Welcome!
ברוכים הבאים
B’ruchim HaBaim
Every school “integrates” its subjects, but that often takes the form of students discussing the same book in both language arts and history classes. At Agnon we take the concept of an integrated curriculum pretty seriously. Our fifth graders learn the different phases of the moon and how its gravitational pull affects the tides in science; in language arts they explore how the moon has been used as a literary metaphor; in music they learn the Moonlight Serenade; and in Judaics they dive into the concept of “rosh chodesh” – the celebration of the new moon – and its profound impact on Jewish philosophy and theology. At the end of the unit they develop a comprehensive appreciation of the moon, from varied perspectives and disciplines. It’s a learning process that goes far beyond the memorization of facts (or worse, factoids – little bits of non-connected information); it moves a student from the accumulation of knowledge to the appreciation of understanding.
But a school is even larger than its curriculum. We believe strongly that Agnon is a learning community, in which parents are encouraged to participate in Shabbat dinners with their children; where our students engage in acts of g’milut chasidim – acts of righteous behavior – in their broader community, both in Cleveland and in the world; in the Jewish and in the non-Jewish world as well.
We also deeply believe in a genuinely pluralist day school environment, where everyone’s affiliation and background and observance level is respected. Agnon is a “big-tent” school community, in which we celebrate our diversity and our unity. We’re able to provide this wonderful opportunity to our students and families largely because of the donors who so generously give of themselves, their time and their dollars – because they too believe in the mission of a school that reaches out to the broadest spectrum of the Jewish community; a school that does not ask parents to choose between academic excellence in general studies “or” in Jewish studies. They believe in offering our students and our community the best and brightest future we can provide. To everyone who has so willingly contributed – to our parents, our Board members, our generous supporters throughout the community – thank you.
Welcome – once again – to Agnon.
Jerry D. Isaak-Shapiro
Head of School
