Reflections on a Year of Strength, Growth, and Community

Dear TanenbaumCHAT Community,

As we reach the end of another remarkable school year, I want to begin by reflecting on the tremendous sense of pride we feel in our students, staff, and community. This has been a year marked by academic achievement, meaningful Jewish experiences, and a strong sense of connection to one another. At the same time, it is difficult to reflect on this school year without recognizing the challenges facing the Jewish world. With missiles falling daily on cities in Israel, our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the victims and their families and we pray for the safety and security of the people of Israel.

At TanenbaumCHAT, we strive to foster a strong connection with Israel and her people and this was certainly a major theme of our year. Through a curriculum focused on Israel education both in and out of our classrooms, powerful guest speakers, including former hostages, visits to the Nova exhibition, and spirited celebrations of Israeli history, life, and culture, our students not only learned about the realities of today’s world but also embraced their identity with pride.

The ‘regular’ TanenbaumCHAT programming continued as well and included various shows and performances, assemblies, more than 30 sports teams, over a hundred student-led clubs and committees, Shabbatons, memorable trips, and our Israel Becker Basketball Tournament, to name a few. For the first time ever, we ran a Shabbat dinner program for TanenbaumCHAT families, held simultaneously at four different synagogues, bringing over 500 community members together. And just last week, we celebrated the graduation of 328 students, bringing our total number of alumni to nearly ten thousand. We are confident that they will take their TanenbaumCHAT values and experiences with them as they enter the next chapter of their lives.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the incredible TanenbaumCHAT faculty and staff. While academic excellence is always a priority, the wellbeing of our students is equally important and at the heart of what we do. Adolescence is increasingly complicated and the added pressures of rising antisemitism combined with the war in Israel have only added to the challenges that our students face. With strength and compassion, our faculty and staff assist our students in navigating today’s complexities and I am incredibly proud of the care and mentorship they provide each and every day, helping to build the Jewish leaders of tomorrow and ensuring a strong Jewish future.

Wishing you all a restful summer, and looking forward to welcoming you back in the fall.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jonathan Levy
Head of School