About Bill Cohen.

Kadima today also, in addition to the announcement below, issued the following biography about its new Head of School:

MEET BILL COHEN

A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Bill Cohen struck a chord with the Search Committee when,
quoting the words of Ahavah Rabah, as he wrote: “Lilmod, u’lilamed, lishmor, v’laasot. (To learn, to teach, to guard and to do….). These inspiring words, from the shacharit service, inform my vision of the appropriate role of a Jewish Day School’s Head of School.” Bill then discussed how learning, teaching, guarding and doing are all critical in serving a school as a successful Head of School. Bill’s vision for Jewish day school education—a program that completely integrates general and Judaic studies in an environment that is also recognizes and nurtures the spiritual, immediately revealed to the Committee that Bill would be a special candidate for Kadima’s Head of School position.

Through all of our interviews and discussions, Bill demonstrated that he is more than just statements of educational theory. He is a doer; he understands the realities of educational
administration—for many years teaching a year-long graduate school course revolving around
Educational Administration at the American Jewish University—and he understands that a
school can only realize its true potential when the various parts of the school community—
students, teachers, administrators and parents—work together to realize their shared hopes and
dreams for the school and its students.

Bill brings a record of educational excellence to Kadima. He led Los Angeles Hebrew High
School for nine years. During that time, student enrollment dramatically increased, as did
community support for the school. The school was rebuilt into a jewel of the community: a self
sustaining, educationally excellent, and professionally led educational institution. Through sheer
hard work, Bill’s team developed an invigorated educational program, and motivated all of the
key constituencies of the organization—administrators, teachers, students, parents and Board—
such that when it was time for Bill to join the independent day school world, the school
continued to be energized, successful and effective.

Bill has spent the last eight months serving as an Assistant Head of School and Director of Judaic
and Hebrew Studies at the Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School in Northridge.

Bill earned his Bachelors of Arts degree in Politics from Brandeis University. For nearly ten years after college, Bill worked successfully, on the East Coast, in the real estate and marketing
world, where he learned critical management and business skills that have served him well in the
Jewish educational world. Ultimately, however, Bill decided to pursue a calling in Jewish Education, and earned a Master of Arts in Education and a Bachelor of Literature
in Hebrew Letters at the University of Judaism (now the AJU). In addition, Bill has served for many years on the national Executive Board of the Jewish Educators Assembly, currently serving as its Treasurer.

Bill is married to Cheryl, the proud parents of three children, Jonah (10), Ari (6) and Cayla (3), each of whom plan to attend Kadima in the fall of 2009.