2009-2010 HACD Annual Report - Bet Shraga Hebrew Academy of ...

4Message from the President of the BoardOn behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am pleased topresent you with our first annual report.Bet Shraga Hebrew Academy of the Capital Districtcontinues to carry forward the educational visionand mission of our founding principal, Shraga Arian.“Bet” Shraga is a “house” of learning, in its broadestsense, and a “home” to our children, families, facultyand administration. Our role as a board, first andforemost, is to safeguard this incredibleenvironment and its mission.Our Mission 5In a nurturing and respectful school community that values the uniqueness of eachchild and the diversity of Jewish practice,Bet Shraga Hebrew Academy:Creates an outstanding integrative curriculum in General and Judaic studies,encouraging intellectual curiosity, critical thinking and love of learningCelebrates the richness of Jewish tradition, Torah and IsraelInspires ethical growth rooted in the values of justice, kindness and tikkun olam,the principle that we must each do our part to make the world a better placeThe challenges we faced this past year in thispursuit were not unlike those faced by other smallschools in small Jewish communities across thecountry: changing community demographics amidsttumultuous economic times. We would like toshare with you how we have navigated thesechallenges and the accomplishments we haverealized.Much of our work has focused on two areas crucialfor our continued growth and development:fundraising and recruitment. It became clear thatour ultimate goal, moving to a more energyefficient and right-sized building would only berealized though strategic emphasis on these areas.Utilizing a reenergized, constituency based approachto fundraising, within an updated and improvedfinancial infrastructure, we were able to more thandouble our donor base and increase our gifts byover 70,000 dollars. This has led to greater day today financial stability and has launched us on ourway to doubling the Shomray Torah Annual Fund,our goal over the next two to three years.Our partnership with the Jewish Federation ofNortheastern New York matured as wecollaborated on efforts that strengthened ourcommunity. Not only did we receive a generousallocation of monies again this year, but we alsogreatly benefited from the Federation’s expertiseas we sought to professionalize our fundraisingefforts, institutionalize our endowment programs,and work towards hiring a developmentprofessional.To address our second major board goal ofrecruitment, we established a working relationshipwith an admissions consultant from PEJE (Partnershipfor Excellence in Jewish Education). We developed arecruitment team led by our Director of Admissionsand consisting of parents, representative of the diversefabric of our community. We also look forward to theresults of ongoing demographic studies which will giveus a better appreciation of the shifting makeup of ourcommunity.Looking to next year, we will continue our efforts toopen doors of awareness, welcoming families of ourCapital District Jewish community and supportingaccess to a Jewish education. As we work to furtherbroaden our base of community support, we willcelebrate Bet Shraga for what is has become, acommunity school, one diverse in its Jewish life, andan essential institution within our community.We are truly grateful for our donor support andremain dedicated to honoring this commitment tous and the children of our community. As always,we welcome your thoughts and guidance.Sincerely,Marta KoblenzPresidentDuring the 2009-2010 school year, Bet Shraga Hebrew Academy remained aplace of incredible intellectual, Judaic and ethical growth. From the school’sclassrooms to its performance stage, from local volunteer sites to holy sites inIsrael, Bet Shraga students learned in traditional and innovative ways, honoredtheir Jewish heritage and gave back to their community.