Congregations Beth Shalom and Rodef Shalom announce first fulltime director for collaborative joint Jewish education program

Liron Lipinsky will become the first fulltime director of the Joint Jewish Education Program (JJEP) going into the 2013-2014 school year.

The Joint Jewish Education Program is a collaborative effort between Congregation Beth Shalom and Rodef Shalom Congregation, and it is the third phase of their collaboration, combining the entirety of their kindergarten through seventh-grade religious and Hebrew education programs, under the direction of a single educational director.

A search committee, comprised of lay leaders from both congregations, along with their respective senior rabbis, reviewed resumes from individuals throughout the country and interviewed a number of qualified candidates. Following this process, the committee arrived at the unanimous decision to hire Lipinsky.

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Lipinsky has been head of schools at Beth Shalom, was in on the ground floor of the JJEP collaboration, and for the last year, with Susan Loether, has been co-director of the collaborative program.

Rabbi Aaron Bisno of Rodef Shalom stated, in a prepared statement, “In the spirit of the ‘Courageous Conversations’ we introduced in 2010, Congregations Beth Shalom and Rodef Shalom have successfully created a dynamic collaborative educational program and we are excited that, as we begin our third year, Liron Lipinsky will be head of our school.”

Prior to coming to Beth Shalom, Lipinsky graduated with a master’s degree in teaching from Johns Hopkins University. She served as the curriculum, instruction and evaluation coordinator of after school programs at 21st Century Community Learning Centers/Heritage Community Initiatives in Braddock.

Prior to that, she worked as a content learning team leader and teacher for Teach for America, where she provided support and professional development to other Teach for America Corps members in Baltimore. While there, Lipinsky developed curriculum models that were incorporated into the Baltimore School System.

Locally, Lipinsky has served as head of schools, overseeing both the religious school as well as the Early Childhood Center at Congregation Beth Shalom, and has been instrumental in creating professional development for the combined staffs of both Rodef Shalom and Beth Shalom Congregations, developing benchmarks for Hebrew Education.

“Education and innovation go hand in hand. I’m thrilled to continue this remarkable Jewish journey alongside Rabbi Werbow and Rabbi Bisno as forward thinking thought-partners,” Lipinsky said in a prepared statement.

Rabbi Michael Werbow, of Beth Shalom, said in a prepared statement, “Liron has raised the level of our students’ educational experience and enhanced the programs at Beth Shalom.

She has high expectations for herself, her teachers and the entire program. Liron, who is also fluent in Hebrew, brings to her work a passion for education and Judaism. She is continuing her studies at Harvard University in the Graduate School of Education in its School Leadership Program. JJEP will benefit from her continued leadership.”

Bisno said of Lipinsky, “I’m confident that, as we transition from co-directors to a single educator at the helm, Liron Lipinsky will help our joint program reach ever new heights.”

Enrollment for the 2013-2014 school year will be opening in late May. Contact Lipinsky at 412-421-2288, ext. 321, or jjeppgh@gmail.com for more information on JJEP.