A Message from the Transitional Head of School

July 2022

Dear CJDS Community,

I am honored to assume the role of Interim Head of School for the 2022-2023 academic year at CJDS. I am filled with excitement and passion to make this year a successful one for students, families, and everyone who cares deeply about this special school. I look forward to meeting each of you and working together to ensure that the wonder, wisdom, vitality, and vibrancy of CJDS shines through in all that we do during the upcoming year.

During my visit to Columbus last month, I had the privilege to meet with the board, the senior leadership team and faculty, some current families and school founders, and members of the Jewish Columbus leadership.  I was heartened by the passionate commitment among all of the stakeholders to strengthening this outstanding school and ensuring its continued vitality.  And as I walked the halls and grounds of CJDS, even in the absence of students, I felt a sense of community and educational wonder. Despite the challenges we face as a school community, my visit was uplifting and filled with hope for the year ahead.

This year marks the school’s 25th anniversary. It’s a significant milestone in the unfolding narrative of CJDS and an important opportunity for the entire Columbus Jewish community to reflect on the school’s successes and achievements.  I’m not sure the school’s founders realized what gifts this school would provide the Columbus Jewish community and the community at large when they began this journey 25 years ago.  As we look to the 2nd 25 years of CJDS, we must not only continue to provide the robust and nurturing education that all have come to expect from CJDS, but also strive to underscore the critical role the school plays within the larger community.

I am humbled by the trust placed in me by your lay leadership, your administrative team, and your faculty.  Together, we will make this an excellent educational year for our students, a year of pride and visibility for CJDS to the Jewish community and beyond.  And together we will find the next permanent Head of School who will carry this important institution forward with strength, grace, and vision.

As Proverbs (22:6) teaches: “We are to educate children in the way they should go so that even in old age they will not depart from those teachings.”

Rabbi Morris J. Allen