More News

When Bini W. Silver went to his interview to head up Hebrew Day Institute in Rockville, he said he knew right away that it was where he wanted to be.

"From the minute I walked in the door, I felt right at home," Silver said. "It was such a warm, nurturing environment."

Since starting July 18, the new head of school has been familiarizing himself with Montgomery County and the community of students, parents and teachers that he will be interacting with on a daily basis.

Silver said he wants to build on the academic programs and curriculum at the school by encouraging more parent involvement in students' work.

"I'm a firm believer in education for both child and parent to learn together," Silver said.

In the fall, Silver said the school will set up a type of "Ellis Island Day," where students and parents will portray Jewish immigrants who came to the United States as part of the students' family tree projects.

Silver said he and school officials will also incorporate more interdisciplinary general studies as part of children's lessons.

For instance, as part of a curriculum on rain forests, students will learn about the indigenous groups in South America in their social studies classes, calculate acres of land in their math classes and study the environmental effects of deforestation in their science classes. At the same time, teachers will incorporate Jewish values into the lessons, he said.

Prior to the Hebrew Day Institute, Silver was head of school of the Sandra E. Lerner Jewish Community Day School in Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; headmaster and director of education at Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El in Plantation, Fla.; principal of Jewish studies at Davis Academy in Atlanta, Ga.; and educational director at Temple Beth Shalom in Needham, Mass.

Jeff Freedman, president of the Hebrew Day Institute board and chairman of the school's search committee, said he is excited to see what Silver has to offer as head of school.

"From the minute he came to the school, it seemed as if he was always here with his interactions with the students, the staff and the parents," Freedman wrote in an e-mail to The Gazette. "His experience and knowledge will help the school in furthering our vision. We are very fortunate to have him."

Laura Torchinsky, a parent and member of the search committee that interviewed Silver, said Silver had great interaction with the children during his interview and was impressive from the beginning.

"He has this very quiet confidence about him, and he has the experience that we're looking for," she said.

Silver said he has experience with boosting enrollment rates at private schools and wants to accomplish the same goal at Hebrew Day Institute.

"Part of the goal for the next couple of years is to maintain that small-school feeling, but also to grow the school a bit," he said.

The Hebrew Day Institute has an enrollment of 50 students for the 2010-2011 year and an 8-1 student-teacher ratio. The school offers grades kindergarten through six.

Silver and his fifth- and sixth-grade students will tour the White House today with several other Jewish day schools in the Washington, D.C., area that were invited to the event. Renee Salzberg, advancement director for Hebrew Day Institute, said the invitation came from the Office of the Vice President for Intergovernmental Affairs and was part of an outreach program to Jewish schools.

"I'm looking forward to being a part of the community and the Jewish community at large," Silver said.

"This area and this school have a lot to offer to its students."

Silver received his bachelor's degree in Judaic studies and political science from Columbia University and master's degree from Columbia University with a specialization in Middle East and Judaic studies. He also earned a principal's certificate in Advanced Jewish School Administration from Hebrew College in Boston, and has studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brandeis University and the Jerusalem Institute in Israel.

Silver was past president of the National Association of Temple Educators and recently served as national vice president of the Progressive Association of Reform Day School.

Classes begin Friday.

mliu@gazette.net

Classes at Hebrew Day Institute begin Friday. A back-to-school pizza party for students and parents will be held Sunday.

For more information about the school, visit www.hebrewdayinstitute.org.

-Jewish community day school, grades kindergarten through six

-2200 Baltimore Road, Rockville

-50 students (2010-2011 school year)

-Integrated general and Judaic studies curriculum