April 1, 2003 – The Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE) was recently awarded a $50,000 grant from the Targum Shlishi Foundation in order to promote and recognize Jewish educational leadership in the Greater Miami Jewish Community.
The Targum Shlishi Foundation initiated this project by awarding CAJE $10,000 per year over five years which will be used to provide select day school, congregational school and early childhood teachers with a $1,000 award in recognition of their contribution to promoting excellence in their respective schools. In addition, an award will be provided on an annual basis, to a lay leader of a Jewish day school in Greater Miami who has contributed to the pursuit of educational excellence in his / her respective school.
Miami philanthropist, Mr. Aryeh Rubin, President of the Targum Shlishi Foundation stated that, “the purpose of this program is to identify and promote Jewish educational leadership on the local school level…we must find new and creative ways to identify, encourage and motivate educational innovation and excellence in our schools…I am hopeful that this program will attract other funders and philanthropists who share in this vision and mission for our Jewish community.”
CAJE President/CEO, Dr. Chaim Y. Botwinick stated that “this program will have a dramatic impact on the way in which the Miami Jewish community bestows honor and respect upon its Jewish educators.” Dr. Botwinick also lauded Mr. Rubin and his foundation for being in the forefront of providing the Miami Jewish educational community with venues and opportunities to enhance the quality of its educational personnel. These initiatives included a $10,000 grant to CAJE for professional development in memory of J.J. Greenberg, and the soon to be released of Judaic resource CD ROM produced by the Gesher Foundation which CAJE will be disseminating over the next several weeks.
Targum Shlishi, an Aryeh and Raquel Rubin Foundation are dedicated to providing a range of creative solutions to problems facing Jewry today. Premised on the conviction that dynamic change and adaptation have historically been crucial to a vibrant and relevant Judaism and to the survival of its people, Targum Shlishi’s initiatives are designed to stimulate the development of new ideas and innovative strategies that will enable Jewish life, its culture, and its traditions to continue to flourish.
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