TORONTO — For the first time in 10 years, Bialik Hebrew Day School parents will have a say in who is elected to the school’s board of directors.

After attempting for two years to become a member of Bialik’s board of directors, Joel Levitt, a parent at the school, forced an election. It was scheduled to be held June 17 prior to Bialik’s annual general meeting.

Levitt explained that every two years, a nominations committee recruits and accepts recommendations for candidates to be acclaimed to the board. The committee nominates a slate of 10 people, and typically, they are all acclaimed, unless a parent who wants to be considered for the board solicits five signatures to force an election.

Bialik’s 23 directors are made up of parent and community members, Na’amat and Labour Zionist Alliance appointees, a PTA chair, the past president of the board and life members. Board members other than life members serve for a two‐year term.

“My oldest daughter is in Grade 8 this year. She’s graduating, so the entire span of her school life, there have not been any elections,” said Levitt, a Toronto-based lawyer.

Levitt said when he inquired two years ago about putting his name forward to be elected to the board, he was told he didn’t have enough related experience.

“I was told… I didn’t have the experience that was necessary, because I hadn’t sat on any committees, and I thought that was fair enough, because the truth is, I had not,” he said. “I sat on one committee… but I wasn’t able to gain the experience they indicated I needed, and came to the process again this year and decided I would put my name forward again, and I was not recommended.”

Determined, Levitt gathered the required number of parent sponsorships to be considered a nominee and force an election. 

“If five people sign off on your nomination… that triggers the election process. I decided that I was interested in a little more transparency as to the process, and I thought it would be good for there to be a voice from the parents as to who is elected to the board, rather than it being confined to the nominations committee. Not that I think they don’t try to do the best they can, but I think in any process, open elections are a fantastic thing.”

He said he also succeeded in putting a proxy system in place, which would allow parents to appoint someone to vote for them if they couldn’t make it to the June 17 election. “This was something that is actually required by legislation, but which Bialik had not previously had in place,” he said.

“So to me, those are both big accomplishments. They open up the process, they give the parents the ability to speak and there has been a general feeling at Bialik, or at least, a perception, that the board is a closed community. This gives them the opportunity to come forward if they want to have their voice heard. To me, that is very important. I’m all about transparency, about people understanding and having knowledge about what’s going on. I think it would be great for the school, and it is great for any institutional process.”

Levitt said he wants to be on the board because he’s concerned about the future of Jewish education and wants to offer ideas on how to solve the problems associated with lower enrolment in Jewish day schools.

He said he’s heard from people who support his decision to run for election.

“People tend to let things go because they are busy with other things and so people say, ‘It’s great that this is happening and we’re thrilled that we have the opportunity to have our voices heard.’”

Requests to interview Bialik board members went unanswered, and the school’s spokesperson offered no comment.