BJE Builder Dr. Sarah Shulkind, Head of School, Milken Community School

As a Jewish school, our distinct challenge is to root our students in the joy and responsibility of Jewish learning, belonging, and practice and to enable them to learn from, contribute to, and creatively interact with the traditions, cultures, and values of our larger society. At the same time, to fulfill our mission as a Jewish school, we need to constantly ask ourselves: how do we cultivate our distinctive Jewish gifts with the most positive elements of our larger culture in order to refine the soul, renew the Jewish people, and repair the world? 

For Milken, being a Builder of Jewish education means graduating students who think well, belong to something greater than themselves and take positive action. It means preparing students who are capable of contributing their Jewish experience to the college classroom, dormitory, dining hall and extracurricular arena. It means preparing our students to lead from the workplace, the boardroom, civil society, and the Shabbat table of their future families.   

Our educators are Builders of Jewish education everywhere at Milken: in the classroom, on the stage, in the beit midrash, on the athletic field, and everywhere in between. Our faculty are professionals at the forefront of their academic disciplines, dedicated to developing young minds and expanding their potential. Teachers here are exceptional, driven not only by skill and intellect, but also by an unflagging commitment to helping each student grow into the best version of themselves. At Milken, teachers matter, and their influence shapes the future across our community and beyond.

Milken has really tried to embrace the advice of our consultant Claire Goldsmith who said, “An education crisis is a terrible thing to waste.” We have leaned in even further to our core values and educational philosophy, and we have worked to reinforce the strength of our community. We are using this time to experiment pedagogically and programmatically. We have doubled down on our commitment to professional development and tuition assistance.  

Dr. Sarah Shulkind is being recognized at BJE "Out of the Box" Gala on February 5.  For more information about who is being recognized and how to participate, please go to www.bjela.org/gala. 

For further information about Milken Community School, please click here to go to their website.