Young Pioneers Award Reflection: Carly Namdar

I feel privileged to be on the receiving end of the incredible educational support and guidance that The Jewish Education Project has provided during this Coronavirus pandemic to both my educational community and so many other Jewish educational institutions.  As a recipient of the Robert M. Sherman Young Pioneers Award, I am honored to become a part of The Jewish Education Project family, and hope to be able to contribute to the Jewish educational landscape for many years to come. At this time of uncertainty, it is a tribute to the Jewish Education Project’s visionary approach that the labor of promoting thriving within our Jewish day schools is being spotlighted and brought to the forefront.  

This is empowering for the field of mental health, and has given me renewed optimism and encouragement to continue to work towards bridging the ideas of positive psychology and Jewish education in the day-school world.   

This is empowering for the field of mental health, and has given me renewed optimism and encouragement to continue to work towards bridging the ideas of positive psychology and Jewish education in the day-school world.   

Building upon one’s strengths is a basic tenet of our Jewish heritage and tradition, and I am grateful to be immersed in this work and look forward to continuing to cultivate children’s character, resilience, empathy and concern for others, at a time when the world needs it most.  This award brings me hope that we have come a long way in breaking down stigma associated with mental health and enthuses me to continue to strive towards enhanced positivity, wellness and flourishing as we all learn to navigate our ever-changing world together.   

I want to thank my parents, family and professors at the Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration at Yeshiva University for inspiring and supporting me along this journey, as well as my colleagues at Hebrew Academy of Long Beach, for ensuring that we place the wellbeing of every child at the heart of education. 

Thank you for this opportunity. I want to congratulate my fellow recipients of this award, and look forward to enjoying the Virtual Benefit from my home, surrounded by my family from near and far.    

Carly Namdar is one of five recipients of The Jewish Education Project's 2020 Robert M. Sherman Young Pioneers Award. She is  the Director of Middle School Guidance at Hebrew Academy of Long Beach. Celebrate Carly at The Jewish Education Project's Virtual Benefit on April 2nd at 7:00 pm EDT.