This past Wednesday, Head of School Rabbi Guttenberg sent an email informing the High School that after this academic year, Principal Dr. Jones will be leaving the Hebrew Academy. Immediately after receiving the news, the building was filled with surprise, curiosity, and confusion as students discussed the future of Hebrew Academy.
Being a principal is never easy, but Dr. Jones had the unique challenge of doing it all during a global pandemic. Dr. Jones joined the Hebrew Academy team at the height of COVID-19 and since then, a lot has changed around the building. In an email to students and parents, Dr. Jones expressed his experience leading during this difficult time: “Despite the pandemic challenges, I am grateful to have been a part of the leadership team as we navigated all of us through it. At the same time, I, Rabbi Guttenberg, the board, the rest of the administrative team, and our teachers never gave up on trying new things, improving the student experience, and raising the bar where we could.”’
Besides for being the head of the high school, he also teaches, blogs, and runs a podcast. He will miss the students most, as he said in the email, “The most significant part of the Hebrew Academy is all of you, the students. The hardest part of leaving will be not working with all of you each day at school. You are a group of creative, passionate, funny, spiritual, unique, entrepreneurial, brilliant, kind, caring, and thoughtful students that I have no doubt will change this world for the better. I will be looking out over the years for your names on billboards, scientific research papers, Seforim you write, and news stories about extraordinary acts of goodwill and breakthrough ideas. I will miss you all.” We know that his feelings are shared with the rest of the student body.
“In my many years at the school no one has affected me as Dr. Jones has. He has individually touched every student's heart. I’ve heard so many people say that they are sad that he is leaving. Wherever he goes, I hope he is happy,” said senior Rapha Safdie.
The Warrior Word echoes this sentiment and wishes Dr. Jones the best of luck in his future endeavors (as long as a megaphone is not in the mix!).
By: Hadassah Reich and Naomi Ohana (12th)