After serving on the Jewish Educational Services board since its founding three years ago, Baltimorian Ari Krupp has been named the next board chair by Executive Director Rabbi Aaron Levitt, the outgoing board chair and the nominating committee. Krupp will succeed Avi Greenlinger, who previously held this position since its establishment.
Krupp was originally chosen to join the board due to his history of communal involvement in Baltimore educational institutions.
“He [Greenlinger] thought that I would be an asset to his board,” Krupp said. “I joined, and then as he met his term limits, I had been serving in the first vice chair role, and I was asked … to serve as the next board chair for the organization.”
Levitt emphasized that Krupp’s depth of experience makes him particularly well-suited for the role of board chair.
“He comes with a lot of experience and passion for Jewish education,” Levitt said. “He’s really smart, he’s really dedicated, and he always sees the positive in people and in every situation. He also likes to think out of the box, think creatively, and imagine different ways of approaching the goal.”
JES, an agency of The Associated, works to promote Jewish education in Baltimore by offering professional development to educators, providing resources for families seeking educational support for their children and building a culture of educational excellence in the Baltimore Jewish community.
“Our global goal [is] to reach more students and make sure that as many students in the Baltimore area are able to get an appropriate Jewish education. We are in constant contact with our partner schools, listening, hearing what their needs are and assisting them anyway that we can,” Krupp added. “It’s always ongoing. We’re always looking for new methods and new ways to provide services to our partner institutions.”
Krupp’s philosophy regarding Jewish education is concentrated on creating a strong future for the Jewish people.
“Jewish education is critical,” Krupp explained. “My hope is that every kid should be able to access [Jewish education], should be able to get it to meet their needs and the environment that they want. Giving them the chance to appreciate something is so critically important.”
As Krupp begins his work as the new board chair, he has recognized that his role will include being involved on a more consistent basis.
“In the past, I had served as a committee member on several of these committees previously, but those were periodic meetings. Now, I’m having regular and consistent, ongoing conversations with the executive director. As a result, my involvement has grown and hopefully will be a positive [to] what we’re trying to accomplish,” Krupp said.
As Levitt reflected on his partnership with the new board chair, he noted that Krupp has already become an integral part of JES’ leadership.
“Ari is my thought partner and my biggest supporter. He’ll be the first address to turn to when I need guidance and someone to strategically [take] the best way forward,” Levitt said. “He and I meet regularly to talk strategy, to go over finances and to think about the bigger picture.”
Krupp described the position of board chair as “the board representative and liaison between the professional staff and the volunteer people that are engaged in the organization.”
Levitt explained that JES is currently launching a community needs assessment to better understand how to meet the educational demands of Baltimore’s Jewish community. One area where he expects Krupp to play a pivotal role is in securing resources.
“I know that one specific area that Ari is passionate about is trying to identify funding opportunities for schools, whether they be grants or other funding opportunities. He really wants to maximize all the support we can give to all the different Baltimore Jewish schools,” Levitt said.
Krupp has been active as a volunteer in the Jewish scene of Baltimore for over 15 years.
As the past chairman of the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore board while simultaneously serving as a founding board member of SHEMESH, which he describes as a service that “assists kids with learning challenges,” Krupp has used his experience to enhance the impact of JES.
“I’ve spent the better part of the last 15 years intimately involved in volunteer leadership, several schools, and other educational organizations within the Baltimore community,” Krupp said.
Krupp added that expanding professional development for educators is another area where JES is making a significant impact.
“I think an area where I’ve seen JES be helpful on a global level is within the professional development offerings that they bring to the schools several times throughout the year. They sponsor communal programs, bringing in professionals to teach the teachers, train the trainers, and help our partner institutions get better at what they do,” Krupp said.
Amy Hollander is a Baltimore Jewish Times Intern.
