Brochure - Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education

Making the Case
for Jewish Education
A Sinai Temple School
No one makes the case for
Jewish education better than our
own Sinai Akiba graduates and
their success stories…
Students tell us that the excellent academic and
ethical foundation that they received at Sinai Akiba
helped them reach their goals.
We have heard these comments for more than
40 years. And we have proudly watched our graduates
grow into committed, knowledgeable Jewish leaders
who want to pass on our traditions to their children.
But today, many young families cannot afford to
send their own children to Jewish day school. That
could mean that many of today’s younger generation
will not benefit from a Jewish education. This issue is bigger than each child or each family. It touches the entire Jewish community because
Jewish education shapes the next generation of
mothers, fathers, community members and leaders.
The continuity of Sinai Akiba and other Jewish
day schools is too important to be threatened by an
uncertain economy. That is why a group of forward-thinking Jewish
leaders is launching an initiative to help subsidize the
cost of Jewish education. Sinai Akiba is partnering with this group because
we want to make sure our day school remains strong
in both prosperous and challenging economic times. Our efforts today will affect the very spirit of
Judaism tomorrow.
Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove, Ph.D. ’85
Park Avenue Synagogue
“My teachers at Akiba taught me how to wear my Judaism with confidence,
pride, love and an ongoing thirst for more.”
Daniel Tenenblatt ’93
Vice President, Antex Knitting Mills
AIPAC, New Leadership Network
“Sinai Akiba Academy provided me with a first-class education in
general studies and Judaica that gave me a distinct advantage through
the rest of my schooling. At the same time, it helped teach me the importance of honesty, friendship, Israel, and giving back to my community.”
Shoshana Cohen ’94
Founder and Director, Yeshivat Talpiot
Adult Educator, Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem
“My decision to make Aliyah was strongly influenced by my early years at
Sinai Akiba. With the strong base I got in Hebrew I went on to study Talmud
seriously, starting in high school and continuing through college, graduate
school and beyond. With all that learning, I decided to start my own Yeshiva.”
Samantha Platt Auerbach ’97
5th Grade Teacher, Brawerman Elementary School
Board of Directors, Camp Ramah
Co-chair Ramah Young Alumni Leaders (RYAL)
“My teachers at Akiba were exceptional role models whom I consistently try to
emulate in my own daily life as a fifth grade teacher at a Jewish day school.”
Nona Farahnik ’00
President of Student Senate, Columbia Law School
“Sinai Akiba provided me with a value-based Jewish education that
continues to be my cultural and ethical compass. In college and law
school, my studies were driven by the Jewish world view and sense
of community I developed at Sinai.”
Robert Ravanshenas ’07
Duke University Honor Council, Model UN Team Member
2011 Milken High School Valedictorian
“The friendships that I made while at Sinai Akiba remain my strongest and
have been a huge asset to me since I graduated. Knowing that I could count
on these friends has given me the courage to take risks. Those risks are
what shaped me, and I thank Sinai Akiba for making them possible.”
Sinai Akiba and Generations LA…
Making Jewish education affordable for Jewish families.
We at Sinai Akiba face challenges
to our future, despite our strong
past performance.
In the last ten years, the number of our
students receiving financial aid has more
than doubled.
And we expect this figure to increase
because young couples tell us that they
cannot shoulder the long-term costs of day
school tuition.
Even couples with good jobs and bright
futures are apprehensive about making
this commitment. Particularly if they have
more than one child.
It is easy to blame the economy for the
rise in financial aid. But that is not the
whole story.
Sadly, hardworking, successful parents
who value Jewish education are simply
being priced out of the day school market.
They cannot make ends meet when making
tuition payments.
Jewish day schools are not facing these
challenges alone.
Private schools across the country are
experiencing this same challenge. But
many older schools are more prepared to
meet the demand.
We are racing to catch up and help our
young families with the tuition assistance
they need right now.
Generations LA.
Giving donors a good reason to give.
Permanence and continuity
make an endowment unique.
Generations LA is spearheading an
effort to help us and other day schools
subsidize tuition.
This visionary joint venture is the brainchild of PEJE (Partnership for Excellence
in Jewish Education), the BJE (Builders of
Jewish Education) the AVI CHAI Foundation and several local community partners.
Sinai Akiba is one of several schools
chosen to partner with Generations LA and
receive financial incentives to move the
mission of supporting day schools forward.
Generations LA is a local program that
will serve as a model for day schools
across the country.
Pioneering this effort along with Generations LA is appropriate for Sinai Akiba.
We were chosen to participate because
our school is secure enough today to focus
on solutions for tomorrow.
We need to greatly increase the size
of our endowment to bring it in line with
other private schools across the country.
Many people don’t understand what an
endowment is, how it works or why it is
different than giving to other causes.
An endowment is a large sum of invested money.
The dollars donated to an endowment
are never available for use. Only the
interest earned from the endowment is
available. This interest income provides an
institution with a steady, reliable stream
of income.
What makes an endowment unique is
exactly what we want for our school –
permanence and continuity. Centuries
after an endowment is created, the basic
fund is still intact and still supporting its
designated cause.
Our solution isn’t new.
It’s just new to Jewish day school.
Building our endowment.
A gift that never stops giving.
We know what we have to do. Older
and much more established schools have
been answering this problem for decades.
If we look at secular schools in Los Angeles and nationwide, we see how they are
meeting these same economic challenges.
They are building endowments and have
been for years.
At Sinai Akiba we have a current
endowment of $ 8.2 million, one of the
largest among Jewish day schools in the
country. However, when you compare this
with endowments of other top independent
schools nationwide, we are behind.
In the next three years, through our
endowment campaign, we want to raise
$4,000 for every student enrolled in
our school.
Our longer term goal is to have an
endowment of $30 million or more.
This money would go a long way
toward helping families who cannot afford
full tuition.
Years from now, when today’s students
become parents or grandparents, this
endowment will still be supporting our
school.
“What we treasure we must transmit: Our sacred task is to hand on our heritage to the generations who will follow.” – Rabbi David Wolpe
Sinai Akiba Academy,
a springboard to success.
A gift to our endowment
is a gift that will endure.
Sinai Akiba opened its doors in 1968.
Today, approximately 540 students from
pre-K through eighth grade thrive in our
nurturing, academically-rich programs.
We are affiliated and housed within Sinai
Temple, the largest conservative synagogue
west of the Mississippi. This relationship
enriches the educational experience of our
students and the social/spiritual experience
of our member families.
Our curriculum is proven and promotes
critical thinking. Our teachers are experienced and engaging.
Impressive standardized test scores
consistently show how much our students
benefit from our high academic standards
and quality instruction.
There are many ways you can
contribute:
.
.
.
.
.
You can make a fully tax deductible
cash gift.
You can transfer securities and avoid paying capital gains taxes.
You can remember Sinai Akiba in
your will.
You can gift us a life insurance policy and receive a tax deduction.
You can establish a charitable remainder trust for the purpose of transferring
real estate to Sinai Akiba, receive a tax deduction and avoid capital gains taxes.
(Please contact your CPA or attorney for more specific advice.)
Our students are standouts, just
read their stories.
Our students not only acquire knowledge,
they develop values. Jewish values. Our
Judaic curriculum teaches our students
the skills to participate fully in Jewish life.
We provide the best of both worlds.
Our students matriculate to the secondary schools they most want to attend.
They are welcomed with open arms into
the finest high schools in the city.
Sinai Akiba alumni are represented
at the most prestigious universities and
graduate schools across the United States
and Israel.
They graduate and make significant
contributions in both the secular and
Jewish worlds.
Studies have shown that Jewish day
schools have a significant impact on shaping
future Jewish leaders.
Even before looking at these studies we knew
that. We only had to look at our own alumni.
However you choose to donate, we are
grateful for your support. Naming opportunities and other ways to honor loved ones
are available.
Sinai Akiba Academy
10400 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles CA 90024
www.sinaiakiba.org
For more information:
Janet Rosenblum
Development Director
(310) 481-3285
jrosenblum@sinaiakiba.org