“Do moms and dads of 7-year-olds know whether they want their kids to lead the Jewish community?”

…do the soul-searching and idea-wrestling that lead you to a concept. Use that concept and develop a universal benefit. Consistency is important. Create programs and educational tools that support your brand. Dismiss ideas that conflict.

Are you fun or serious? New or old? Qualified or enthusiastic? If you saw the Star of David Yeshiva sitting alongside the Menorah Day School, would you be able to know which is which?

Who is your target? Public schools? Other day schools? Local rabbis? The press? Potential donors? Perhaps the entire day school family.

But Jewish elementary schools can’t think beyond old, tired claims. “We Are Creating Tomorrow’s Jewish Leaders,” many say. Do moms and dads of 7-year-olds know whether they want their kids to lead the Jewish community?

And how many schools do what they do “one at a time?” How overused and believable is this claim? Burger King broils 600,000,000 burgers a year, “one at a time.” Kleenex pop up boxes clean your nose “one tissue at a time.” Two competing Jewish women’s organizations care for kids in Israel “one child at a time”; it’s what shrinks say when you don’t stop to smell the roses. You’ve got 30 kids in a class and try to shape a singular model of your graduates. Can you do that “one at a time?” And why would you want to?

Jesse Cogan, “The Branding of Jewish Education”, The Jewish Week (9 September 2016), 19.