Elaine Geller, Winner of 2009 Grinspoon Steinhardt Award

The Board of Jewish Education is pleased to announce that theTemple Emeth Shalom nominated and the BJE supported Jewish educator, Elaine Geller, has been named a Jewish Educator of Excellence by the Grinspoon Steinhardt Foundation. The Foundation, has been acknowledging community educators in North America with national recognition for the excellence they bring to Jewish education in their communities for the past ten years.

This year, our local winner joins fifty eight other awardees from forty-two communities in North America as a recipient. Geller was nominated for her work as the Educational Director and Coordinator of the b'nai mitzvah program at her home synagogue, Temple Emeth Shalom of Margate. Her nomination was

originally placed by TES President, Marc Needleman. In addition to running the education program at TES, she serves as Assistant Principal at the Trocki Jewish Community Day School where she has served for 21 years.

The BJE submits requests each year from the synagogue and day school communities seeking out

those educators who have brought distinguished education and commitment to their communities over the years.

As a G-S recipient she will receive a generous $1500 stipend for her own professional enhancement and furtherance of her own Jewish educational goals, matched by a gift of $1,000 from the original nominating source locally.

The community, both at TES and through the BJE at TJCDS will recognize Elaine's positive contribution at awards programs during the fall of 2009. In addition, she has been invited to attend the National Awards Seminar of the Grinspoon Steinhardt Foundation at the General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C. in November.

Says Linda Kulp, Executive Director of the BJE, "This is certainly Elaine's well deserved time to be recognized. After years of dedication to Jewish teaching and values she joins other local winners - former THA educator, Rabbi Ari Weiss; JCDS andTJCDS Headmaster, Nachum Chasan; JCDS and TJCDS faculty member, Susan Feldman; and Congregation Beth Israel educator, Ina Goldhagen in deserving special thanks by us all. It was a priviledge for the BJE to be able to encourage TES in recognizing this wonderful choice."

For information about consideration of nominating someone you think deserves ongoing Jewish education recognition please contact the Board of Jewish Education at 822- 1854.