Would it not be more ‘fiscally responsible’ to eliminate one or more of the four principal positions, therefore freeing up the money from that salary and giving the parents a break after a trying few months?

When contacted for comment, as of publishing time, the school has not responded.

Trying to get over a past ex, and not able to manage your feelings about the break up? Perfect time to come to my next workshop this Sat May 19 on handling break ups. Sat night 7 pm

Cost: $2 suggested donation

For a preview of some of the things that will be presented, you can all visit: www.franktalks.com/break-ups

-Frank

Death is just another transformation.  Often times the fear comes from the thought of the actual word ‘death.’  It sounds so final. It sounds like everything is over.  But it’s not.  Death is a new beginning.  Death is a rebirth.  When a tree dies in a forest and falls to the ground, eventually moss will grow on the bark.  The trunk will soften and wither down until it provides substance and nutrition for all plant life around it.  When you die you are like the dead tree in the forest.  You take on a new existence, assisting life to grow and flourish as it always has.

You are part of everything that is and ever will be.  You are not your body.  Your body will expire and turn to dust, but who you are can never be uncreated.  You are here for a brief visit, and that is all.  So, make the most of your time here.  Do good for others.  Learn, grow, and experience.  Explore your inner being, and be grateful for the time you have left.

Most people are afraid to make mistakes.  However, mistakes are necessary if one is to become successful.  It is impossible to accomplish anything of significance without making mistakes.  Mark Pezzelato, author of Transformations: Your Inner Guide to Self-Exploration explains.

All of the Jewish schools in Montreal are affiliated with Federation CJA’s Bronfman Jewish Education Council (BJEC), essentially a body that works as an advisory board and practical resource to the schools. According to their website, “BJEC is responsible for the development of Jewish identity and continuity in our community through formal and informal Jewish education experiences and lifelong learning opportunities geared to all age groups. BJEC works in close collaboration with FEDERATION CJA and sister agencies involved in education and culture.

BJEC’s Department of Education and Lifelong Learning provides a wide range of services to day and supplementary schools. It offers professional development, pedagogical resources, consultants in special education and information communications technology and early academic intervention for over 7000 students attending 19 elementary schools, 14 secondary schools and 500 students attending 4 supplementary schools.”

BJEC was the driving force behind last year’s failed merger between UTT/Herzliah and JPPS-Bialik. It was BJEC’s plan to create a secular pluralistic Jewish school that would operate under the full control of BJEC staff, following the model of Federation run community schools in other Canadian cities and across the States.

At the time, it was reported that both the UTT and JPPS school systems were in dire straights and needed the merger to survive. Ad after ad appearing in the Federation backed Canadian Jewish News told the story, essentially, parents are pulling their children out of the Jewish school system due to high tuition. BJEC, through the school presidents explained that by consolidating the schools and cutting back on the staffing, tuition would lower making Jewish schools more affordable to the masses.

While it made a great sales pitch, It completely contradicted other published reports that quoted Charles Liebovitch, then President of UTT-Herz saying that the closing of the school’s Ville St Laurent campus would make the school completely viable for at least a decade and JPPS-Bialik’s president Arnold Cohen was also quoted as saying his school (which at the time was the strongest Jewish school system in Montreal) was viable with or without the merger. In fact, not long before the merger talks started, Bialik High School had expanded their building by adding a floor.

After a little investigation, we revealed on The Howie Silbiger Show on 1650AM Radio Shalom that the merger was actually a ploy by Federation and BJEC to wrestle control of the schools from their respective boards. Major money was depending on it. Three prominent families had pledged millions of dollars, contingent on the mergers actually happening and new school buildings being built.

The school boards, under major BJEC pressure, tried to fast track the mergers only to face backlash from the parents, especially at JPPS-Bialik. The parents pointed to a clause in the school’s constitution which states that any major change to the school system (merger, closing, selling land or buildings, major philosophy changes etc.) must be approved by a referendum. With the increased pressure from parents, it became obvious to the JPPS-Bialik board that the merger will never pass at referendum, so they voted it down, effectively killing the merger.

Less than a month after the mergers died, JPPS-Bialik and BJEC held a joint meeting at Federation’s Gelber Center announcing that the two organizations will be working closely to develop JPPS-Bialik’s strategic plan. Many in the community wondered at the time whether BJEC was trying to create their community school, sans merger, at JPPS-Bialik.

It made sense, when the merger talks started a year before they abruptly ended, JPPS-Bialik started losing students who skittish parents were moving to other more perceived stable schools. The uncertainty of the future of the Jewish school system and the instability that would last for years after such a merger. JPPS saw their numbers drop and Bialik saw the loss of the recommendation of feeder schools. Suddenly the strongest schools in the Jewish system became the most vulnerable.

With a drop in students, that was of no fault of their own, the Board of Directors of JPPS-Bialik had to save face with their parent body, so they placed the blame for the school’s problems on their senior administrators and cleaned house.

A council was formed at BJEC made up of professional and lay community leaders, as well as BJEC staff and school board members to form the new administrative face of JPPS-Bialik.

Kevin Lukian was the Director General of the Riverside School Board for 13 years. He suddenly retired in late 2009. A review of the minutes of 2009 Riverside School Board Meetings reveal that in the months before his retirement there was no mention of him retiring, no search or nominating committees were set up to find his replacement and no goodbye presentations were made at the final board meeting he attended.

In fact Mr. Lukian was present at the regular session Riverside Board Meeting on November 17, 2009, where according to the minutes no mention of his impending retirement was made.

On November 24, 2009, The Riverside School Board held an emergency nine minute board meeting. The only item on the agenda was the appointment of Mr. Lukian’s assistant Stephan Lessard as the new Director General of the school board effective the next February (later moved back to January).

There was no explanation given in the minutes of the emergency meeting as to why an emergency meeting was needed to replace a retiring administrator, especially when the appointment was two months away. Surely the retirement of a senior administrator would be a planned event.

The first mention of Mr. Lukian’s retirement was in the school board’s December 15, 2009 meeting where a resolution was passed to accept Mr. Lukian’s retirement and move Mr. Lessard’s appointment to January. The resolution to accept Mr. Lukian’s retirement was opposed by one school commissioner, also a strange occurrence if Mr. Lukian’s retirement was planned.

After his mysterious departure from the Riverside Board, Mr. Lukian was hired as a consultant by JPPS-Bialik to help rebuild their administrative staff. After what must have been a grueling search, Mr. Lukian recommended himself as Chief Administrative Officer, he was hired.

Mr. Lukian dug into his former Riverside staff pool and hired Ken Scott, as the new principal of Bialik High School. Mr. Scott, with a reputation of being a law and order type administrator, joined the school with a promise to attack the various social problems, mainly drug and alcohol abuse amongst students.

In a meeting with his teaching staff not long after being appointed, Mr. Scott explained that as part of his strategy he would pay students for information on other students. The statement led one staff member to question if the payment plan also applied to staff, Mr. Scott explained it was only a student program.

Offers were then made to certain students in the school that they would be paid to supply information. The deal was based on secrecy and the students were told that if word got out, the program would be discontinued and Mr. Scott would disavow knowledge of the program.

In 2008, the Jewish Studies Department of JPPS-Bialik was being run by a young Rabbi, Dan Rosenberg, who has no experience in formal education. Rabbi Rosenberg was hired by a Board led by Arnold Cohen, his board members at this hiring included current Co-President Neil Creme and Shirley Shapiro, wife of current Co-President David Shapiro.

With the Board’s approval, Rosenberg introduced a new method of teaching Hebrew, a popular American program called Neta. Teachers were flown out to Boston to be trained in the program and the initiative was hailed as a new beginning and a vast improvement in the way Hebrew was being taught in school. (CJN article)

After two years of service Rabbi Rosenberg quit to pursue other career opportunities and a search for a new Jewish Studies head was initiated.

In the summer of 2009, current Co-President David Shapiro sent his eldest son on The Bronfman Youth Fellowship in Israel, an exclusive program described on their website: “Every year, twenty-six outstanding North American teenagers are selected for The Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel. The Fellows come from all over the United States and Canada, from the widest possible range of Jewish backgrounds, and are selected based on merit, and not financial need. In their five weeks together, the Fellows encounter the land and people of Israel, study Judaism and major issues in contemporary Jewish life, and learn about themselves and each other. The summer is the beginning of a long-term association for the Fellows, which continues through our extraordinarily active alumni network.

High School Juniors from the United States and Canada who will be at least sixteen by July of 2012 are eligible for the Fellowship. Fellowships cover round-trip transportation between New York and Israel, educational programming, and room, board and travel while in Israel. Room and board at orientation and the Follow-Up Seminar in New York City are also included. Limited additional subsidies (based on need) are available to defray costs of travel to interviews, to New York for the summer program, and for follow-up alumni activities.”

The Executive Director of the program was a Rabbi who achieved a high school diploma in New York and Rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Brovender’s Yeshiva Hamivtar in Israel, his name, Shimon Felix. According to his own curriculum vitae, Rabbi Felix had no experience in formal education and does not possess any post high school degrees.

On the recommendation of David Shapiro, Rabbi Felix was hired as the Director of Jewish Studies at JPPS-Bialik. As part of his contract, it is believed that his Montreal condominium and his constant trips to Israel are financially covered by the school.

Rabbi Felix has gained a reputation of having a hot temper. There are many alleged incidents of him blowing up at students in class. At one of the public information sessions, Rabbi Felix blew up at a parent who posed a question, calling him “despicable”.

Rabbi Felix has also cancelled the Neta Program mid-contract and plans to introduce teaching Hebrew through the computer using the Rosetta Stone software.

To complement Rabbi Felix (and cover for him during his trips to Israel) the school hired a Coordinator of Jewish studies, Rabbi Dov Whitman.

Rabbi Whitman, the son of Rabbi Michael Whitman, the spiritual leader of the Adath Congregation in Hampstead, has a Masters Degree in education. While a teacher at Herzliah High School, Whitman left mid-term to take a job at another Jewish institution, Yaldei, which he subsequently left to work at Bialik. He has recently been accepted to McGill Law School. (Information updated May 16, 2012 2:24pm by request of Rabbi Dov Whitman)

The question that must be asked is, who is responsible for choosing staffing at the school. Are the staff vetted before hiring? What is the criteria for accepting or rejecting candidates? Who is ultimately responsible for our schools, Is it the BJEC committee or BJEC themselves or Is it the school’s Board of Directors?

Until you come to grips with the cold fact that your time in this life is finite, and that at some point, you and everyone you know will be dead, the meaning of your life may forever elude you.

We cannot predict how and when we will die, but we do have a measure of control on how we choose to live day-to-day. It is not always easy to take action day-to-day making meaning of your life, especially if you have not decided on the end goal. The end goal of course is not to plan your death, nor is it to hope to live forever. The end goal is to have lived your life with the meanings you have assigned to it during the earlier stages of your life.

Envision the epitaph on your gravesite. What does it say? Great parent and spouse?
Beloved Companion? A friend to everyone? Of the biggest heart? Forever remembered? In making the decision of your epitaph, you are in fact setting the goal for how you will live your life. It is the motivation source to make certain that many of your day-to-day actions reflect the way you want to be remembered.

Next step is to consider what you would want stated in your eulogy. Whatever it is that you want mentioned in your eulogy is synonymous with your life’s goals. The benefit of thinking about it today, is that you have the rest of your life to ensure that you live up to that eulogy.

One of the more fun exercises to find the meaning of your life is to contemplate the movie of your life. What would be the title of the movie? What part of your life would be presented in the film script? What songs and music will make up the sound track? What is your story arch, and how did you turn out at the end of your hero’s journey? What actor would play you? (Personally, I always thought that actor Jack Black would make a great Frank Kermit). The movie of your life is about the core of your life story. In imagining your movie, you find how you want your story to unfold.

Some people have a hard time trying to pinpoint these elements, as they have never thought about their impending deaths in the ways I describe. For those people, I also suggest other writing exercises. These include to make a list of the most influential books and songs in your life, a list of the people and characters you most admire and why, a list of your most important base life philosophies, and a list of ways you would like to see the world change. These lists are designed to help to identify and acknowledge your core values and to help you decide what actions you can take day-to-day to follow through. Most people do already have an idea of what is really important to them, but as human beings are, a little reminder in the form of a writing exercise can be just what is required to act on those important values.

So, how can a person use any of this information to make meanings of relationships? Relationships can be our teachers. Relationships teach people about their core values, what they can and cannot handle, and also help people develop and grow as individuals. With each relationship you experience, you learn more about yourself, how your life is, and you can pick out areas of your life that need more attention. If you want to be remembered as a good provider, do your current relationships reflect that? If you claim to be a person that values forgiveness, do your relationships behaviors reflect that? If you believe that protecting your children from potential harm is your highest calling, do you reflect that in the relationships you tolerate? If you claim to admire a character known for being a great lover, do your relationship skills reflect that? If you answer “no” to any of those testing statements, you have found out where you need to start developing a meaning for the relationships you are involved in, so that all your relationships reflect your core being. There is no room for personal hypocrisies in finding ultimate peace and happiness. Sometimes the only meaning you may find in a past or present relationship is to teach you what a mistake you are capable of making and you making meaning by learning the lesson you need to learn in order not to make that same (relationship) error again.

Sometimes we choose the meanings of our lives, and sometimes those meanings choose us. Some of us have a calling in life, such that regardless of what we pursue, life has other plans for us. There is meaning in that too. Even when life has other plans in store for you, you still have a choice. You can fight it, or you can embrace it.

Frank Kermit is a relationship coach, best selling author and educator, columnist for The West End Times Newspaper and also appears regularly on 800 AM CJAD’s Passion radio program. Come out and meet Frank in person at Frank’s weekly relationship workshops offered every Saturday night from 7pm to 9pm. Frank can be reached through frank@franktalks.com
Frank Coaching Rates can be found at: http://www.franktalks.com/rates/

The topic on the show: Frank and Dr Laurie will talk PICK UP ARTISTS.
Specifically, about an article that states that although pick up tactics work, it can have a negative emotional impact on the newbie pick up artists.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/annanorth/study-pickup-artist-training-works-but-makes-you Plenty of pickup artists claim they can turn shy nerds into charming lady’s men, but little academic research has been done how well their lessons actually work. Andreas Baranowksi, a PhD student at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, decided to find out.

Also calling in will be Ricky Whitney, the creator of the independent comic strip “The Pick Up”, which actually features a character based on Frank Kermit.
http://www.franktalks.com/ricky-whitney-the-pick-up-comic-strip/

If you want to share your comments about the article on air, then tune in and call in.

Time: 10 pm to 11 pm EST

Listen live on the Internet at http://www.cjad.com

CALL IN NUMBER is
Montreal: (514) 790-0991
Long Distance Line: 1-800-491-CJAD (2523) – TOLL FREE

Call in with your questions or comments …

My Mother’s Loving Silence

A Holocaust survivor, she nurtured me with silence. This Mother’s Day, I’ll mourn for her—quietly.

Parents who spoke to us asked for anonymity to protect their children from repercussions in the last month of school. We will honour their request.

One mother, a board member who recently resigned from the board has decided to pull her child from the school system and place him elsewhere.

One parent who has decided to send her child to a secular private school said her decision was tough, but at the end she felt she had no choice. She cited the recent turmoil over curriculum change, the rotating door of administrators and the general instability of the school. She told us that when she decided to speak out she was very clearly told to ‘shut up’ from the ‘higher ups’. She said for her money ‘they could intimidate someone else.’

Parents posting on Truetalkradio.com have also expressed dissatisfaction with the Board of Directors, one writing a letter directly to immediate past president Arnold Cohen:

1. Dear Arnold Cohen,
   I would like to write you a personal letter. Unfortunately, I couldn’t use “First Class” since it is blocked. Therefore I am using this blog as a podium.
   Two weeks ago, in front of more than 100 teachers and parents you declared loud and clear that you are going to resign from the board of JPPS-Bialik Schools at the end of this year.
   Since then, I am very restless. I couldn’t believe that the school and the community will lose such a leader as you – a man of honor, full of values and vision. You have been the president of the board for four years. During that time your creativity led to a chain of success.
   Three principals of Bialik high school were nominated and their position was terminated. This contributes a lot to the stability of the school. Moreover, I acknowledge you as a great educator – you hired an unqualified director of Jewish studies a few years ago and terminated his position soon after. You approved the “NETA” program which cost a fortune and as usual the program was abolished two years later. I almost forgot your successful attempt to merge Bialik and Herzliya High schools. Not that you did anything wrong, but, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Don’t worry Arnold, as you know the memory of the human being is very very short.
   Last week Arnold, I started to sleep well again: I found out that your name appeared in the list of the nominees for the director of the board of JPPS-Bialik. My dream came true! a real leader is at wheel of the ship again. I know that you and your friends will lead us toward a new vision, a new strategy and to a new horizon. Is it just me who sees black clouds gathering in this horizon?

R.T.

Other parents were more direct:

1. Jppsparent / May 2, 2012

Isn’t it amazing that after everything that just happened, these people have the nerve to put their names up again for the Board. Have they no shame?

I hope that the people opposing them, the ones that put out the petition will run a slate against them. Does anyone know when the general meeting is?

1. Elle / May 14, 2012

We made our decision this weekend. It was a painful one which arrived on Mother’s Day. We scrimped and saved to send our kids to JPPS-Bialik. We’ve decided to switch.

So many issues – volatility in leadership, outlandish and in our opinion, unfeasible Judaic studies schemes, potential loss of good teachers, bleeding population, double-talk and in the midst of all this, a drawn-out vision process. It might (a big might) work out in a few years, but might not. I can’t gamble with my kids education. That would strain relations with our parents. (Sorry for seeming so self-absorbed but its my kids).
I just hope don’t want to be part of a scenario where the Titanic hit an ice-berg and the captain decides we’ll form a glee club to address the issue.

I hope everybody there the best I’m sure things will eventually work. “Eventually” is an important idea though when you’re trying to raise kids. I used to call it “here” but I guess it will become “there”.

1. Mother / May 13, 2012

Dear 2 Co-­‐Presidents !

After participated in the last 3 meetings which you are so proud of them. I would like to tell you , that your behavior there, mainly the fact that you think that all of us are idiots and you can tell us “stories” that will cover all your mistakes , that what convinced my husband and myself to take our kid from JPPS-Bialik school where both appreciated so much until recently.Next year our kids will be in another school only because of the fact that we don’t trust you any more!
And By the way we are not the only family that will do so.
That what happen when people loosing their confidence !
I even not asking you to resign because of the simple fact that i realized that first of all you care about yourselves and your ambition and you clearly don’t care about the school.
Sorry Bialik, Byby JPPS, next year will not be part of the family. it is not because of you the great teachers whom we learnt to appreciate and to love. it is because of the board members who led the school to its poor situation.

This is only a small sampling of the letters and communications we received from concerned parents. All the parents we spoke to wanted to know what Federation’s BJEC, (whose director Daniel Cantor and his assistant Karen Gazith were at all the meetings) is going to do to try to save the school and perhaps help create an environment that will allow them to keep their kids at JPPS-Bialik. They all had one conclusion, though, the current JPPS-Bialik lay leadership has to go.