evaluate our program to improve the recruitment of new teachers and the retention of teachers in our local congregational schools. Their staff handled every aspect of the project with the utmost professionalism and brought their evaluation expertise and JESNA’s knowledge of the field to bear on the project. We were very pleased with the end product and look forward to future collaboration.”

—Director of School Services, St. Louis Central Agency for Jewish Education

[Our work with the Berman Center] exceeded our expectations. ... We completed two evaluation projects—the development of our direct service logic model and subsequent “think tank” retreat day, and the creation and distribution of our rabbis’ survey.JESNA staff actually helped us develop both and saw them through to the finish line! … As an agency without a big budget, this is more valuable than I could ever explain. For me it felt like true mentoring to know that someone could both provide positive direction, and also provide candid feedback.”

—Executive Director, Shalom Bayit, San Francisco

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JESNA’S BERMAN CENTER

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2008 PROJECTS AND CLIENTS: COMPLETED AND IN PROGRESS

FY 2008 ProjectsOne of the Berman Center’s main goals is to teach the art and science of evaluation to funders and practitioners in the field of Jewish education. We are confident that this process will provide diverse communities with the content and skills they need to enhance the content and quality of Jewish education.

We encourage you to contact the Berman Center to discuss your current and potential evaluation needs. Together, we will consider how our evaluation expertise can benefit your organization and advance excellent Jewish education in your community.

The Charles and Lynn Schusterman »Family FoundationThe Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund »The Walter and Elise Haas Fund »The Jim Joseph Foundation »The Lasko Family Foundations »The Bureau of Jewish Education of »San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma CountiesSt. Louis Central Agency for Jewish »Education (CAJE)Cleveland Bureau of Jewish Education »Jewish Community Foundation of »San DiegoJewish Education Center of Cleveland »(JECC)Los Angeles Bureau of Jewish Education »Center for Leadership Initiatives (CLI) »STAR (Synagogues: Transformation and »Renewal)Mandel Alumni Visions Project »National Diller Teen Initiatives »JERRI Lab Communities »Jewish Funds for Justice: The SPARK »CenterThe Legacy Heritage Fund Rabbinic »Enrichment InitiativeOraita: Institute for Continuing »Rabbinic EducationLegacy Heritage Internship for Young »Scientists (LHIYS)Advancing Women Professionals and »the Jewish CommunityCongregation Netivot Shalom— »RimmonimThe Leadership Institute for »Congregational School PrincipalsThe Living Museum Project of the »Museum for Jewish Heritage— A Living Memorial to the Holocaust (MJH)

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Knowing what works under what conditions helps communities find more effective programs and solutions without having to reinvent the wheel.

Expert know-how and consultation build communities’ and programs’ capacities to increase their impact.

How do learnings and dissemination advance Jewish education?

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TURNING KNOWLEDGE INTO IMPACTJESNA’S LEARNINGS & CONSULTATION CENTER (LCC)

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ver the past year, the LCC has focused its efforts to

achieve impact in the domains of: complementary education; educator recruitment, retention, development and recognition; and building the capacity of Central Agencies for Jewish Education.

Highlights of Our Achievements in 2008

Sosland Online Resource Center“Inquiring minds” have a powerful and user-friendly knowledge source in the Sosland Online Resource Center—www.jesna.org/sosland/sosearch.asp—JESNA’s newly expanded and updated online database. The fully searchable and continually expanding collection includes published works, programs and conferences, organizations and communities, and web-based sources.

Complementary EducationKey professionals from central agencies in 29 communities who participated in webinars of the CTI (Coaches Training Institute) know more about alternative models of complementary education, how to facilitate change, and how to define and depict successful change—and they are now applying this knowledge in their communities —www.jesna.org/j/congregational.asp.

Volunteer and professional educational leaders in communities throughout North America can apply “lessons learned” from evaluations of complementary school change processes that are disseminated through new LCC publications including Making Jewish Education Work: Complementary School Change Initiatives and The Compendium of Synagogue/School Change Initiatives.

TURNING KNOWLEDGE INTO IMPACTJESNA’S LEARNINGS & CONSULTATION CENTER (LCC)

Community Hebrew High Schools in 56 communities (reaching nearly 8,000 Jewish teens and their families) are applying best practices presented through conferences, calls, e-newsletters and on-line interactions provided through NAACHHS (the North American Association of Community Hebrew High Schools). NAACHHS members utilize curricular and administrative resources developed by their colleagues more efficiently and effectively due to the significant expansion of the NAACHHS Web Site—www.naachhs.org.

PELIE (the Partnership for Effective Learning and Innovative Education) has benefited from the advice and support of LCC staff who are “on call” to PELIE leadership as they develop and implement their inaugural projects.

Educator Recruitment, Retention, Development and RecognitionMore than 55 Central Agency staff members responsible for professional development in their local communities increased their own knowledge and expertise through online seminars of the PD Network and through the recently updated PDC, JESNA’s online professional development site.

For the first time in recent years policy-makers have current empirical data about educators in Jewish schools in North America to guide decisions and program development related to teacher

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… we have just completed the ‘initial phase’ of our strategic planning process. This report simply could not have been written at such a high level of quality and substance without the assistance of JESNA … At each stage along the way, we were provided with the broad educational bedrock upon which the committee grounded its work … In providing such professional consultation to the committee, our professional credibility was boosted throughout the process and particularly as we approached the final stages of writing the report. I don’t usually write ‘fan letters,’ but this one almost wrote itself. Kudos to JESNA.”

—Lawrence M. Ziffer, Executive Vice President, Center for Jewish Education

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JESNA’S LEARNINGS & CONSULTATION CENTER (LCC)

recruitment, retention, recognition and development as a result of the publication and dissemination of EJSS, JESNA’s Educators in Jewish Schools Study. Leaders of national organizations (e.g., RAVSAK, JEA, ADCA, PEJE, CAJE, Network for Research in Jewish Education) as well as local venues are focusing on implications of the findings for their agendas following JESNA presentations at national meetings, conference calls, and on-line interactions.

The cadre of college students being exposed and encouraged to pursue careers in Jewish education continues to expand through the Israel Interns and Graduate Seminar. Thirty-nine students at Hebrew University and Tel Aviv University completed the 2008 Israel Interns Program and returned to the second year of the internship in their home universities, joining the roster of more than 600 alumni of the 16 year old program.

50 communities increased the status and stature of Jewish educators and education by recognizing 68 outstanding educators through the 2008 Grinspoon-Steinhardt Awards. The Grinspoon-Steinhardt Awards

Community Newsletter, a new online quarterly, enables community coordinators to share information about professional development opportunities, community recognition programs, and share successes and challenges related to educator recognition.

The LCC organized and facilitated the first National Conference on Continuing Rabbinic Education. The historic conference brought together top-level leadership from across the entire religious spectrum to review the “state of the field” and laid the groundwork for an alliance to advance the field of continuing rabbinic education.

Central Agency Capacity BuildingADCA (Association of Directors of Central Agencies) directors and staff members who participate in LCC facilitated CoPs (Communities of

Practice) are expanding their skills and knowledge in key areas (e.g., change management and facilitation, use of technology) through webinars, tele-conferences and face-to-face seminars.

Three New England communities (Western Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Hartford) developed plans to enhance professional development in their communities through the facilitation and guidance of the demonstration project—Achieving Excellence in Professional Development and Resources for Jewish Education.

Facilitated by LCC staff, Baltimore’s CJE (Center for Jewish Education) completed a strategic planning process that has been cited as exemplary by agency and federation leadership, and has recommended the role of JESNA and the LCC to local and national colleagues.

... the JESNA Professional Development web site is a tremendously valuable tool for people working in the field. This is a site to keep open for reference on our computers all day long.”

—Jan Katz, Director, Education Services, Jewish Community Federation of—Rochester, NY

I was a JESNA Lainer intern in Cohort 5. It had a significant impact on me; I think I can confidently say that I got my M.A. in Jewish Education because of that program.”

—Rabbi Daniel Burg

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The future is already here. It’s just not evenly distributed.”

—William Gibson

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LEADING THE CHARGE IN INNOVATIVE THINKING

JESNA’S LIPPMAN KANFER INSTITUTE

By innovating. By identifying new and better practices, programs, and policies and infusing these throughout the Jewish educational system.

How do we ensure that Jewish education remains engaging, relevant, and effective in a rapidly changing world?

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Enhancing Jewish Social Entrepreneurship and New Leadership DevelopmentAs part of its commitment to promote innovation in Jewish education, JESNA’s Lippman Kanfer Institute joined with the United Jewish Communities to launch an initiative to strengthen support for and enhance the impact of Jewish social entrepreneurship and new leadership development. Kicked off by a first-of-its-kind gathering of 130 diverse stakeholders who came together to deliberate on key issues such as increasing funding, measuring impact, growing organizations and nurturing talent, the initiative has grown to include several hundred participants around the Jewish world. The Lippman Kanfer Institute and UJC are facilitating networking for this group, gathering and disseminating resources, encouraging ongoing conversations in a variety of venues, and helping established institutions like federations expand their support for innovative people and ventures.

“Linking Silos”: New Roles and Skills for Central Agencies for Jewish EducationA key to Jewish education’s success in the 21st century is finding new ways to attract and engage learners in an array of educational experiences that span multiple forms and settings and extend throughout one’s lifetime. This requires re-envisioning and re-engineering how institutions relate to Jewish education’s “consumers” and how they connect to one another. Today, the Institute is helping central agencies take on the role of “silo linkers” by facilitating a community of practice for more than two dozen senior professionals, by conducting pioneering research highlighting cutting-edge activity in this arena, and by working directly with agencies and communities that are undertaking new initiatives.

The Next Decade of Congregational Educational ChangeJESNA is deeply committed to advancing the state of the art in “complementary” Jewish education, the education that engages the

largest number of children, youth, and their families, and that is provided most often by synagogues. As part of this work, the Lippman Kanfer

Institute has brought together the leaders of major national, regional and local initiatives aimed at improving congregational education to share both learnings from their projects (which collectively involve hundreds of synagogues) and their visions for what congregational education can be in the future. The first fruit of this Institute initiative is the working paper, “Transforming

The Lippman Kanfer Institute works to make Jewish education a dynamic experience that brings meaning to individual lives and vitality to the Jewish community. Through its publications, conferences, presentations, and community consultations, the Lippman Kanfer Institute has engaged hundreds of leaders and dozens of communities in imagining new possibilities for Jewish education while thoughtfully examining the changes needed in order to realize these possibilities.

JESNA’S LIPPMAN KANFER INSTITUTE

I am only one. But still I am one. I cannot do everything, But still I can do something; And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”

—Helen Keller

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Congregational Education: Lessons Learned and Questions for the Future,” which is being made available via the JESNA web site to community and educational leaders. The initiative’s next phase focuses on visions for the future of congregational education and “second generation” strategies for change.

JE3: Media, Technology, and 21st Century Jewish EducationThe technological revolution has transformed how we work, play, shop, and learn. What are the implications of this revolution for Jewish education, for students and teachers, for parents and institutions, for our potential to connect across time and space, for our values, and for our multiple identities online and off? These questions are driving the Lippman Kanfer Institute’s JE3 (Jewish Education 3.0) initiative. The project has gathered together some of the brightest stars in the new world of Jewish educational media and technology to exchange ideas and think together about the deeper meanings of technological change for the practice of Jewish education. The outcome will be a unique virtual “working paper” of ideas, opinions, illustrations, and links that will pose penetrating questions and provide provocative answers on how to “do” Jewish education in the 21st century.

New Designs for Jewish SchoolsJewish day schools have been a signal success story in Jewish education over the past several decades. Nonetheless, there are day schools in many communities that face persistent enrollment and financial challenges that threaten their educational vitality and organizational viability. At the request of one such school and community, the Lippman Kanfer Institute organized a project to look at the range of options that might be available to leaders seeking to strengthen their day school or to implement an alternative model of schooling that may enable Jewish children and families to enjoy some of the same learning and socialization experience that day schools typically provide in a different setting. With the help of a “design team” of distinguished educators and others involved in day school leadership, the Institute developed a comprehensive list and analysis of “optimization strategies” that can maximize a day school’s chances for long-term viability as well as a catalogue of options to consider—ranging from Hebrew charter schools to multi-religious or ethnic partnerships—when circumstances suggest that an alternative school model may be needed.

Community EngagementsAs an “action-oriented” think tank, the Lippman Kanfer Institute seeks opportunities to work with communities that are committed to educational innovation and change. In 2008, the Institute partnered with two such communities for ongoing engagements. In Cleveland, the Lippman Kanfer Institute worked with Siegal College and the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland (JECC) to design and implement a multi-session seminar for educational professionals and lay leaders. In St. Louis, the Lippman Kanfer Institute worked with the federation’s Commission on Jewish Identity and Engagement to develop a plan for engaging and impacting on critical target populations, including families with young children and young adults.

Through the Lippman Kanfer Institute, JESNA has become not just a knowledge hub, but an innovation hub for the field. As the seeds of change that the Institute has planted flower and bear fruit over the years ahead, all of us—and especially those just beginning their Jewish educational journeys—will be the beneficiaries.

JESNA’S LIPPMAN KANFER INSTITUTE

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OUR NEW HEADQUARTERSMOVING OUR OFFICES

After many months of planning and preparation, JESNA has established a new headquarters at 318 West 39th Street. Though we had not originally planned to move until 2013, we feel very fortunate to have this opportunity to build a physical work environment that will truly enhance our ability to work effectively toward our goal of consistent excellence in Jewish education.

Among the new opportunities in our custom-designed headquarters will be access to technologies like “smart boards” that will enable our national networks to meet and learn together virtually and office adjacencies and flexible meeting facilities that will foster easy interactions between JESNA’s program units—sparking new cross-departmental initiatives, enabling cooperative problem-solving and teamwork, and generating new successes.

In order to help defray the more than $1 million of incremental costs to the agency that this move creates over the next four years, we have undertaken a special “Campaign for JESNA’s Future” and have already raised nearly $800,000 from a number of generous supporters, including many in the leadership of our agency. The listing of those donors, which continues to expand well past our publication date, can be found on the facing page of this annual report. 23

Number of staff that will move from our current offices to our new offices in 2009.

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With profound gratitude, we acknowledge these generous contributions toward the creation of a new JESNA headquarters.*

* As of December 15, 2008.

CONTRIBUTORS OF $10,000 TO $24,999Gary and Cari Gross »Cheryl Fishbein and Philip Schatten »Stephen Seiden »Arnee R. and Walter A. Winshall »Bennett and Donna Yanowitz »

CONTRIBUTORS OF $1,000 TO $9,999Sandra and Arnold Gold »Cass and Sheldon Gottlieb »Howard T. Jacobson »Sally and Richard Krugel »Cynthia and Richard Morin »Felice and Robert Sachs »Anne and Donald Sylvan »Sue and Howard Wilchins »Sherry and Jonathan Woocher »

CONTRIBUTORS OF $100,000 AND MOREMadeleine and Mandell L. Berman »Lippman Kanfer Family Foundation »Ellie and Mark Lainer »

CONTRIBUTORS OF $25,000 TO $99,999The Harold Grinspoon Foundation »Irene and Edward H. Kaplan »The Sosland Foundation »Anne and David Steirman »Diane Troderman »

WITH OUR THANKS

CAMPAIGN FOR JESNA’S FUTURE

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COMMITMENTS OF $1,000,000 OR MOREMadeleine and Mandell Berman »Lippman Kanfer Family Foundation »

COMMITMENTS OF $500,000 OR MOREEllie and Mark Lainer, »

Simha Lainer z”lAudrey and Albert Ratner, »

Forest City EnterprisesThe Sosland Foundation »Rabbi Isaac Toubin Memorial Fund »

COMMITMENTS OF $250,000 OR MOREJane and Arthur Brody »Irene and Edward H. Kaplan »

COMMITMENTS OF $100,000 OR MOREHelene Berger »Sylvia and Sidney Busis »Cheryl Fishbein and Philip Schatten »Billie and Martin Gold »Jaynie Schultz »Anne and David Steirman »Diane Troderman and Harold »

GrinspoonHoward M. Wilchins, in memory »

of Peggy WilchinsDonna and Bennet Yanowitz »

We extend our thanks as well to Dr. Richard Krugel and the late Boris Shteinshleifer for the endowment funds they have created to benefit JESNA.

WITH OUR THANKS

The Ner Tamid, eternal light, graces every synagogue as a symbol of G-d’s continuing presence in our lives and in our communities. Its light is the light of Torah, of Jewish learning and teaching. JESNA is dedicated to ensuring that the light of Torah never dims, that it continues to illuminate our path and guide our deeds across the generations. In establishing the Ner Tamid Society, JESNA’s leaders and caring supporters have acted to enable us to fulfill that commitment, not just now, but into perpetuity. Like the Ner Tamid itself, our passion to give every Jewish child the gift of a rich and wondrous heritage can burn without interruption.

The light of Torah will continue to shine thanks to the generosity of these devoted individuals and families.

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WITH DEEPEST GRATITUDETO OUR SUPPORTERS

WITH OUR THANKS

We are delighted to express our profound appreciation to the following individuals, families, foundations and organizations who have demonstrated their commitment and caring through their generous financial support of our annual campaign in the last year.

We also offer our thanks for the enduring commitment of the Jewish Federation system. The allocations made by the member Federations of the Alliance and other individual Federations not only provide sustaining support but serve as a testament to the strength and value of our continuing partnership with the Jewish communities across North America.

CONTRIBUTORS OF $250,000 AND MOREMadeleine and Mandell L. Berman »Harold Grinspoon Foundation »Lippman Kanfer Family Foundation »

CONTRIBUTORS OF $100,000 TO $249,999Anonymous »The Jim Joseph Foundation »Ricky and Andrew J. Shechtel »

Philanthropic FundSteinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life »

CONTRIBUTORS OF $50,000 TO $99,999Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund »Walter and Elise Haas Fund »Ellie and Mark Lainer »Lasko Family Foundation »Legacy Heritage Fund, Ltd. »The Charles and Lynn Schusterman »

Family Foundation

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CONTRIBUTORS OF $25,000 TO $49,999Robert H. Arnow »The Jewish Agency for Israel »Joseph S. Kanfer »George D. Krupp »The Sosland Foundation »Diane Troderman »

CONTRIBUTORS OF $10,000 TO $24,999Carol B. Auerbach »Helene and Ady Berger »The Russell Berrie Foundation »Gary and Cari Gross »Laura and Gary Lauder Philanthropic Fund »Fran and Bobby Lent »William Lowenstein »Robert Russell Memorial Foundation »Cheryl Fishbein and Philip Schatten »Sharon and Stephen Seiden »Robert H. Smith Family Foundation »Shirley and Allan Solomon »Anne and David Steirman »Francine Lavin Weaver »Arnee R. and Walter A. Winshall »Bennett Yanowitz »

CONTRIBUTORS OF $5,000 TO $9,999Covenant Foundation »The Crown Family »Claire and David Ellman »Janet and Jake Farber »Helen and Sam Kaplan Charitable Foundation »Irene and Edward H. Kaplan »Temma and Al Kingsley »Sally and Richard Krugel »Madav IX Foundation »The Nirenberg Foundation »Nadine and Sidney Pertnoy »Targum Shlishi, A Raquel and Aryeh »

Rubin FoundationKyla and Mitchell C. Schneider »James A. Schwarz »Carol Brennglass Spinner »Beate and Henry Voremberg »

WITH OUR THANKS

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CONTRIBUTORS OF $2,500 TO $4,999Lucille Alderman »Jane and Arthur Brody »Sylvia and Sidney Busis »Niki and Henry Fayne »Nancy Gart »Sandra and Arnold Gold »Cass and Sheldon Gottlieb »Lynne B Harrison »Michal Hillman »Rabbi Robert Hirt »Jo-Ann Nevas Price »Louise and Morton J. Macks »Robert H. Sachs »Elaine and Saul Schreiber »Jeffrey E. Schwarz »Gary and Lisa Shiffman »Blanche and Neil Sosland »Gail Stein Weinstein »Sue and Howard Wilchins »

CONTRIBUTORS OF $1,000 TO $2,499Ruth and Alan Ades »Lawrence Brandes »Jeffrey Corbin »David Fishman »Brenda and Samuel Gewurz »Billie Gold »Ellen P. Goldstein »Amy Kaufman Goott »Rachel and Neil Greenbaum »Steve Grossman »Andrew Groveman »Susan and Harold M. Halpern »Jewish Communities of Western Connecticut »Beverly and Arthur Liss »Joseph and Harvey Meyerhoff Family »

Charitable FundsSearle Mitnick »Cynthia and Richard Morin »David and Inez Myers Foundation »New Kalman Sunshine Fund, Inc. »Mark B. Pearlman »Carol and David Robbins »Honorable Steven D. Robinson »Renee and Ernest Samson »Barbara and Vic Samuels »

Tracy P. and Evan J. Segal »Lawrence A. Sherman »Anne and Donald Sylvan »Sarah and Nessim Tiano »Ellen Kagen Waghelstein »Donna Shulevitz Weiss »Libby and Moshe Werthan »Sherry and Jonathan Woocher »Timothy Wuliger »Miriam and Bernard K. Yenkin »Dr. Lois J. Zachary »

CONTRIBUTORS OF $100 TO $999Anonymous »Hilda and Alfred Ashley »Cindy and David J. Berger »Mark Berger »Rosalie and Lawrence Berman »Congregation Beth El of the Oranges and »

MaplewoodEyal Bor »Joyce H. and William E. Brodkin »Leonard Brumberg »Joan and Harvey K. Bucholtz »Max Candiotty, Esq. »Louise and Daniel C. Cohen »Helene Kalson Cohen and Tim Cohen »Toby and Leon Cooperman »Sandy and Arnie Dashefsky »Barbara and Daniel Drench »Rabbi Yaacov Dvorin »Elinor and Gustave Eisemann »Esther Feigenbaum »Harold S. Feinbloom »Renee and Steve Finn »Lynn and William Foggle »Deborah Friedman »Miriam Futernick »Adelle Gersten »Dr. Betsy Gidwitz »The Goldberg Family Foundation »Carol and Philip Goldsmith »Joyce and Neil Goldstein »Zelda and Murray Goodman »Dena Gorbaty »Dr. Gil Graff »David Graubard »

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WITH OUR THANKS Carol S. and Joel S. Greenberg »Steve and Judi Gross »Laurie Harris »Gordon Hecker »Lee M. Hendler »Myrna and Bernard Holzman »Herbert and Carol Horowitz »The Ichilov Family »Leora W. Isaacs »Hyman Israel »Jonathan Jacobs »Joyce and Arthur Joseph »Jim Joshowitz »Margot and Fred Kann »Joan S. Kaye, Ed. D »N. Herschel Koblenz »Lee and Luis Lainer »Lori and Jeff Lasday »Gerald C. Legow »Beth and Todd Leonard »Jacqueline and Howard H. Levine »Elivre and Lucien I. Levy »Mimi and Charles Lieber »Shelia and Stephen E. Lieberman »Sue Liebman »Nancy and Norman Lipoff »Hannah Lorch »Morris Mandon »Sivia and Norman Mann »Alan Mendelson »Bernice and Jack A. Meyers »Barbara and Sol Minsberg »Betty G. Minsk and Malcolm N. Minsk »Eric Morgenstern »Karen and Neil Moss »Golda and Michael Och »Sheila and Lawrence C. Pakula »Ann and Jeremy Pava »Dr. Jack Porter »Mark Resnick »Charles T. Rivkin »Dr. Wendy J. Rosov »Ruth Langer and Professor Jonathan Sarna »Joan G. Sarnoff »Nancy and Steven Schachtman »Jeff Schein »Meredith and David Schizer »Frank E. Schochet »

JESNA | BERMAN CENTER FOR RESEARCH & EVALUATION | LEARNINGS & CONSULTATION CENTER | LIPPMAN KANFER INSTITUTE 21

Helen and Harold Schwartz »Ellen Singer »Edward A. and Beth K. Smith Fund »Elene and Herbert Solomon »Arthur and Edith Stern Family Foundation »Todd Strauss »Sharon Margolin Ungerleider »Rita Waldor »Eileen and Harry Weinstein »Ophra Weisberg »Burton G. Weisberg »Harris K. Weston »Ruth and Howard Woocher »Toni and Stuart B. Young »

CONTRIBUTORS OF $25 TO $99Anonymous »Anonymous »Rabbi Judith Z. Abrams »Douglas Aronin »Judy Baruch »Annette Berkowitz »Rose Bernstein »Rabbi Edward C. Bernstein »Nancy and Jacob Bloom »Janet S. and Martin Bookspan »Lottie and Henry M. Burger »Morton Comer »Cheryl and Edward Dauber »Reuben Eisenstein »Edwin Ellman »Seymour Epstein »Herbert Fisher »Rabbi Lyle A. Fishman »Lynn D. Flanzbaum »Seymour Fried »Barry Friedberg »Dennis Friedman »Herman J. Geiser »Sara Gladstein »Denise and Marshall Glasser »Gloria G and Andor Glattstein »Dr. Barry Halpern »Muriel B. Handmaker »Albert Hepner »Joan and Rabbi Howard Hersch »Genia and Boris Itkin »

Dr. Leah Janus »Sheryl and Robert Jawetz »Judith and Julian Joseph »Stuart Kaback »Mimi Karesh »Daniel N. Karsch »Marilyn and Lawrence M. Katz »Rabbi Alvan Kaunfer »Rose Kleinman »Michael Kogan »Betty and Barry Leif »Joan Levin »Rika Levin-Reisman »Steve Levitan »Carolyn H. and David Maretsky »Andrea Meiseles »Naomi Yadin-Mendick and David Mendick »Stephen Messner and Elizabeth Prelinger »Bonnie Millender »Nyberg Family Foundation »Bette S. Paris and Reynold F. Paris »Jeffrey Peltzer »Rabbi Robert Pilavin »Bernice Feldman »Donna and Albert Polovoy »Bernice and Peter J. Porrazzo »Ira Rezak and Brigitte Bedos-Rezak »Mark Rosen »Jennifer Rosenberg »Sharon Rosenberg Safra »Edward Saltzberg »Diana M. Savit »Stuart Schoenberger »Paul Schwartz »Norman Sheldon »Arden E. Shenker »Daniel Shneidman »Rabbi Marion Shulevitz »Gerald Silverstein »Harriet Steckler »Bernard and Alice Struhl »Jill and Gary Swergold »Jackie and Michael Waterman »Burton Wax »Imy Wax »Beryl B. Weinstein »

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Join us on our mission to make consistently excellent Jewish education available to every learner in every community in North America.

With your help we can:

Recruit and prepare more quality Jewish »educators, and create the conditions in which they can thriveWork with more schools to help them »strengthen curricula, provide quality professional development for their staff, and expand their use of cutting-edge technologyProvide evaluation and consulting »services to more Jewish Federations and Central Agencies for Jewish education, enabling them to assess and tackle their specific local challenges and opportunitiesContinue to build on our knowledge of »what works in Jewish education under what circumstances so that we can apply those lessons to real-life challenges in your community and beyond

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

—William Butler Yeats

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HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT JESNAHELP US CREATE INSPIRING JEWISH EDUCATION

JESNA | BERMAN CENTER FOR RESEARCH & EVALUATION | LEARNINGS & CONSULTATION CENTER | LIPPMAN KANFER INSTITUTE 23

Annual GiftsJESNA welcomes undesignated gifts to our Major Gifts Societies (the Ben Gamla Society honors gifts of $10,000 and above and the Ben Zakkai Society honors gifts of $25,000 and above) and through our Friends Campaign in any amount.

Tribute and Memorial Contributions Tribute and memorial contributions are special gifts to honor, memorialize, or congratulate friends and family for all occasions. We will be delighted to send a beautiful, artist-designed card on your behalf or you may purchase packets of blank tribute cards for your own use.

Project Support and Designated GivingDonors may target their contributions in ways that reflect their interests while also addressing important JESNA needs. A project-designated gift allows you to direct your contribution towards an initiative or area you wish to support with a major gift of $10,000 or more. Many of JESNA’s most successful programs are supported in large part by individuals or groups of funding partners. Examples of these projects are described throughout this report.

Matching GiftsIf you are affiliated with a company that matches contributions to non-profit organizations, your gift to JESNA may be eligible for such a match. Some employers consider matching gifts a benefit to their employees. The human resources office at your workplace can tell you more about your employer’s policies.

Endowments and Planned GiftsOur mission, to provide consistent excellence in Jewish education, will not be fully realized in our own lifetimes. Therefore, it is our duty to secure the future of our work with the greatest prudence possible. Since the celebration of our 25th Anniversary in 2006, we have intensified our efforts to create a meaningful pool of dollars that will support this crucial work into the foreseeable future. We are ready and eager to assist our benefactors in determining how best to structure their planned gifts, which can take many forms:

bequests »insurance policies »gifts of real property, including jewelry and art »retirement accounts »charitable gift annuities »

As is true for annual gifts, endowed gifts can be restricted, with income designated to support a specific program or project each year, or unrestricted, which would allow JESNA to use its discretion in allocating funds where they are most urgently needed.

Supporters who choose to make commitments to the Endowment Campaign of $100,000 or more will become members of JESNA’s Ner Tamid Society.

For more information, please call our Development Department at 212-284-6705 or visit us at www.jesna.org and select the “Support JESNA” button.

Every charitable act is a stepping stone towards heaven.”

—Henry Ward Beecher

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FINANCIAL REPORT OF MANAGEMENTThe financial statements of the Jewish Education Service of North America, Inc. (JESNA) are audited annually by an independent firm. JESNA received an unqualified opinion as of June 30, 2008, from its auditors, which found that the combined financial statements prepared by JESNA management were presented fairly in all material respects in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

A copy of the full financial statements with the Indepen-dent Auditor’s Report for the year ended June 30, 2008, is filed with the New York State Department of Law, Office of the Attorney General Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY, 10271, and may be obtained upon request by writing to these offices, or directly to:

Jewish Education Service of North America, Inc. Accounting Department 318 West 39th Street, 5th FloorNew York, NY 10018

21%EARNED INCOME 24%

FEDERATIONALLOCATIONS

34%CONTRIBUTIONS(DESIGNATED)

REVENUES

1%AGENCYDUES

2%CONTRIBUTIONS(DONATED SERVICES)

9%CONTRIBUTION

(UNDESIGNATED)

9%FISCALSPONSORSHIPS

63%PERSONNELCOSTS9%

FISCALSPONSORSHIPS

9%TRAVEL & MEETINGS

5%PROFESSIONAL

FEES

6%OCCUPANCY

COSTS

2%SUPPLIES &EQUIPMENT

3%COMMUNICATIONS &MAILINGS

3%AWARDS, GRANTS& FELLOWSHIPS

EXPENSES

REVENUESFEDERATION ALLOCATIONS $1,049,893AGENCY DUES 22,750CONTRIBUTIONS (UNDESIGNATED) 410,567CONTRIBUTIONS (DESIGNATED) 1,505,954CONTRIBUTIONS (DONATED SERVICES) 79,161EARNED INCOME 922,013FISCAL SPONSORSHIPS 401,330TOTAL REVENUES $4,391,668

EXPENSESPERSONNEL COSTS $2,872,169PROFESSIONAL FEES 234,056OCCUPANCY COSTS 283,950TRAVEL & MEETINGS 400,351SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT 80,469COMMUNICATIONS & MAILINGS 145,086AWARDS, GRANTS & FELLOWSHIPS 135,350OTHER EXPENSES 11,536FISCAL SPONSORSHIPS 401,510TOTAL EXPENSES $4,564,477

CHANGE IN UNRESTRICTED NET ASSETS ($172,809)

CONDENSED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2008)

JESNA | BERMAN CENTER FOR RESEARCH & EVALUATION | LEARNINGS & CONSULTATION CENTER | LIPPMAN KANFER INSTITUTE 25

BOARDCHAIRDavid J. Steirman

HONORARY CHAIRMandell L. Berman

VICE CHAIRSDr. Sandra O. Gold

Cass W. Gottlieb

Searle Mitnick

Howard M. Wilchins

Arnee R. Winshall

SECRETARYAmy Kaufman Goott

ASSISTANT SECRETARYCarol Robbins

TREASURERPhilip Schatten

ASSISTANT TREASURERGary Gross

BOARD MEMBERSAlan Ades

Carol B. Auerbach

Saby Behar

Dr. Helene Kalson Cohen

Jeffrey Corbin

David Fishman

Deborah Friedman

Nancy Gart

Brenda Gewurz

Sheldon Goodman

Dr. Gil Graff

Harold Halpern

Howard Jacobson

Temma Kingsley

Dr. Richard Krugel

Beverly Liss

Patty Mason

Cynthia Morin

Mark B. Pearlman

Sidney Pertnoy

Charles Ratner

Robert H. Sachs

Barbara Raicek Segal

Dr. Jeffrey Schein

Paul R. Schlesinger

Mitchell C. Schneider

Elaine Schreiber

Stephen Seiden

Ricky Shechtel

Robert Sherman

Gary Shiffman

Shirley Solomon

Dr. Blanche Sosland

Carol Brennglass Spinner

Eve Kresin Steinberg

Ellen Kagen Waghelstein

Francine Lavin Weaver

Gail Weinstein

Jacqueline Sprinces Wong

Dr. Lois J. Zachary

LIFE MEMBERSRobert H. Arnow

Helene Berger

Arthur Brody

Billie Gold

Neil Greenbaum

Joseph Kanfer

Mark Lainer

Mark E. Schlussel

Diane Troderman

Bennett Yanowitz, Esq.

STAFFOFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVEDonald Sylvan, Ph.D. President

Kate Lutzner Executive Assistant to the President

LIPPMAN KANFER INSTITUTEJonathan Woocher, Ph.D. Chief Ideas Officer;Director of the Lippman Kanfer Institute

Monica Rozenfeld Program Assistant

Anna Marx Research Assistant

THE BERMAN CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND EVALUATIONRenae Cohen, Ph.D. Director

Shira Rosenblatt, Ph.D. Associate Director

Lauren Raff, M.Ph. Senior Research and Evaluation Associate

Kate O’Brien, M.A. Senior Research Writer

Miri Rozenek, M.A. Research Associate

Rachel Levine, M.S. Research Associate

Zohar RotemResearch Assistant

LEARNINGS AND CONSULTATION CENTERLeora Isaacs, Ph.D. Vice President for Programs and Organizational Learning;Director of the Learnings and Consultation Center

Steven Kraus, M.A.Education Consultant

Andi Meiseles, M.A.Education Consultant

Devorah Silverman, M.S.W., M.A.Education Consultant

Rebecca Gafvert Online Resource Specialist

Malya Kurzweil Project Manager

INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENTEllen Goldstein Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Rika Levin Chief Marketing Officer

Gail Lalo Senior Campaign Associate

Jessica Tayts Development Assistant

FINANCERalia Neamonitakis Chief Financial Officer

Olga Avezbakiev Accounting Assistant

Milana Isakova Accounting Assistant

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYStephan Gross, P.E. Director of Information Technology

OFFICE MANAGEMENTAnne Friedman Human Resources/Operations Director

Vernessa Lewis Operations Department/HR Assistant

Shavon Hicks Mailroom Clerk

ISRAEL OFFICEDavid Resnick, Ph.D. Director, Israel Programs

JESNA BOARD AND STAFF (AS OF DECEMBER 2008)

Berman Center for Research & Evaluation: 212-284-6516 Learnings & Consultation Center: 212-284-6899Lippman Kanfer Institute:212-284-6888

To invest in JESNA: 212-284-6886

www.jesna.org

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JESNABERMAN CENTER FOR RESEARCH & EVALUATIONLEARNINGS & CONSULTATION CENTERLIPPMAN KANFER INSTITUTE

Design by MANOVERBOARD.

Jewish Education Service of North America318 West 39th Street, 5th FloorNew York NY 10018USA

212-284-6950212-284-6951 fax

Rabbi Tarfon taught: ‘It is not your responsibility to finish the work [of perfecting the world], but you are not free to desist from it either.’”

—(2:16)

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