Sharon Udasin, The Jewish Week
For Charlotte Jewish Day School, $500,000 could mean complete overhaul of school-wide technology, construction of a brand-new playground, or redevelopment of its individualized curriculum for 110 students.
“Jewish day school education, especially in cities where you’re the only Jewish day school, isn’t always on the front burner,” said Mariashi Groner, founder and director of the elementary school. With an extra half a million dollars, “We would be seen as a force to contend with,” she said.
Charlotte Jewish Day School, originally a Chabad-run program now turned community day school, is competing with public and private schools across America to land among the top-20 most popular schools in a Facebook voting contest run by Kohl’s Cares, the philanthropic arm of Kohl’s department stores. Kohl’s will be giving out a total of $10 million — $500,000 to each of the top-20 schools — as part of a “Giveback” promotion in honor of its 10th anniversary. Of the top 20, most are in some way affiliated with Chabad.
VIDEO by VoteCJDS.com
“There’s nothing that we’re not trying and no one we’re not reaching out to, but the real beautiful thing is that the community is standing behind us,” said Rabbi Dovid Ezagui from Silverstein Hebrew Academy, the front-running Jewish elementary school. “Our school is going through an expansion period now. We ran out of space in our current location and we’re building another location. The timing couldn’t be better.”
The contest, which began on July 7, runs through Sept. 3, and new schools can still enter. Each Facebook user is allowed to vote 20 times (five times per individual school) using the Kohl’s Cares application. While religious and private schools of all sorts are welcome to participate, the $500,000 prizes cannot be used for religious or politically partisan programs, or scholarships and financial aid, according to official regulations.
“Our whole city is talking about Charlotte Jewish Day School — that’s never happened before,” said Groner, who hosted an alumni vote-a-thon event on Monday night, where over 40 alumni showed up for Facebook voting sessions with their laptops.
“The parents who send their kids to the school should feel good about it,” added her son Bentzion Groner, who is publicity manager for the campaign. “When we learned about the contest it wasn’t just about the money. For us the incentive was really to give the Jewish community a big boost, a sort of confidence.”
Once school starts on Aug. 19, Groner said she’ll encourage kids to go door-to-door asking for votes, and those who secure the most votes will win prizes.
“We have people voting on the spot,” she continued. “One of our alumni just called in and said he’s getting his whole frat to vote for us.”
Similarly, Silverstein Hebrew Academy has its students seeking votes from their local community, setting up their laptops with Wi-Fi connections in various locations throughout Long Island. Through a website launched solely for this event (VoteSHA.com), the school is raffling off donated iPads in exchange for votes.
“I think the key issue really is to get the word out to the Jewish community,” Rabbi Ezagui said. “We should really stand behind someone who has a chance. We do stand a chance, and we don’t need to be the first ones.”
VIDEO by VoteCHA.com
While Groner said her school was not working in concert with any of the other Chabad-affiliated schools high up on the list, Rabbi Ezagui admitted that his school is in fact cooperating with a few of the others.
“We’re all so driven. We do have a network,” he said. “A person gets 20 votes, and he can vote five times per school so anybody you bring to the voting station can vote 15 times more.” Silverstein is partnering with several other Chabad schools.
Though contest rules forbid the schools from using the prize money for religious education, the Jewish educators say that this stipulation doesn’t affect their need.
“We want to develop the curriculum to allow the teacher to focus on the individual student,” said Bentzion Groner.
For Rabbi Ezagui, his school of approximately 150 students could use upgrades in both the science and computer labs, as well as extra funding for the construction of its new facility.
With only three and a half weeks left in the contest, both Rabbi Ezagui and the Groners are confident in their communities’ abilities to maintain their top-20 positions. However, they will soon have some competition from larger schools that plan on entering late in the game, like the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County — a centrist Orthodox school with four campuses on Long Island.
“We have a beautiful public school building from 1956, and it’s great, but it’s in need of a facelift,” said Lisa Fogelson, director of school advancement for HANC’s Plainview campus, who is helping launch the school’s social networking campaign. “What Jewish schools have going for them is that people are committed to Jewish education. Very few people are passionate about their public high school this way.”
But within these Jewish schools, the smaller programs intend to stay strong.
“It’s more than the money,” Bentzion Groner said. “It’s to be able to say this little Jewish school from Charlotte was voted in one of the top 20 schools.”
VIDEO by VoteULY.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RLpmVn4SaI
I voted for you!!! I hope everyone else does too!!
If you have any votes left please send them our way!
We are currently in the Top 20, but people need to understand that we need more votes to get to stay there!
Yasher Koach!
http://votecmla.com
South Florida Jewish Academy, Coconut Creek, FL
http://apps.facebook.com/KohlsCares/school/1109401/south-florida-academy-of-learning
NO they are actualluyin desperate need for the money
vote charlotte jewish day school
please vote for Torah Day School of Houston! We are holding strong ground but need the extra push to make it to the top! http://VoteTexasKids.com!
Some feel why vote for those on top? the truth is make your vote count and vote for those on top because in my town alone there are a few public high schools with 5,000 students each. that is 25,000 votes in a heart beat and that is before they even go on the campaign trail. once school is in session and in many places cross country it is mid August , all chabad moisdas will be at risk of falling below the 20. SO the ones at the top really need everyones help. we are working around the clock… Read more »
I too am a bit puzzled tjat AF didn’t come out in support of the yeshiva in MN…… Hmmmmm…..
maybe his mishpocho just didn’t ask him. But it still seems odd.
wow – numbers, 15, 17, & 19,…plz tell me this website has been taken over and these are not yidden let alone lubavitchers writing those comments – SHAME ON U!
u who have not spent ur entire summer working on getting votes to help out jewish education…dont judge the hard working shluchim who are working around the clock to help yiddishe neshamos !!
Shluchim – you should have much mazal and hatzlacha and I hope all of you win!
I used to teach at SHA, they are a small school and because of lack of room they cant accept many more jewish children who would like to join to get a jewish education- I am so proud of the hard work such a small school has put into this contest, as winning this can make a difference in so many lives of children who want to get a Jewish education – but there is simply no room. I am proud to say I have taught at SHA and I wish them continued success !! and plz continue asking and… Read more »
Yashar Koach to a fellow shliach who has worked day and night to get thousands of votes! I am proud to see that a fellow shliach is working this hard to get so many votes and people to support jewish education. Anyone who thinks that schools “on top” should be complacent and not continue asking for support is just clearly IGNORANT. There is 3 more weeks to this contest – NO ONE is safe, no matter where on the board u currently are. I for one ( who did vote for SHA and 3 other chabad moisdos) am very happy… Read more »
vote bais rivka and win big!!!
the world and the technological world will be watching what you spent the money that means no private yachts or the like
NUMBER FIFTEEN I AGREE WITH YOUR!! TOTALLY!
20 #17 what do you think that beis chana is rolling iin dough
To #5
thats ridiculous – they do NOT NEED the money they WANT the money
vote for torah day school of houstan texas!!!!!!!!!
I voted already and have used up all my votes, but now I regret voting for SHA, etc. These top schools are in the lead by tens of thousands of votes, and yet they are still begging everyone to use up their votes on them, rather than supporting other schools ranked in the twenties, who need just a couple of thousand votes to break into the top 20. It’s not about being #1, 2, or 3. It’s about being in the top 20 (and helping sister schools get in as well) so as to get the money. Why don’t we… Read more »
Go Charlotte Jewish Day School!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.votecjds.com
http://apps.facebook.com/KohlsCares/search
http://www.votecha.com
We are small chabad school were every vote counts! Please take a few seconds of your time and go to
http://voteforha.com. please help us make winning a reality! Thank you for you support!
did it again! Great marketing!
PLEASE VOTE FOR HEBREW ACADEMY HUNTINGTON BEACH!!
another SPECTACULAR moshe raskin production
Why doesn’t Avremel support his brothers yeshiva in MN???
Please vote!
We love you!!! From your friends in California. Please everyone go to http://www.votecjds.com and help them!
Vote for the only chabad run special need school in south florida!!!!!!!!
http://bit.ly/b5RYOl
vote for South Florida Academy of Learning
THey could rly use it
thnx
vote silverstein hebrew academy!!!!
thanks
Jewish Education in Charlotte is on the map. Isn’t that what really matters?