Morasha Jewish Day School in Rancho Santa Margarita welcomes Jeremy Cavallaro to the position of Assistant Principal.

Cavallaro holds an M.S. in Educational Leadership from the prestigious Bank Street College of Education in Manhattan, NY. He gained teaching and administrative experience in the New York Public School system before relocating to California, where he had lived and worked prior to receiving his M.S. Having also worked at the Fairmont Private School in Anaheim and the Yavneh Hebrew Academy in Los Angeles, Cavallaro developed a teaching philosophy reflective of his diversified experience. After living and working on both coasts, Cavallaro decided to settle in Orange County, CA.

Eve Fein, Head of School, says that, "It was clear there was a match, a unique fit between Morasha and Jeremy. He shares our vision of a progressive, child centered school."  

On Thursday, June 16, Morasha Jewish Day School will hold its Annual Meeting and its grade 6 graduation. To help mark the occasion, Dr, Joan S. Kaye, Executive Director of the Orange County Jewish Bureau of Education, will address the Morasha class of 2005 and their families.     

Dr. Kaye, Executive Director of the Bureau since 1991, specializes in three areas: building communal collaboration, curriculum development and teen family education. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Boston University, Dr. Kaye also holds an M.A.T. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Doctorate from Pepperdine University. Her professional experience in Jewish education has earned her a reputation as a community leader and she has written and lectured widely on her areas of expertise.

Dr. Kaye has worked extensively with Morasha's Head of School, Eve Fein. She notes, "These graduates, though they still have many years of schooling ahead of them, will go on to be the future leaders of the Jewish Community and the community at large. Their families have given them the gift of an outstanding educational foundation."

The School's Annual Meeting will begin at 6:15 with Graduation to follow at 7:00pm.

On Thursday, May 5 th at Morasha Jewish Day School the 6 th grade class lead a memorial service to commemorate Yom HaShoah or Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day. The students demonstrated a great deal of knowledge and emotion regarding the Holocaust and its aftermath. The class members lit candles to symbolize the 6 Million Jews and other victims who perished in the Holocaust.   They also placed tulips in a vase in honor of those non-Jews who showed incredible courage by helping Jews hide and escape the horrendous fate that surely awaited them. Students chose to recite names of victims who shared their own surnames. Their intention was to personalize the often used phrase of "Six Million Jews."

In a powerful conclusion to the commemoration, Mr. Jack Pariser, a Holocaust Survivor now living in Laguna Beach, told the amazing story of his survival. He and his immediate family were hidden by non-Jewish families in Poland and survived.   Sadly, his extended family members, with the exception of one cousin, were all killed.

On Friday, March 25, 2005, the students at Morasha Jewish Day School celebrated the festive holiday of Purim. All students, Preschool through 6 th grade, donned costumes and joined in the fun. In the morning Students participated in the reading of the Megilla. Later, the 4th-6th graders took their show on the road and visited Temple Judea in Laguna Woods to celebrate with the senior congregation members there. At the end of the day, students participated in the annual talent show.

On Sunday, February 7th, Morasha Jewish Day School hosted Yair Zakovitch, Professor of Bible at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. One of the leading scholars in the literary analysis of the Bible, Professor Zakovitch entertained and enlightened the attendees with his discussion on the Hidden Messages and Meanings of the Bible. He brought to light the fact that historians are not always objective in their recounting of the past; they usually have a position that they are supporting.  

Professor Zakovitch's primary interests are the Bible as literature, biblical historiography, and early Jewish and Christian interpretation of the Bible. He has published many books and articles, the most recent book is entitled David: From Shepherd to Messiah. His impressive background includes teaching at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley. He has also served as a visiting scholar at Harvard University.

On a recent Friday at Morasha Jewish Day School Kindergarteners celebrated with their parents during the school's Annual Naming Celebration. Parents presented their children with hand painted plaques designed and decorated with the first letter of their child's Hebrew name. This along explained the significance of that name - what it means both literally and to them personally.   

Jewish children are traditionally given both English and Hebrew names when they are born, but for some Morasha kindergarteners it was the first time that they learned their Hebrew name. "Celebrations like these give our school families a chance to gather and rejoice as a true community," Fein said.

RAVSAK: The Jewish Community Day School Network, the largest association of Jewish day schools outside of the Orthodox world, held its annual conference in Irvine, CA from January 16-19, 2005. Eve Fein, Head of School, attended along with Diane Wertheimer-Gale, Board President and Robin Hoffman, Judaica Coordinator.

This Year's theme, "Yad B'Yad: The Lay and Professional Partnership in Strengthening our Schools" focused on several key issues facing Jewish day schools today including: board development. fund raising, the lay-professional partnership, Hebrew language acquisition, Judaic leadership and more. Conference highlights included presentations by Dr. Henry Samueli, Chairman and chief Technical Officer at Broadcom Corporation; Dr. Robert Wexler, President, University of Judaism; and Rheua Stakely, Educational Consultant.