Dear Berman Community,
It is with great pride that I begin my tenure as the next Board President of Berman Hebrew Academy. As we enter our school’s 80th year I’m filled with gratitude for the generations of Berman students, alumni, parents, grandparents, teachers, and administrators who have built this amazing institution. As a proud alumnus of the class of 1995 and a parent of Berman students spanning all of our divisions, I am a personal beneficiary of our amazing school.
Reflecting on Berman at 80 gives me tremendous confidence and excitement for our next 80 years. On שבת and holidays we recite the verse from תהילים פרק צ:
ימי שנותינו בהם שבעים שנה ואם בגבורת שמונים שנה The span of our life is 70 years, or given strength, eighty years
Thank God, Berman has been blessed with a lifetime of strength for 80 years. The blessing of 80 years, the Psalmist teaches, is not simply the blessing of living a long life but of living a life of accomplishment measured by its impact on the generations that follow. The verse continues:
יראה אל עבדיך פעלך והדרך על בניהם Let your deeds be seen by servants, your glory by their children
The strength of 80 ensures that the generations that follow will experience the beauty of Hashem and HisTorah.
Baruch Hashem, due to the labor and investment of those before us, Berman’s future is very bright. We enter our 80th year with a record increase in enrollment, students who pursue excellence and practice mentschlachkeit, best-in-class faculty and administrators, and upgraded facilities and spaces.
Perhaps most consequential for this new era of שמונים שנה is the arrival home of Rabbi Dr. Hillel Broder. For the first time in our school’s history we have a Head of School who grew up in our community and attended Berman — he is a product of our ואם בגבורת שמונים שנה . Rabbi Broder’s spiritual leadership, educational expertise, and passion for teaching students promises that the Berman community will enjoy another 80 years of strength, success, and blessing.
I look forward to working with the Berman community to ensure that our school produces another generation of students steeped in Torah values, academic excellence, good citizenship, and a love of עם ישראל וארץ ישראל.
Please feel free to contact me at president@mjbha.org.
Reuven Zakheim
By-Laws
The Development Committee is charged with expanding the reach of the Annual, Capital and Endowment fundraising efforts of Berman. Serving on the development committee entails direct solicitation and outreach to new potential supporters. With the full support of the Berman staff and the chair, the committee will communicate mostly through e-mail and phone in addition to periodic meetings. The committee will have regular solicitation training and access to all Berman marketing materials. Please contact Elan Burman, Development Chair.
