Jay Leberman, Head of School

Jay Leberman comes to Mandel JDS with a seasoned forty-year career in Jewish Education and administration. Prior to moving to Cleveland, Jay was Director of the Kivunim Gap-Year Program in Israel that provides an intensive, experiential international Jewish education to college students. Before living abroad, Jay was the Head of School for 16 years at the Perelman Jewish Day School of Greater Philadelphia where he ran three divisions with over 500 students. His accomplishments include the creation of a middle school and making Perelman a more inclusive and financially stable school. Prior to Perelman, Jay was the Educational Director at the Sager Solomon Schechter Day School in Chicago for 12 years. He received national recognition for establishing programs in both schools that advocate for individual learning and allow children with special needs to receive a Jewish education.

 

Jay received his Bachelor of Arts in History of the Jewish People and History of Jewish Thought from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and a Master of Philosophy in Modern Jewish Studies from Oxford University in London. With a love for the classroom, Jay spent five years teaching both high school and college classes in England before returning to the states to become an administrator. Jay grew up in Albany, New York, and was a proud member of the first graduating class of the Hebrew Academy.

 

Jay is a devoted naturalist, conservationist, and environmentalist with a passion for outdoor learning. Originally having studied to become a veterinarian, Jay has a love for all animals and living things. He also enjoys international literature and visiting Diaspora communities throughout the world. Jay brings a diverse knowledge of Jewish movements and communities including Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, non-affiliated, Sephardi, Ashkenazi, European, and Israeli.

 

Jay and his wife Soraya currently reside in Beachwood. He is the father of three sons, Hemi, Hanan, and Boaz, who made Aliyah, and the grandparent of three. His daughter Yael attends the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.