Leadership Lenses with Barry Kislowicz

What happens when you get to build a school from scratch, with visionary founders, a clear problem to solve, and the freedom to rethink almost everything? In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with Rabbi Dr. Gil Perl, founding head of school at the Jewish Leadership Academy in Miami, about what it looks like to design a school around the outcomes you actually want, rather than the conventi...

Every school leader has had that moment at the end of the year: looking back and wishing they had spent more time on something that mattered. The problem is rarely a lack of intention. It is that the calendar fills itself in before we ever get the chance to decide. In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I walk through a practical approach I use with the leaders I coach called zero-based scheduling,...

Every school leader will face a transition. But very few get to pause in the middle of one and reflect on what it actually feels like from the inside. In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with Rabbi Jordan Soffer, outgoing head of school at Striar Hebrew Academy of Sharon and incoming head at Bicultural Day School, at the precise moment he is living between two worlds. We explore what it...

Affordability is one of the most urgent challenges facing Jewish day schools today. But what is actually driving the cost of tuition, and what can school leaders and communities realistically do about it? In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with Melissa Rivkin, Director of Day School Strategy at the Samis Foundation in Seattle, about a new study examining the structural factors behind th...

Most schools are good at asking. They are far less consistent at thanking and reporting. And that gap is quietly costing them the relationships that matter most. In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with Raimy Rubin, fundraising consultant and communications expert, about what it really takes to make donors and parents feel genuinely connected to a school. We explore why the hero of every...

Moving from the academic study of Jewish education to leading an entire Jewish community is no small shift. But Dr. Miriam Heller Stern did not step into the CEO role at BJE Los Angeles to maintain what already exists. She stepped in to reimagine it. In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with Dr. Miriam Heller Stern about what it means to build a communal engine for Jewish education, and w...

Every school says it wants to create lifelong learners. But what does that actually take, and are we building the right foundations to get there? In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with Rabbanit Dr. Yosefa Fogel Wruble, a Tanakh teacher, Yoetzet Halacha, and educator at Matan, Migdal Oz, and Herzog College, about what she sees when the students we educate in high school show up years la...

Most leaders know they should be giving more feedback. And most leaders are not doing it. So what gets in the way, and what does it actually take to build a culture where people can grow? In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with Gali Cooks, CEO of Leading Edge, about what ten years of data on Jewish nonprofit organizations reveals about how leaders can bring out the best in their people....

School leadership is full of best practices. But there is a big difference between knowing what schools should do and actually sitting in the chair. So what happens when someone who spent years advising schools across the country becomes a head of school himself? In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with Rabbi Maccabee Avishur, Head of School at Kohelet Yeshiva, about what shifts when you...

School leadership is only as strong as the team behind it. But too often, leadership teams are brought together to talk strategy while the human relationships underneath go unaddressed. In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with Dasee Berkowitz, executive facilitator and coach, about what it actually takes to build teams that trust each other, communicate well, and move forward together. W...

School leaders today are overwhelmed with complexity — and AI is either adding to the noise or cutting through it, depending on how you approach it. In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with Dr. Sarah Rubinson Levy, a consultant with over 20 years of experience in Jewish education, about how schools can use AI not just as a classroom tool, but as a lever for organizational clarity and mor...

What does it take to lead Jewish day schools successfully across four decades — and what does that experience reveal about where Jewish education needs to go next? In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with Rabbi Eli Rubin, who has served as Rosh Yeshiva and Head of School at Kushner in New Jersey for 18 years, following his 18 years as Dean and Headmaster at Ramaz. We explore the tension...

School leadership is demanding and too many heads don’t stay in the role for long. So what does it take to lead schools successfully for 25 years? In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I am speaking with Rabbi Mitch Malkus, Head of Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, about the mindset, relationships, and habits that sustain long-term leadership. We explore the critical role of the head–board chair...

Accreditation often feels like a bureaucratic exercise for school leaders. But what if it could actually become a powerful tool for strategic growth? In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with Dr. Amy Platt, Head of School at the Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School in Toronto, about how accreditation can strengthen governance, philanthropy, and long-term planning in Jewish day schools. A...

Jewish day schools today face enormous expectations. They are not only responsible for strong academics, but also for cultivating Jewish identity, building community, and preparing students to engage confidently with the world. In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I’m joined by Dr. Casey Weiss, Head of School at Community Day School in Pittsburgh. A graduate of the school herself, Casey returned...

Jewish day schools are carrying real responsibility in a fast changing world. In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I’m joined by Dr. David Bryfman, CEO of The Jewish Education Project, for a future focused conversation about where Jewish education is heading and what school leaders can do now to prepare for what comes next. We talk about thinking beyond today’s pressures, how demographic and cult...

Fundraising is (still) one of the most challenging parts of school leadership. In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I sit down with Amy Schiffman, Founder and CEO of Evolve Giving Group, to explore what makes fundraising work in Jewish day schools over time. We explore the head of school’s role in donor relationships, how boards and leadership teams can partner more effectively, and why clarity a...

In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I sat down with Amihai Bannett, Director of Herzog Global, to explore how Jewish educators and school leaders can benefit from learning across borders. Herzog Global works with teachers and heads of school in more than 18 countries, offering professional development, advanced degrees, and customized school-based programs that connect Israeli educational expert...

In this episode of Leadership Lenses, we sit down with Rabbi Ben Gonsher, a veteran fundraiser with more than 25 years of experience helping Jewish schools and nonprofits build sustainable philanthropic support. Rabbi Gonsher digs into why fundraising feels so uncomfortable and how the work gets easier when you stop treating fundraising like a necessary distraction, and start treating donors like...

In this episode of Leadership Lenses, we sit down with Dan Hazony, a fractional Chief Information Officer who works with Jewish nonprofits and schools to help them use data and systems more intentionally. Many schools collect enormous amounts of information about donors, families, students, and programs, yet struggle to turn that data into insight or action. Together, we explore what “using data w...

In this episode of Leadership Lenses, we sit down with Dr. Ben Levy, a London-based school psychologist and the founder of Magic Lessons, to unpack the five ingredients behind truly engaging lessons. Drawing on decades of experience in classrooms, Ben explains how the most effective lessons consistently strengthen five elements: ability, belief, clarity, motivation, and environment. We explore wha...

In this episode of Leadership Lenses, we sit down with curriculum consultant Malki Feuer to unpack one of the most complex and consequential elements of Jewish day school education: curriculum design and implementation. We explore how schools often operate without a true learning continuum, regardless of whether they rely on purchased materials or homegrown teacher-created units. We examine why sc...

In this episode of Leadership Lenses, we speak with Dr. Alex Pomson of Rosov Consulting, a world-renowned scholar of Jewish educational leadership and professional development, about one of the field’s most pressing challenges: determining what actually works in professional growth. Drawing on the early stages of Alex’s current research, we explore the crucial distinction between capacities and di...

In this episode of Leadership Lenses, we sit down with Jeff Riley, former Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, to explore what the rise of artificial intelligence means for schools and for educational leadership. Together, we examine why AI should not be viewed as a passing trend or a threat to be avoided, but as a powerful tool that can free educators from administrat...

In this episode of Leadership Lenses, we sit down with Miriam Stein of Saddlerock Strategies to explore how heads of school can move from feeling reactive and unprepared to becoming thoughtful, data-informed partners in the school growth and admissions processes. We look at why strong communication with admissions professionals, investment in training, and developing a clear enrollment strategy ar...