Day School Draws Family New Leadership Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor names Shtull-Leber as principal. 1 ewish day schools have always been important to Dina Shtull-Leber. Now she runs one. When her husband Steven Leber, a pediatric neurologist, was offered a position with the University of Michigan Health System, there was a possible deal breaker. "We needed to be sure that there was a day school," Shtull-Leber explained. When she learned about the Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor, everything else fell into place. Now, 13 years later, she has been named principal of that school, the same school her three chil- dren, Ilanit, Tani and Leor, attended. "After 12 years of involvement with HDS as a parent and board mem- ber, it is now my honor and privilege to Shtull-Leber continue that connection as principal," she said. Shtull-Leber earned her bachelor's degrees from Barnard College and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, an MSW from Yeshiva University and an MBA from the University of Missouri. She has worked with the Jewish federations in Cleveland and New York. And this summer marks her 11th year as director of Judaic programming for Tamarack Camps in Ortonville. For eight years, she was co-director of Project STaR — now the Sol Drachler Program in Jewish Communal Leadership — working through the U-M School of Social Work to recruit and train students for careers in Jewish communal serv- ice. She also has served as a freelance Jewish educator in Ann Arbor and metro Detroit, taught both adult and youth b'nai mitzvah classes and built a national reputation in the area of informal Jewish education, 13 Top: Brian Pinsky works 012 a project as teacher Aron Kaufman helps others. Eli Turner and Jonathan Hammermesh work in class. chairing the International Conference on Informal Jewish Education for the past two years. "Ann Arbor is a wonderful place to be Jewish," she says, referring both to her personal and professional lives. "We have a tight pluralistic community that works together in a way that many others don't." She looks forward to building the day school in both quality and enrollment. "The Hebrew Day School can be a huge plus for a lot of young fami- lies," she said. "People may have an image of a day school that is much different than what we offer. We want to make people aware that a day school education may be for them." Li — Don Cohen Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor Jewish Community Center Building 2937 Birch Hollow Drive (734) 971-4633 vvwvv.hdsaa.org Dina Shtull-Leber, director The mission of the Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor is to nurture the development of knowledgeable, caring and committed Jewish children in a dynamic learning environment. Accredited by the Solomon Schechter Day School Association, the school offers classes from kindergarten through 5th grade in Judaic studies, Hebrew language and general studies, to create a meaningful connection to the Jewish heritage and build a foun- dation for lifelong learning. Dr. Gary Freed is amazed by his chil- dren's proficiency in Hebrew "It is truly unbelievable to me," he says. "The fact that I spent several years of college in Israel and now to be surpassed by a 4th-grader in the ability to converse and use of proper gram- mar is both humbling and exhilarat- ing." Dr. Freed, his wife Eileen, and their three children Ben, Michelle and Ariel came to Ann Arbor in 1998 from Chapel Hill, NC. Dr. Freed, who is Murphy Professor of Pediatrics in the U-M Medical School as well as profes- sor of Health Policy at the School of Public Health, believes strengthening the Jewish community helps strength- en the university. 'Although the job opportunity was very enticing, we would not have con- sidered moving to Ann Arbor if there was not a Jewish day school," he says. "Having a day school is integral for the university to be able to attract high-quality faculty who also have a commitment to their children's Jewish education." Though actively involved in many facets of the Jewish community, as rel- ative newcomers the day school pro- vided an important introduction to the community In addition to mar- veling at the impact of the school's Hebrew Immersion Program, he has high praise for the school overall. We had a ready-made welcoming community for us when we arrived in town that helped us feel settled and grounded, and the caliber of education our children receive, in both a secular and religious sense, is excellent." ❑ — Don Cohen Dr. Gary Freed in his U-Al office. 6/27 2003 37