Central Agency for Jewish Education/Federation Executives
School Principals and Administrators
Community Members

Central Agency for Jewish Education/Federation Executives
The community administers the local Awards process. Each community (for the purpose of these Awards, a community is defined as the area served by a federation) will provide at least $1,000 towards each Award.

Central agency and federation executives are responsible for disseminating the Awards materials to their local educational institutions. These materials can now be found on this website. Click here for the 2010 Grinspoon-Steinhardt Awards application forms. JESNA recommends that you publicize the Awards throughout your community. If you need assistance with publicity materials, please contact JESNA.

Agency executives should create a local deadline for the Awards applications. Please note that this local deadline should be early enough so that the final application is returned to JESNA by May 21, 2010. Once the applications have been submitted, please form a selection committee to decide on your community's nominee(s). Nominations from local communities (excepting the Greater New York and Los Angeles Metropolitan areas) are limited to one (1) outstanding educator. Consideration of nominees will proceed on a first-come, first-reviewed basis to a maximum of 55 Grinspoon-Steinhardt Awards winners.

In order to aid in the local selection process, nominators are asked to identify a teacher of excellence in one of the following categories:

• Day school teacher (grades K-8)

• Day school teacher (grades 9-12)

• Congregational school teacher (K-8)

• Congregational school teacher (9-12)

• Early childhood educator

Once you have selected your nominee(s) please forward their applications via email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it where a National Awards Committee set up by JESNA, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life will confirm selection of the final recipients. While this Committee may seek additional information about a candidate before confirming his/her nomination, the judgement of each local selection committee is the most important criterion.

School Principals and Administrators
It is the job of school administrators to select one classroom teacher from their school to nominate for these Awards. Principals and administrators are asked to select the teacher who they feel most exemplifies a teacher of excellence. The teacher must be from one of the five approved categories. You may form a selection committee of people to help you or make the decision yourself. The next step is to complete Part A of the application and have the nominated teacher complete Part B. In addition, you will need to have a supporting nominator complete Part C. Once you and/or your committee have chosen someone to nominate from your school, you must forward Parts A, B and C back to your central agency for Jewish education/federation contact by the date which they have chosen. These materials can now be found on this website. Click here for the 2010 Grinspoon-Steinhardt Awards application forms.

For more information, please call your local central agency for Jewish education. If your community does not have a central agency, please call your local federation. Click here to see a directory of central agencies.Click here to see a directory of federations in each community.

Community Members
If you are a community member who is interested in either encouraging your community to participate in the Grinspoon-Steinhardt Awards or underwriting the community portion of these awards we encourage you to contact both your local central agency for Jewish education or a federation if your community does not have a central agency. You may also contact Marcie Yoselevsky at (212) 284-6895.