At least a dozen Jewish day schools across North America began the new academic year lacking heads of school for their institutions. This is a leadership challenge that must be addressed if the educational system, which plays a vital role in the Jewish community and its future, is to continue to thrive. Even as there is much to be optimistic about regarding Jewish schools — including growing enrollment, the opening of new schools and the increased affordability of schools in certain states — none of these positive trends can continue without reliable school leadership. 

Finding good principals, heads of schools and other administrators is a challenge familiar to almost every day school, but it has grown more acute in recent years as many leaders have reached retirement age and simultaneously there are fewer professionals to fill their shoes. Greater numbers of North American Jews who were committed to the field of Jewish education are immigrating to Israel. Additionally, fewer young people are entering the field of Jewish education (and education in general) due to concern that a teaching career will not provide the financial resources needed to support a religious lifestyle for their families. 

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Finally, demands placed upon heads of schools by boards, community leaders and parents — essentially giving educators three separate groups of bosses — can make it a position that no one desires, even when the financial compensation is significant. Rabbi Gil Perl, CEO of the Ades Family Foundation and the founding head of school of the Jewish Leadership Academy in Miami, surveyed 43 heads of yeshiva day schools and found a majority feel that head of school positions come with unmanageable expectations. They believe that is one of the leading causes for people shying away from the job. 

Schools are utilizing short-term solutions in an attempt to deal with these challenges. For example, many positions in Judaic studies are being filled today by shlichim (emissaries) from Israel. These shlichim are invaluable both for the experiences they facilitate for students in North American schools, and the experiences of community and pluralism that they take back with them to Israel — experiences that create a more compelling understanding of the need to build nurturing communities in Israel and advance the development of a more pluralistic society.

In addition, some retirees are returning to work as consultants to “help out” in full- or part-time roles. These semi-retired administrators who pitch in for a few years in schools throughout North America also bring valuable experience and wisdom to schools. 

Finally, one creative measure is to encourage veteran American educators currently living in Israel to temporarily return to North America for few years to lead a school. This can help fill the current gaps while more significant, longer-term changes develop and begin to bear fruit. 

None of these approaches, however, is a sufficient long-term solution for North American Jewry. 

To solve these shortages long-term, Jewish communities need to prioritize and invest more in education, both in terms of budget and in terms of creating the conditions that attract educators to work in and lead Jewish schools. This is a mission for communities as a whole, not just the schools: Rabbis, synagogue boards and other leaders within communities need to recognize the key role of day schools and do what they can to make sure they are prioritized in communal funding and private giving.

Jewish donors and communities who want to make a real difference should take inspiration from philanthropy trends in secular higher education. In recent years, substantial gifts to institutions like The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Albert Einstein College of Medicine have made tuition free for students. Imagine if we prioritized elementary and high school Jewish education, making schools stronger and better able to attract and maintain leaders. Money otherwise allocated to scholarships could now be used to improve compensation to teachers and administration. The impact could be enormous and change lives for decades to come. 

While states such as Florida, Ohio and Arizona have voucher and tax credit programs that can be used to relieve private school (including Jewish day school) tuition costs, there will always be states where costs will be the greatest challenge. Donors and communities need to make sure they are focusing enough on schools to give them the “purchasing power” to secure the most talented spiritual and academic leaders.

Finally, we need to address the issue of expectations and quality of life beyond pay. The lack of professionalism on our yeshiva day school boards, for instance, results in more pressure on administrators. Board development is necessary in order to train lay leaders in their responsibility to foster an effective working relationship with the professional leaders of our schools. 

Prioritizing education and youth is not always an easy objective. It entails making choices that many may view as sacrifices. For example: When I was lead rabbi a local synagogue, we opted to forgo expensive, permanent pews and other ornaments — to the disappointment of some —in order to have sufficient budget for a youth recreation area, a place on the synagogue campus for young people to hang out on Friday nights and Shabbat afternoons. The youth trailer, bought with the money saved on synagogue decor, ended up the Kodesh HaKodeshim (Holy of Holies) of the synagogue campus. 

It is crucial that our schools are strong and stable in order to give students the experiences and skills they need to develop a deep Jewish identity, strong Torah and general knowledge and the tools to deal with rising antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment in society. More communities need to make choices that truly place youth and our future at the top of their priorities. Without this shift, we can’t be sure there will be competent, spiritually engaged people to lead our schools and inspire our children for years to come.

Rabbi Kenneth Brander is president and rosh yeshiva of Ohr Torah Stone, an international Modern Orthodox organization that aims to develop Jewish life, learning and leadership.