community-minded Orthodox Rabbi and Educator
Rabbi Shmuel Jablon is the Menahel (Principal) of the Torah Academy of Greater Philadelphia (Grades N-8). In his second year at T.A., he is proud to head this established Nursery through 8th Grade school. Using the theme, "T.A.: Not Just a School, A Kehilla!", he is excited to be working with Torah Academy's diverse community (that is built upon Ahavat Yisrael and academic excellence) to help build one of the finest Jewish Day Schools in North America. In just this short time he has help institute curricular improvements, a new report card system, the "team system" of weekly grade level team meetings (where both Judaic and General Studies teachers meet together to help children in their class), upgraded parent-school communications, Mishna Clubs and a more formalized admissions process. He has also worked to increase connections to Israel. This year, thanks to Israel Connect and the hard work of the T.A. faculty, the school has a partner school and adopted platoon of Israeli soliders. You can see a video of his delivering donations from the school to the platoon by clicking here.
Along with the school's president, he recently secured a multi million dollar grant from the Kohelet Foundation for school improvement and tuition affordability.
With all of this excitement, it's not surprising that school enrollment has gone from 250 to 291 in just 18 months. You can read all about the school in its brand new "view book" by clicking here.
Rabbi Jablon served eight years as the Head of Lower School at Fuchs Mizrachi School in Cleveland, Ohio. The FMS Lower School was selected as a No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2003. Rabbi Jablon also started their popular Mishna Clubs program where students complete many Messechtot of "extra" Mishnayot during their Lower School years. Click here to read Rabbi Jablon's "farewell interview" in the Cleveland Jewish News.Prior to being in Cleveland, he was the Associate Headmaster at South Peninsula Hebrew Day School in Sunnyvale, California.
Rabbi Jablon is an experienced Jewish Day School administrator (in Judaic and General Studies). He has pioneered numerous educational initiatives. Many of his educational programs are available through the curriculum work section of this web site. For example, he has published web-books on Mishna Brachot and the State of Israel that have been used nationally. His latest publication is THE STUDENT'S PESACH HAGGADAH (published by Mazo Publishers), an interactive Haggadah with both his Divrei Torah and plenty of room for students (or adults) to add their own Divrei Torah, notes and comments.
The ability to have not only a dramatic impact on his own school, but to influence the curricula of similar schools in North America, is something that brings him tremendous pride as a Rabbi and educator.
Rabbi Jablon hosts his own web site and has authored numerous articles and the books The Students' Pesach Haggadah, Jewish Answers, Keys To Success: Helpful Hints for Teachers and Summer (Torah) Reading. He was a contributing author to What's Jewish About America's Favorite Past Time, including an article about his use of baseball in teaching Mesorah, published by the College of William and Mary.
In Cleveland, he served as a board member of the Cleveland Jewish News and as the Co-Chair of the Religious and Academic Division of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland annual campaign. He is also a member of the Rabbinical Council of America, Chicago Rabbinic Council and the National Association of Elementary School Principals.
Rabbi Jablon received smicha from the Hebrew Theological College (Skokie Yeshiva) in 5757/1997 and holds a Masters in Education from the University of Judaism. He also has certification in gifted education from the University of North Texas and is a graduate of the Institute for Day School Management (Columbia University and the Bureau of Jewish Education of New York) . He is married to Rebecca. They are blessed with four children. A devoted Religious Zionist, Rabbi Jablon speaks to his children almost exclusively in Ivrit. "My goal for my children is the same as the goal for my students," he said. "I pray that they should grow up to be Torah scholars filled with love of Hashem and the entire Jewish People, and to merit to make aliya and do this in Israel!"Be sure to visit the Reading Room for new articles!!!
(Read Rav Aviner's reaction to the Haggada here.)
(Read the Cleveland Jewish News' review here.)
(KEYS TO SUCCESS: Helpful Hints for Teachers
Click here for more information on other books by Rabbi Jablon.