Leadership Lenses with Barry Kislowicz

Leadership Lenses Podcast

Leadership Lenses is a new podcast designed for Heads of School, Principals, Menahalim, Roshei Yeshiva and anyone who wants to improve Jewish day school and yeshiva education. These podcast episodes will come out in weekly installments designed for busy leaders. Each one will address a dilemma submitted to us by our listeners and provide our thoughts and hopefully some helpful insights.

  1. 1 day ago

    Leading Through Transition with Dr. Jonathan Levy

    What does it look like to step into a new school as a head after seventeen years of leading another one? In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with Dr. Jonathan Levy, the new head of school at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, about what he is bringing with him and what he is learning along the way. We explore how he balances listening and learning with putting his own stamp on a school, what it really means to empower others without abdicating responsibility, and why asking questions can be more powerful than giving answers. Jonathan also shares how he thinks about communication across a large school community, how he leads across two campuses, and why the students remain his greatest source of energy and renewal. It is a thoughtful conversation about trust, delegation, and the human side of leadership, with ideas that apply whether you are new to a role or years into it. I can’t wait to hear what you take away from this conversation. Reach out to our guest: Website: https://www.cesjds.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CESJDSConnect/ X: https://x.com/cesjdsconnect?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cesjdsconnect/?hl=en Get in touch with us:  Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://kislowiczconsulting.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to my Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://kislowiczconsulting.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/leadershiplenses/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bkislowicz/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leadership-lenses-with-barry-kislowicz/id1813728680⁠⁠⁠⁠

  2. 21 Oct

    Building Bridges Across Jewish Divides with JJ Sussman

    Most conversations about Jewish unity focus on what we agree on. What if real connection requires the opposite? In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with JJ Sussman, International Director of Gesher, about how the organization has spent more than fifty years bringing together Israelis from different sectors of society and connecting them with Jewish communities around the world. We explore Gesher’s approach of starting with identity, engaging honestly with disagreement, and ending with a commitment to stay together, and why trained facilitators are the key to making that work. JJ also shares what happens when Israeli leaders, from army officers to mayors to journalists, visit American Jewish communities and schools, and what school leaders can take from these experiences, whether they are thinking about the diverse cultures within their own student body or about creating real connections between their students and Israelis. It is a conversation about unity that does not avoid difference, and what it takes to build bridges that last. I can’t wait to hear what you take away from this conversation. Reach out to our guest: 🌐 Website: ⁠https://www.gesher.co.il/⁠ 📧Email: jj@gesher.co.il Get in touch with us:  Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://kislowiczconsulting.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to my Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://kislowiczconsulting.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/leadershiplenses/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bkislowicz/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leadership-lenses-with-barry-kislowicz/id1813728680⁠⁠⁠⁠

  3. 14 Oct

    Carrying Forward Rabbi Sacks’ Legacy with Jonathan Cannon

    What does it mean to carry forward the voice of a leader whose influence was felt across the Jewish world, well beyond his own lifetime? In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with Jonathan Cannon, CEO of Rabbi Sacks Legacy, about how the organization is translating Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ thinking into practical work for schools and communities today. We explore the Lihiyot Yehudi initiative and how A Letter in the Scroll is being built into an eight to ten week program that helps students explore their own Jewish identity. Jonathan also introduces the concept of covenantal leadership, what it means for a leader to enter into mutual responsibility with the people they lead, and why giving new leaders space to act from their values matters just as much as training them. We discuss concrete examples, from a school in Cape Town that transformed its culture around inclusion to what covenantal leadership could mean for the relationship between boards and heads of school. It is a thoughtful conversation about memory, mission, and what it takes to keep a powerful voice alive in a way that continues to shape the next generation. I can’t wait to hear what you take away from this conversation. Reach out to our guest: 🌐 Website: ⁠https://rabbisacks.org/📧Email: jonathanc@rabbisacks.org Get in touch with us:  Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://kislowiczconsulting.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to my Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://kislowiczconsulting.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/leadershiplenses/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bkislowicz/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leadership-lenses-with-barry-kislowicz/id1813728680⁠⁠⁠⁠

  4. 8 Oct

    Building Deliberate Community at Hillel Day School with Dr. Darin Katz

    What does it take to hit your highest enrollment in 23 years while serving families across the entire spectrum of Jewish observance, and a student body where nearly 40 percent have a learning plan? In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with Dr. Darin Katz, head of school at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit, about what it means to build what he calls deliberate community, intentional touch points throughout the year that help families from every background find their place in Jewish life. We explore how a welcome back Shabbat dinner or a grade-level Judaic studies celebration can spark something in a family that ripples far beyond the school building. Darin also shares an honest look at how Hillel is approaching the widening range of learners in its classrooms, why the school recently shifted its language from student-centered to learner-centered, and why investing in training classroom teachers may be an even higher priority than adding another specialist. It is a conversation full of concrete, replicable ideas for any community day school thinking about belonging, relationships, and how to serve every learner in the room. I can't wait to hear what you take away from this conversation. Reach out to our guest: 🌐 Website: https://www.hillelday.org/ 📧Email: dkatz@hillelday.org Get in touch with us:  Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://kislowiczconsulting.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to my Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://kislowiczconsulting.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/leadershiplenses/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bkislowicz/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leadership-lenses-with-barry-kislowicz/id1813728680⁠⁠⁠

  5. 16 Sept

    Rethinking How We Teach Israel with Noam Weissmann

    Three years after October 7th, most Jewish day schools agree that Israel education matters. Far fewer have figured out where it actually belongs in the curriculum, or how to teach it with real depth.In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with Noam Weissmann, Executive Vice President of Open Door Media and host of Unpacking Israeli History, the most downloaded Jewish podcast in the world. We explore why Israel education so often gets relegated to a hallway display or a single day on the calendar, what it actually looks like to integrate it seriously into Tanakh, Talmud, and Hebrew language classes, and why striking while the iron is cold matters more than reacting in a moment of crisis.Noam also shares his vision for a 20 by 20 canon of Israel knowledge, what the best schools are doing to build a real scope and sequence, and why teaching complexity and multiple perspectives, rather than simple advocacy, is what actually makes students fall in love with the story of Israel.It is a rich, idea-dense conversation for any school leader serious about strengthening how their students understand their own story. I can't wait to hear what you take away from this conversation. Reach out to our guest: 🌐 Websites: https://unpacked.education/https://connecteducation.org/📧Email: noam@unpacked.media Get in touch with us:  Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://kislowiczconsulting.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to my Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://kislowiczconsulting.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/leadershiplenses/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bkislowicz/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leadership-lenses-with-barry-kislowicz/id1813728680⁠⁠⁠

  6. 2 Sept

    Building a School Rooted in Joy with Dr. Rachel Harari

    What if academic rigor and warmth were not opposites, but requirements for each other? In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with Dr. Rachel Harari, head of school at the Sam School on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, about building a school where students run through the doors excited to learn. We explore what it looks like to weave Sephardic tradition into a warm, non-judgmental approach to Jewish life, why she waits for the right teacher rather than rushing to fill a position, and how genuine partnership with parents transforms even the hardest conversations. Rachel also shares what it means to lead with intentionality at every level, from the immersive early childhood program to the way she trains her faculty to trust parents as genuine partners rather than critics waiting in the back of the room. It is a joyful, honest, and genuinely inspiring conversation about what becomes possible when culture is built on purpose rather than left to chance. I can't wait to hear what you take away from this conversation. Reach out to our guest: 🌐 Website: ⁠https://www.thesamschool.org/ 📧Email: rharari@thesamschool.org Get in touch with us:  Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://kislowiczconsulting.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to my Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://kislowiczconsulting.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/leadershiplenses/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bkislowicz/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leadership-lenses-with-barry-kislowicz/id1813728680⁠⁠⁠

  7. 26 Aug

    Sitting on the Same Side of the Table with Jane Taubenfeld Cohen

    Being partners with parents sounds simple. Actually doing it, especially in the middle of a hard conversation about a struggling child, is one of the harder things school leaders and teachers face.In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I welcome back returning guest Jane Taubenfeld Cohen to talk about her widely shared piece on parent partnership. We explore why so many school meetings unintentionally become about getting the parent to do something rather than solving a problem together, why naming our own emotions before a hard conversation changes everything, and why factual and emotional conversations so often talk past each other.Jane also shares a powerful story about what it really feels like to be a parent walking into another difficult meeting, and makes the case that building genuine partnership with families is not a matter of a few natural superstars, but a systemic mindset that has to run through an entire school community.It is a conversation full of practical wisdom for anyone who has ever walked into a parent meeting unsure of how it would go. I can't wait to hear what you take away from this conversation.Read Jane Taubenfeld Cohen's article:https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/another-school-year-on-the-same-side-of-the-table/Get in touch with us:  Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://kislowiczconsulting.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to my Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://kislowiczconsulting.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/leadershiplenses/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bkislowicz/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leadership-lenses-with-barry-kislowicz/id1813728680⁠⁠⁠

  8. 19 Aug

    Lessons from Launching a New School Abroad with Rabbi Rick Schindelheim

    What does it take to build a brand new school program from scratch, and get it right in year one?In this episode of Leadership Lenses, I speak with Rabbi Rick Schindelheim about the lessons he learned launching a new educational program in Israel from the ground up. We explore why clarity of mission matters more than trying to please everyone, how to build genuine community among students who are living away from home for the first time, and why structured time for reflection can be just as important as the academic program itself.Rick also shares candid reflections on what surprised him along the way, from how quickly students embraced independence to what he would do differently next time. It is a conversation full of practical takeaways for any educator or school leader thinking about how to build something new, or how to strengthen something that already exists. I can't wait to hear what you take away from this Reach out to our guest:🌐 Website: https://ots.org.il/nelech/📧Email: nelech@ots.org.il Get in touch with us:  Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://kislowiczconsulting.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to my Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://kislowiczconsulting.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/leadershiplenses/⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bkislowicz/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Listen on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leadership-lenses-with-barry-kislowicz/id1813728680⁠⁠

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Leadership Lenses is a new podcast designed for Heads of School, Principals, Menahalim, Roshei Yeshiva and anyone who wants to improve Jewish day school and yeshiva education. These podcast episodes will come out in weekly installments designed for busy leaders. Each one will address a dilemma submitted to us by our listeners and provide our thoughts and hopefully some helpful insights.

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