Herzlia is proud to celebrate Rabbi Sam Thurgood, UHS Head of Jewish Life and Learning, on his graduation from the internationally respected Mandel Teacher Educator Institute (MTEI), a two-year programme in Professional Leadership Development based in Chicago.
MTEI, sponsored by the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, brings together outstanding Jewish educators from across the world to strengthen educational leadership and deepen the impact of Jewish learning. Participants are selected through a rigorous application process and are fully funded by the Foundation. Rabbi Thurgood was the only South African accepted into this year’s cohort, joining a network of peers committed to shaping vibrant Jewish communities through reflective and values-based leadership.
Reflecting on his experience, Rabbi Thurgood said ‘MTEI has helped me to understand and appreciate the process of learning far better, giving me the tools to reflect upon what is happening in the classroom and opening new possibilities for exploration. Crucially, it focuses on teachers and their role holistically, training us also in navigating meaningful and difficult conversations, the creation of relational learning communities, and building connection and values.’
The programme’s guiding principles are learning in the community, moral purpose in education and the centrality of Jewish values, which all align closely with Herzlia’s Five Pillars, particularly Jewish life and learning, academic excellence and social responsibility/menschlichkeit.
As a proudly Jewish educational institution, Herzlia recognises that the growth of its educators directly enriches the experience of its pupils. Rabbi Thurgood’s participation demonstrates to Herzlia pupils what it means to be a lifelong learner, someone who models curiosity, reflection and the pursuit of excellence. This external recognition also affirms the calibre of Herzlia’s teaching staff and the school’s ongoing investment in professional development that is both rigorous and values-driven.
Shimpa Moch, Head of JLL Herzlia High School and Gr 7 Head, who graduated from the 2022-23 cohort reflects on the enduring influence of MTEI and reflective leadership since his return, says that “It was a blessing to find MTEI. The long journey to get there physically (Chicago), felt less like a burden and more like two days of preparation that would enable me to be fully present and gain as much as possible for the six half-week seminars. That sense of presence carries me still, as I attempt to lead with a ‘fullness’, often ephemeral in a frantic environment. Attuned listening, empowered speaking, a vision of Jewish learning that takes learning, pupils, text and interpersonal care seriously as well as a commitment to thoughtful and responsive Professional Development, are some of the takeaways that shape the work I do today, a couple of years past graduation.”
Shimpa Moch, with his MTEI certificate
Looking ahead, Herzlia is also proud that Yael Ayache, Head of JLL & Hebrew Herzlia Highlands Primary, has just been selected for the 2027/28 MTEI cohort, which is further testament to the school’s reputation as a centre of educational leadership and Jewish thought.
Rabbi Thurgood received his Certificate of Completion on 29 October 2025, presented by MTEI Director Miriam Raider-Roth and Seymour Kopelowitz, Mandel Foundation Program Director, which makes it even more special as Kopelowitz is a past Principal of Herzlia Weizmann Primary.
Andries van Renssen, UHS Executive Director, explains that “Herzlia continues to foster a culture where staff model the very values they seek to instil, which are those of curiosity, excellence, moral purpose and community connection. Each achievement such as this reaffirms Herzlia’s mission to develop not only outstanding pupils, but also the exceptional educators who guide them.”
Rabbi Sam Thurgood with Andries van Renssen, UHS Executive Director
Herzlia celebrates this milestone and looks forward to the impact this learning will unlock next.
