After 13 years as Head of School of CESJDS, current Head of School Rabbi Mitchel Malkus will be leaving at the end of the 2025-26 school year. To select Malkus’ replacement, the Board of Directors has assembled an eight-member search committee of current and former parents. The official job description says the new Head of School will bring in the “next era of educational and institutional excellence” to JDS.
Danielle Juda, a co-vice president of the Board and mother of three JDS students is the chair of the Head of School Search Committee. Juda said the committee is working closely with DRG Talent, a recruitment firm that speciaalizes in aiding schools and nonprofits through the executive search process to make the vetting and selection process easier.
To kick start the process, DRG administered an anonymous survey in late January to ask for community input, which Juda said received 160 responses. The Board also hosted information sessions in February, where they updated parents on the search process and asked for further input.
“I’m proud to say that we did multiple sessions with parents at the Lower School and Upper School, and we did sessions with faculty members and administrators,” Juda said. “We feel that we captured a nice subset of people from our community, and we feel that we really heard from so many voices and stakeholders within our community.”
High School Assistant Principal Aileen Goldstein (‘96) is an alumna, faculty member and parent to a current second grade student. Although she does not have an official role on the search committee, Goldstein said she has an interest in what the next Head of School will focus on.
Specifically, Goldstein said she wants a Head of School “who puts students first,” builds community, communicates well and has sound judgment. Above all, she said she wants someone who can balance the competing interests of parents, donors, students, faculty members and alumni.
“There are some commonalities of what I want [as an alumna, mother and faculty member], but each part of that brings a different part of my heart,” Goldstein said. “…You need somebody who’s willing to make hard decisions because you can’t please everybody all the time, and the hardest decisions are often the most important for the school.”
Currently, DRG hosts the job application and description on its website. The search committee identified four key areas of responsibility: “institutional leadership,” “education and Jewish vision,” “fundraising and community engagement” and “financial management.” This includes the allocation of almost $40 million in expenses reported in the 2023 IRS 990 form, per ProPublica.
Dean of Students Roz Landy has worked in various capacities, including nine years on-and-off acting as Upper School Principal. During her 48 years at JDS, she said she has witnessed the nature of the Head of School position change as the school has grown significantly despite challenges. Such challenges during Landy’s time at JDS include the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the 2008 Financial Crisis and the Oct. 7 attacks and subsequent war.
“In 1977, when I started at JDS, we were so much smaller, a ‘mom-and-pop school,’ all in one building,” Landy said. “We have grown so much since then: many more students, faculty and parents in addition to two buildings and greater financial demands, all of which make the job for the Head of School far more challenging.”
Juda said that the timeline for the selection process is not fully finalized because it is still early, and there have not yet been many applicants. However, she expects the search committee to begin interviewing candidates this summer. In the meantime, they will continue to keep the community informed with periodic updates via email and on the school’s website, with more information this fall.
Having worked with multiple Heads of School, Landy said she trusts the process. She also said that the Head of School has to be someone who can keep their composure, remain poised under pressure and who can successfully lead the school with a clear educational vision.
“The challenge for a Head of School is that, in addition to the day-to-day operations, the educational and budget demands, there are always unanticipated surprises,” Landy said. “During each Head of School tenure, there have been emergencies … that require the Head of School to be a thoughtful, calm and confident leader, and we have been fortunate to have that in Rabbi Malkus.”