Evie Rotstein, Project Director, explains that "each participant will work closely with a mentor, who will assist in tailoring the learning covered in the program to the individual principal’s school and community." Mentors will also work with the participants to create an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), in which the participants will define their goals for further professional or Judaic learning.

The mentoring relationship culminates in the design of a School Change Project in the principals’ individual schools. "This was the best professional development I’ve ever been involved in," said Yonni Wattenmaker "The barriers of Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Orthodox have been significantly lowered," said Yonni Wattenmaker, mentor and Director of Education at Temple Shaaray Tefila of Northern Westchester. She added, "This was the best professional development I have been involved with in all my years of Jewish educational leadership."

According to Jo Kay, Director of the HUC School of Education, New York, "the building was filled with voices of people teaching and learning, connecting and networking, and generally sharing feelings of good will." For more information about the Leadership Institute, visit www.leaderinstitute.org or contact Evie Rotstein at erotstein@huc.edu or Aviva Schwartz at aschwartz@huc.edu Evie Rotstein is Project Director and Aviva Schwartz is Program Associate for the Leadership Institute for Congregational School Principals.