Ben Chasen

Editor In Chief

On August 27, 2018, Lise Applebaum, Chair of Milken’s Board of Trustees, and Richard Sandler, the previous Chair, sent an email to the Milken community announcing the start of the search for Milken’s next Head of School. “This is an exciting time in the life of our school,” the joint-authored email read. Elsewhere in the message, the members of the newly-formed Search Committee were revealed, including faculty members Dr. Nick Holton and Mr. Dimitri Hodgkinson, as well as the announcement that Carney, Sandoe & Associates would be the firm behind the search.

Nearly six months later, Milken Community Schools has its next leader.

Dr. Sarah Shulkind was appointed to the role of Head of School, Milken’s highest position, on Monday following her recommendation from the Search Committee and unanimous approval from the Board of Trustees. Shulkind returns to Milken, where she previously served as Middle School Principal, after spending seven years as the Head of School at Sinai Akiba Academy.

Dr. Shulkind, who holds degrees from UCLA, Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania, will begin her term on July 1, 2019. In the meantime, Dr. Robert Wexler will continue to hold the post of Interim Head of School, a role he has occupied since June 15, 2018, following former Head of School Gary Weisserman’s decision to step down after the 2017-2018 academic year.

Dr. Kimberly Schwartz and Limor Dankner, the principals of Milken’s Upper and Middle schools respectively, announced the news to Milken’s students, parents and faculty in an email. “We look forward with tremendous optimism to the future of Milken Community Schools,” Schwartz and Dankner wrote.

Shulkind inherits the incredible responsibility of maintaining the excellence of an institution that has become a vanguard in Jewish education. However, Schwartz and Dankner believe that she is up to the task, together stating that “under Dr. Shulkind’s creative leadership, our school will continue to meet the challenge of providing a quality education that emphasizes academic excellence, personal growth and a caring community.”