Insights & Perspectives
Practical Perspectives on Leadership, Governance, Finance & Organizational Growth
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What I learned about good decisions, difficult rollouts, and bringing critics into the process
Making a good decision and successfully implementing it are two different things. What I learned about bringing critics into the process — before the rollout.
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How do you build a credible budget when there is no last year?
For most organizations, budgeting begins with history. But what happens when there is no last year? Building the Jewish Leadership Academy taught me what a forecast is really for.
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Being right and being persuasive are two different skills.
I had spent months understanding the problem, the economics, the operational implications and the potential savings. I hadn't spent enough time thinking about the person who ultimately had to say yes.
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The book that keeps getting given away — and the habit it helped build.
There are several Freakonomics books sitting on my shelf today. What stayed with me wasn't any particular answer. It was the habit of questioning the answer that seemed obvious.
Read articleSometimes trying too hard to save money gets very expensive.
I've always taken pride in finding ways to save money. But experience has also taught me something that may sound strange coming from a CFO: sometimes trying too hard to save money gets very expensive.
Read articleWhy Great Leaders Reduce Uncertainty Before They Expect Performance
The strongest leaders don't simply respond well when uncertainty arrives. They reduce it before it becomes a barrier. A reflection on onboarding, confidence, and the leadership lesson behind a daughter's gap year in Israel.
Read articleWhat building an Indexed Tuition program taught me about designing financial assistance around the people it is meant to serve
Financial assistance programs are created to help people. Yet the process of receiving that help can sometimes leave them feeling exposed, diminished, or separated from everyone else. When I developed the Indexed Tuition program at Jewish Leadership Academy, I wanted to create something different.
Read articleThe most valuable asset isn't money. It's time.
The healthiest organizations don't simply respond well when change arrives. They prepare while preparation is still a choice. A reflection on planning, flexibility, and the leadership lessons behind a new chapter.
Read articleService in a school isn't just about solving problems, it's about how people feel when they walk away. The Nordstrom Way gave our business office a framework for thinking about every interaction as an opportunity to strengthen trust.
Read articleWhat the DMV Can Teach Every Leader
Mention "the DMV" and most people picture long lines and wasted time. My experience today was something else entirely — and it turned out to be one of the clearest leadership lessons I've encountered in a while.
Read articleWe invest in conferences, software training, and compliance updates. But one of the most valuable professional development experiences our business office team shared didn't involve any of that. It began with a book.
Read articleThe Yiddish proverb of 'Man plans and G-d laughs' became one of the most ubiquitous phrases of 2020. But perhaps the absurdity isn't in our planning — it's in expecting our plans to guarantee an outcome.
Read articleWith anti-Semitism once again rearing its ugly head in recent years, there is much effort being put forth to protect ourselves from it. But we are actually being far more proactive than that — and your continuous support is helping us succeed at combating it on a daily basis.
Read articleOn the day before Walt Disney passed away, he pointed to an imaginary map on the ceiling and described his vision for the yet-unbuilt Magic Kingdom in great detail. More than 30 years ago, a group of visionaries did the same thing for what would become Katz Hillel Day School.
Read articleThe Steipler Gaon's advice to a man seeking blessings was unexpected: become the candyman of your shul. His reasoning? There is no more powerful prayer than those that come from children. Anyone who has observed the children davening at KHDS doesn't need outside references to understand.
Read articleWhen the B'nai Yisrael camped at Har Sinai, they were k'ish echad b'lev echad — like one person with one heart. Unity wasn't a byproduct of receiving the Torah; it was the prerequisite. The same principle drives everything we build at KHDS.
Read articleA published tribute to Rabbi Chaim Schmelczer recalled his core ideology: one may not shirk any responsibilities in life — to one's family, to one's community, to the Jewish people. The lesson of Noach is that our attention to this obligation can define our life's work.
Read articleAs KHDS enters its 30th year, we can clearly see the impact that our alumni have been making on the Jewish community in Boca Raton, Eretz Yisrael, and all over the world. The secret to the eternity of the Jewish people has never been a secret at all.
Read articleAs Hurricane Harvey brought destruction to Houston and Irma threatened our own community, an army of volunteers jumped at the chance to assist. Helen Keller's words have never felt more true: alone we can do so little — together we can do so much.
Read articleFive years in, tuition rates are lower than they were when we started — yet we've invested significantly in academic resources, upgraded facilities, paid off our mortgage, and built a healthy reserve fund. Here's how.
Read articleBaruch Shehechiyanu — blessed are You who has enabled us to reach this occasion. Katz Hillel Day School had several reasons to proclaim this blessing during the 2015/16 school year, from burning our mortgage to our largest graduating class to date.
Read articleOur annual report is a great exercise in taking a step back to reflect on our achievements. Enrollment is up 17% over three years, Camp Ruach has grown every year, and we've kept tuition stable — all while enhancing our facilities and academic offerings.
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