(Courtesy of YIS) Rabbi Dr. Avery Joel, head of school at the Fuchs Mizrachi School in Cleveland, Ohio and Dr. Rivka Press Schwartz, associate principal of general studies at SAR High School in the Bronx, will discuss “Money, Materialism and Modern Orthodoxy” at the annual Challenges in Jewish Education Panel. The one-hour program will be held at the Young Israel of Stamford on Shabbat morning, June 18, at 11 a.m., immediately after morning services. The event is being sponsored by the Center for Community Education (CCE) at the Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy in Stamford.
“I’m excited that we will once again bring two top-notch Jewish educators to our community to discuss a timely and important issue relating to our community,” said Michael Feldstein, who is organizing the event. “Two years ago, before COVID, we had more than 200 people come out on a Shabbat morning to hear our speakers. It demonstrates that our community members are interested and concerned about challenging topics facing our community, and want to hear what other professionals from other schools have to say on the subject.”
Rabbi Dr. Avery Joel has been at the Fuchs Mizrachi School since 2008, where he has been a teacher, principal of the Stark High School and the current head of school. Prior to moving to Cleveland, Rabbi Joel served as a teacher and grade coordinator in the Ramaz Upper School and was heavily involved in camps and other experiential education settings. Following two years in Israel studying Torah at Yeshivat Sha’alvim, Rabbi Joel received a bachelor’s in economics, an master’s in Jewish education, an Ed.D. in educational administration, and rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University. He also received an MPA from New York University.
Dr. Rivka Press Schwartz is associate principal, general studies, at SAR High School. She is also a fellow of the Kogod Research Center at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and has spent more than 15 years in the field of Jewish secondary and post-secondary education. She earned a Ph.D. in the history of science from Princeton University, writing her dissertation about the cultural history of the Manhattan Project. She lectures widely on issues of contemporary importance in the Orthodox community.
The panelists will continue the dialogue at seuda shlishit, following Mincha at 8 p.m.
The program is sponsored by David and Cindy Pitkoff and open to the entire community.
