Dear Addlestone Community,

We are excited to share this week's Addlestone update and an important step forward in our commitment to strengthening the future of Addlestone Hebrew Academy.

As the Board of Trustees, we have embraced our responsibility to ensure the school is positioned to thrive—not only in the coming years, but for generations to come. With a strong sense of urgency and optimism, the Board is committed to identifying the best path forward to ensure that Addlestone remains financially sustainable, academically excellent, and deeply rooted in our community.

With that commitment in mind, I am pleased to share that, following several weeks of due diligence, interviews, reference checks, and thoughtful deliberation, the Board Sustainability Committee has selected Barry Kislowicz Consulting to lead a comprehensive strategic planning process for the school.

The purpose of this engagement is to identify the enrollment targets, revenue mix, staffing model, and community pipeline necessary to ensure Addlestone is both financially sustainable and programmatically strong over the next decade. This process will provide the Board with the objective analysis, data, and recommendations needed to make informed decisions that will strengthen Addlestone for years to come.

The committee was particularly impressed by Barry Kislowicz's extensive experience and proven record of helping Jewish day schools navigate periods of change and growth. As a former Head of School, CEO of Educating for Impact, and leader of numerous Jewish day school improvement initiatives, Barry brings both strategic expertise and practical leadership to this work. He holds a Doctorate in Education from Columbia University, received Semicha from Yeshiva University, and serves on the faculty of Herzog College.

The strategic planning process is expected to take approximately 14 weeks and will include a comprehensive assessment of enrollment and market dynamics, stakeholder interviews and feedback, financial sustainability modeling, and the development of strategic priorities and recommendations. The end result will be a clear strategic direction and an actionable implementation roadmap designed to strengthen Addlestone for the years ahead.

The Board Sustainability Committee and the Board are excited to begin this important work. While we recognize the challenges before us, we are equally energized by the opportunity to address them proactively, thoughtfully, and efficiently. This process reflects our commitment to making informed decisions grounded in data, community input, and a shared vision for the future. We believe this investment in strategic planning is a critical step toward ensuring Addlestone continues to thrive for generations to come.

I would like to express my appreciation to the members of the Sustainability Committee for their dedication, professionalism, and time devoted to this important selection process. We also want to extend our sincere gratitude to the Jewish Endowment Foundation (JEFSC) for securing the full funding for this consulting engagement. This extraordinary support has made this opportunity possible and enabled us to undertake this critical initiative without impacting the school’s operating budget.

We look forward to keeping our community informed and engaged as this process unfolds. We will share updates as key milestones are reached and welcome the partnership of our families, faculty, alumni, and supporters as we work together to build a strong and sustainable future for Addlestone Hebrew Academy.

Warm regards,

Morris Ellison

Chair, Board of Trustees
Addlestone Hebrew Academy