Behind the door of a principal’s office are difficult conversations and carefully laid plans. And behind all of it — a person.
When you’re the one who’s supposed to have the answers — to whom do you ask your questions?
With this in mind, Torah Umesorah set out to found the Yesud Maalah Menahalos Fellowship in 2008. Since then, the Fellowship has led six cohorts of 25 nominated menahalos each — over 150 graduates. Each cohort meets weekly for two years, building lasting connections while expanding leadership capacity.
This week, it reached a climax.
Over 85 menahalos from schools across the country gathered at Ateres Esther Mattel Leah Hall for the Fellowship Menahalos Retreat — two revitalizing days of shared vision and practical growth. They came representing every grade level, type of school, and state — including Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Baltimore, Denver, and Los Angeles.
“The numbers exceeded my expectations,” shares Mrs. Chumi Levitansky, Director of the Fellowship. “I was blown by how excited they were to come back, to see each other, to learn more.”
Formal titles were checked at the door, replaced with shared experiences and the quiet relief of a room where everyone understands each other.
Rabbi Elefant opened the day with a penetrating question: what is our goal? His answer reverberated throughout the retreat — this world is the tafel, Olam Habah is the ikur. Internalizing that gives our talmidos the clarity to rise above today’s challenges.
Rabbi Goldberg challenged the room to recalibrate. The most important things a principal does, he reminded them, cannot be delegated: walking into classrooms, sitting with teachers, being where the chinuch actually happens.
Rabbi Aharon Kotler presented a framework as simple as it is powerful: everything that lands on your desk falls into one of three categories — do it, delegate it, or drop it. For principals, that clarity is liberating.
One of the retreat’s defining highlights was the walking tour. The principals split into eight groups and each walked to a different school whose principal is herself a Fellowship member. On their own professional turf, the principals of these schools opened up about real challenges they’ve faced — and then showed the groups, in real time, exactly how they addressed it using tools gained through the Fellowship. Methodology made tangible.
Menahalos share:
“This event gave me tools, inspiration, and more courage to continue doing my work.”
“It was well worth the trip! I gained a lot and I’ve already been in touch with the curriculum coordinator of the school that I visited. So much packed into one day!”
“Too much on my desk, not enough hours — that was my excuse. This day dismantled it completely. I left with a framework for my time, clarity on what to own and what to delegate, and the realization that I had been going it alone for far too long.”
“I kept getting pulled back into the technical — that’s where I’m comfortable. But Rabbi Goldberg helped me see what I couldn’t see myself: my job now is to lead, not to do.”
This retreat is one expression of Torah Umesorah’s unwavering commitment to chinuch excellence. On schedule for the coming weeks are a Mashgichim Conference, a Menahalim Conference, a Mechanchos Appreciation Evening in Monsey, and Shabbosim of Chizuk in Los Angeles and Lakewood.
