October 27, 2006
At the fifth Award notification, Lowell Milken, chairman and co-founder of the Milken Family Foundation, and Dr. David Ackerman, director of education for the Bureau of Jewish Education, made the surprise presentation. Special guests at this assembly included former Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz—currently Israel's Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Transportation and Road Safety—and Ehud Danoch, Consul General of Israel and the senior representative of the State of Israel in the southwestern United States.
The Jewish Educator Awards are presented annually to give public recognition and financial awards of $10,000 to teachers, administrators and other education professionals who have made significant contributions to excellence in education in day schools affiliated with the Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Los Angeles.
"With these Awards, we acknowledge our debt to the men and women whose intelligence, scholarship, commitment and compassion not only help young people achieve individual success, but also help ensure the continuation of the heritage that gives meaning to that success," said Lowell Milken.
The five recipients surprised with Awards were:
The Award recipients are selected by a committee of educators, professional and lay leaders from the Jewish community who have a long-standing concern for and involvement with education in Jewish schools. To be eligible for consideration, educators must teach a minimum of 15 hours per week at the kindergarten through 12th grade level; they must have been teaching for a minimum of seven years in a Bureau-affiliated school; and they must hold a class "A" or higher scale rating (for Judaic teachers) or a state teaching credential (for general studies teachers).
The criteria considered for the selection of Jewish Educator Award recipients include:
Recipients are invited to attend an awards luncheon in Los Angeles to be held in December.