5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 180, Virginia Beach, VA 23462 - 757-424-4327

Zena Herod has announced her retirement at the end of this academic year. Hebrew Academy of Tidewater's new Head of School, Rabbi Mordechai (Michael) Wecker, who will join us in July 2012.

Dear Parents, Trustees, Faculty, and Community Members,
In February of 2011, I first mentioned my long range plan to retire at the end of my con-tract in June of 2012. I have reached the age where I would like to pursue outside interests, the needs of my aging father are growing, and I would like to spend more time with my family in Atlan-ta. It is a good time for both me and the school to re-evaluate our needs and direction for the 20012-13 academic year and to look at new priorities which will build upon what has been accom-plished these past six years.

It has been an extraordinary experience. I was blessed with a passionate and supportive Board of Trustees, including dedicated board presidents Jodi Klebanoff, Deborah Segaloff, and Burle Stromberg. Together we accomplished the following with the help of the entire Board, the school's talented faculty and administrative professionals, parents who enjoy and support our program, and a community that understands the importance of Jewish education:

-  The Strelitz Early Childhood Center, although still a joint program of the JCC and HAT, is now totally under the administrative and financial oversight of the school and we have worked hard to develop the idea of "one school, two divisions." Long-time director Alene Kaufman is truly an ex-pert in early childhood education.

-  HAT's general studies department was strengthened under the valuable leadership of Helen Kisser who understands the need for high academic standards and the importance of grades standing for specific levels of competence.

-  ERB scores (standardized test scores) show that our children are doing admirably well, many performing above the norm. Helen has a deep level of understanding of these tests, from administration to analysis, in terms of evaluating our curriculum and recognizing the progress of individual students.

-  Despite the loss of the Director of the Judaic Studies shortly after my arrival, the Judaic faculty came together as a robust team, working hard to maintain the flow of the Judaic curriculum as well as enthusiasm for Judaic events, holidays, and cele-brations.

-  We have kept pace with technology by adding Smartboards, laptops, broadcasting equipment, etc. as an integrated part of our curriculum and school day.

- We expanded outreach efforts using Open Houses with interesting themes, grade level coffees on varying topics, at-home gatherings, and partnerships with area synagogues, etc. to increase exposure of our school within the community. The school strengthened relationships with alumni by holding an Alumni Reunion last year and creating an alumni specific Facebook page. New ideas continue to be discussed within the PR/Marketing committee of the school.

- We expanded and strengthened communications between the school and parents via The Tiger Times, articles in the commu-nity newspaper, our Web site, our Emergency Notification system, etc. We embraced the world of Facebook and social media advertising in order to better connect with our internal and external audiences.

- The quarterly Headmasters Report was developed so that the Board of Trustees would be fully apprised of current events at the school and knowledgeable on everything from mission and curriculum to development and enrollment.

- The Director of Development and Director of Admissions positions were filled with vibrant people who are regularly con-necting with new young families and the larger community.

-  We had a very successful ten year accreditation visit from VAIS (the Virginia Association of Independent Schools) in February 2008. We continue to prepare the documents, surveys, curriculum, and reports necessary for the VAIS five year accreditation visit which will occur in the spring of 2013. While less intensive than the earlier ten year visit, it is just as important and we will be ready.

It is imperative for the community to understand that we continue to serve ALL Jews while maintaining high academic standards in all areas of study. Ideally, it would be nice to have a Head of School, Director of Judaic Studies, and Director of Gen-eral Studies, but economic times and enrollment numbers currently do not support this model. Therefore, it was my strong sug-gestion to search for a Head of School who would also serve as Director of Judaic Studies. I am confident that the school has found the right individual in Rabbi Mordechai Wecker, who can lead the school forward in building community and enrollment.

I am extremely attached to this school and what it stands for. I have reconnected with my roots and the time that my grandchildren spent here before their move to Atlanta was invaluable. I will always be thankful for the passionate teachers and love of Judaism that is the Strelitz Early Childhood Center and Hebrew Academy. Moving forward, I remain committed to the fu-ture and good of the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater and am happy to help in any way. Change is sometimes a good thing!

Sincerely,
Zena L. Herod, Head of School

Dear Parents, Trustees, Faculty, and Community Members,
It is with mixed emotions that I write this letter. On one hand, I am saddened over the retirement of Zena Herod, our terrific Head of School for the past six years. On the other hand, I am excited about the hiring of Rabbi Mordechai (Michael) Wecker, M.Ed., to lead Hebrew Academy of Tide-water after Zena’s retirement.

With her years of experience as a teacher and school administrator, and her attention to organiza-tion and detail, Zena took HAT to new heights during her tenure. The educational reputation of HAT’s preschool and elementary school soared in the academic community, the Jewish community, and throughout Tidewater as a result of Zena’s hard work. On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the whole HAT family, I thank Zena for her years of devotion to the school and wish her a happy retirement to be enjoyed with family and friends.

While I will miss Zena and our daily phone calls and emails to conduct school business, I am delight-ed to announce the appointment of Rabbi Mordechai (Michael) Wecker, M.Ed. as the new Head of School and Director of Judaic Studies for the 2012-2013 school year. It has been a goal of the school for the last year to find the appropriate individual to fill this joint position with the help of a Board of Trustee Search Com-mittee. After reviewing many applications and resumes, participating in numerous phone and Skype interviews, and a wonderful visit between Rabbi Wecker and the full Board of Trustees and school administrators, we are lucky to have found such a highly qualified person who is the right fit for our school and community.

Born in Silver Spring, Maryland, Rabbi Wecker graduated from Hebrew Academy of Greater Washington and Yeshiva High School in Silver Spring. Rabbi Wecker has a Masters in Education with a concentration in School Administration from Cambridge College in Massachusetts and received his Talmudic degree from the Rabbinical Seminary of America.
Rabbi Wecker served at the prestigious K-12 Maimonides School in Brookline, MA for twenty-one years from 1985 – 2006. During his tenure there, he held numerous teaching and administrative positions ultimately rising to Principal of Judaic Studies for the middle and high school. As a senior administrator, Rabbi Wecker’s responsibilities included curriculum oversight, the hiring, su-pervision, evaluation and contract renewal of Judaic faculty, professional development for Judaic faculty, parent communication, student discipline, budget monitoring and forecasting, religious guidance, religious programming, scheduling of teachers and stu-dents, and evaluating prospective students for Judaic placement. Rabbi Wecker is an educator first and foremost with direct classroom experience with students. He is beloved by students and parents alike.

In addition, Rabbi Wecker spent several years as the Head of Stern Hebrew High School in Philadelphia, PA planning and oversee-ing its move to a new campus. He worked in strategic partnership with Yeshiva University on very diverse initiatives, including student video conferencing, Holocaust education, differentiated instruction, community service programs, and drug awareness and education programs. Of importance, Rabbi Wecker was responsible for an almost fifty percent increase in student enrollment. Most recently, he served as Director of the After-School Enrichment program at Chai Central Chabad in East Brunswick, New Jer-sey.

Rabbi Wecker brings years of experience with him, working in diverse Jewish communities comprised of Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and unaffiliated Jews. He exhibits a high degree of flexibility and understanding in his role as educator and mentor to stu-dents, parents, and faculty. He has a clear understanding of the importance of both our Judaic and general studies curriculum. People who know Rabbi Wecker mention his dedication, patience, balanced perspective on issues, and sense of humor. Most im-portantly, everyone sees him as an accomplished teacher, respected and well-liked by his students, and as a very approachable administrator. We are excited and honored to welcome Rabbi Wecker to the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater.

Sincerely,
Burle Stromberg President, HAT Board of Trustees

Dear Tidewater Jewish Community,
Shalom! I am deeply honored and excited to assume the role of Head of School at the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater and Strelitz Early Childhood Center starting in July 2012. I feel privileged to be associated with such a venerable day school, one that is justifiably proud of a history of over fifty years of successfully providing an excellent Jewish and secular education to our precious children.

I have spent over twenty-five years in Jewish education, twenty-one of those years at the Maimonides School in Brookline, Massachusetts. I have a passion for educating Jewish youth and am flattered that many of my students remain in touch with me many years after their graduation.

Education is, as we all know, a never-ending quest to provide students with the tools, the confidence and the inspiration to succeed in life and make a positive impact on our world. In addition, at a Jewish day school we are charged with the mission of inculcating in our students a sense of Jewish identity as well as a commitment to Jewish values, traditions and their per-petuation. I am energized when I contemplate the possibilities of taking a thriving educational institution to the next level, with G-d’s help, and the positive impact that it will have on the greater Jewish community.

During my visit to the area I had the privilege of meeting the key stakeholders at HAT, along with other communal leaders. I was immensely impressed with the devotion of all parties to the institution and its students. I look forward to working with all school community constituencies for the advancement of the program.

I would like to acknowledge and personally thank the Board leadership for expressing confidence in my professional abilities. I am grateful for the Board’s exceptional commitment to Jewish education.

Thank you and I look forward to meeting each and every one of you in Tidewater! With best wishes and kol tuv,

Sincerely,
Rabbi Mordechai Wecker
Incoming Head of School, 2012-2013

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