The Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy/Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School (JKHA/RKYHS) has defined itself as a family, a community of parents and dedicated community leaders, who are united in their commitment to offer children a Jewish education enriched with Torah values and academic excellence, along with an innovative and multifaceted affordability and growth plan.

Enrollment at JKHA/RKYHS has grown significantly in the past few years, largely attributed to its winning equation for success—offering a high-quality education and demonstrating an innovative commitment to affordability and growth. Recognizing the challenges families face in their commitment to Jewish education, the school created a forward-thinking program that would have a true impact on families, the greater community and the school itself. “Our school is steadfast in its commitment to every child having the opportunity to receive a Jewish education,” stated Rabbi Eliezer E. Rubin, head of school, Klatt Family rosh hayeshiva. “We’ve spent a great deal of time taking a closer look at what will best serve our current school families, as well as attract new families to our school.”

The three-part approach to affordability and community growth, which has received national recognition, includes an incentive that partners with the surrounding Orthodox communities to attract new families to move to one of the local communities and enroll in the school, a middle-income tuition-max program that caps tuition at a percentage of income, and the establishment of an endowment to help sustain traditional financial assistance. These initiatives are being replicated in communities across the country. “Being a young family who is just starting out, purchasing our first home and joining a shul makes the Bonim Community Growth Incentive appealing, and we are thrilled to be beneficiaries of it,” stated Shael Sokolowski, who recently moved with his family from Riverdale, New York, to West Orange, New Jersey.

On Wednesday, May 17, 2017, at its annual dinner, JKHA/RKYHS is proud to celebrate Sandra and Howard Blank, Paula and Jerry Gottesman, and Harriet and George Blank, and to recognize the vital role of parents, community members and educational leaders, the legacy of the early founders and visionaries who established JKHA/RKYHS, and the grandparents and community leaders who sustain Jewish education.

Understanding the vast return on their investments in JKHA/RKYHS, each of these celebrated guests has led the effort to partner with school families in offering these cutting-edge and multi-tiered affordability and growth initiatives.

As involved parents and school leaders, Sandra and Howard Blank developed an acute appreciation for the importance and reward of being involved both as school parents and professionals. Howard’s leadership on the board of trustees and as chair of development have helped the yeshiva secure greater long-term investment and revenue. Sandra’s visionary leadership as a parent volunteer, art teacher, editor of “The Kosher Palette” and “The Kosher Palette II,” and then as director of admissions and community relations, have provided her with a unique understanding of the value of each child and the importance of building a platform that offers the highest-quality JKHA/RKYHS education at a manageable cost.

Under Sandra’s leadership in admissions, JKHA/RKYHS enrollment has increased by over 100 students during the past three years. “Howard and I have made it our priority and mission to ensure that a JKHA/RKYHS Jewish education is accessible for each child in our community,” commented Sandra Blank. “We have been especially proud to witness first-hand the return on our investments, as our school’s outstanding academic reputation combined with our innovative initiatives have led to an unprecedented increase in enrollment and community growth.”

The strong and vital JKHA/RKYHS seen today would not exist without the pioneering vision of its early founders and leaders. Among them are Sadie and Joseph Gottesman, Jerry Gottesman’s beloved parents, who tirelessly built the Yeshiva of Newark and Hebrew Youth Academy, the predecessor to JKHA/RKYHS. Paula and Jerry Gottesman are proud to represent the early visionaries of the school.

“My parents’ deep support for and involvement in this yeshiva has been passed through the generations, extending to my brother Edward (HYA 1950) as well as two of our daughters who attended Hebrew Youth Academy in the 1970s and to our ongoing commitment today. It is our honor to represent the “yesodot”—the early founders and visionaries of JKHA/RKYHS, and to recognize their enduring commitment and contributions,” added Jerry Gottesman.

Today, the Gottesmans continue to play a crucial role in redefining the approach to academic excellence and in establishing and leading innovative affordability programs for day schools throughout the community. These programs, including the Middle Income Tuition Max Program, which caps a family’s tuition obligation at a percentage of their income, are building a strong foundation for the future of Jewish education.

As long-time community leaders, Harriet and George Blank have worked tirelessly in advocating the value of Jewish education and importance of defining one’s Jewish identity and voice. Harriet and George, who emigrated from Europe as young children, added, “We are examples of the greatness of America, which welcomed us and gave us opportunity. That is why we are so thrilled to play a small part in supporting tuition affordability for yeshiva education at JKHA/RKYHS. This yeshiva is building the future of Judaism as well as great citizens of America one student at a time.”

Harriet and George Blank have demonstrated this commitment as JKHA/RKYHS grandparents and founding chairs of the L’Atidenu Financial Assistance Endowment Campaign, building a permanent fund that will provide additional resources for the JKHA/RKYHS financial assistance program, so that, years from now, Jewish children will have a sustained and vibrant yeshiva. They have devoted endless hours and provided valuable leadership in promoting affordability and strengthening the school’s endowment for future generations of Jewish children.

Join JKHA/RKYHS by investing in this year’s annual dinner. To place an ad in the virtual journal in honor of the distinguished honorees or to reserve your tickets to attend the event, visit www.wizadjournal.com/jkha2017 or contact Lauren Shapiro, director of development, at 862-437-8192 or [email protected].

The JKHA/RKYHS annual dinner is the yeshiva’s most important fundraising event of the year. Support will help JKHA/RKYHS continue to provide each student with an unparalleled and affordable Jewish education and will sustain the school for the present while building for the future.