I am delighted to join in congratulating Beth Huppin of the Seattle Jewish Community School on being chosen as one of three outstanding Jewish educators to receive the nationally acclaimed 2010 Covenant Award. Beth’s award is not only recognition for her many professional accomplishments but it is also a celebration of the wonderful work of Seattle’s Jewish Community School and its educators, who have made it possible for Beth to excel and to have a vital and notable impact on her students, their families, and the entire Seattle Jewish community.
The work of an exceptional educator like Beth Huppin is a tribute to the enduring power of the day school experience – it is not only a core educational phenomenon in the largest communities, but it is, in fact, an extraordinarily important expression of Jewish continuity in all locales.
Day schools are hubs of Jewish learning and incubators for Jewish life. They serve as the energizing nuclei of the Jewish community. The leadership of the Jewish community is overwhelmingly comprised of day school alumni who created and nurtured their strong connections and commitment to Jewish community as part of their day school experiences. Community day schools like the Seattle Jewish Community School provide a vitally important context for educational excellence and for the values inherent in fostering Jewish peoplehood.
While attending Jewish day school is not for everyone, supporting the day school network should be a community-wide imperative. It is my hope that this well-deserved award will inspire the Seattle Jewish community in its efforts to support its day schools and provide the best possible Jewish education for its children. I salute Beth and the Seattle Jewish Community School for this wonderful recognition of their achievements.