Rabbi Shmuel Peerless

Rabbi Shmuel Peerless is the Director of the Center for Jewish School Leadership at Bar-Ilan University's Lookstein Center for Jewish Education in the Diaspora. Previously, he served as the educational director of the Hillel Academy of Dayton, Ohio and the Hebrew Academy of Montreal, and was the director of the World Council for Torah Education. He studied with Nechama Leibowitz for several years and co-authored Studies on the Haggadah from the Teachings of Nechama Leibowitz and an expanded edition in Hebrew called Haggadat Nechama: Iyunim B'Haggadah shel pesach al pi hagilyonot v'hashiurim shel Nechama Leibovitz. The Lookstein Center of Bar-Ilan University's School of Education was established in order to promote the advancement of Jewish education in the Diaspora. The Center's permanent staff and team of consultants include some of the most outstanding and experienced Diaspora educational leaders. Drawing upon the extensive Jewish and academic resources of Bar-Ilan University, the Lookstein Center creates programs that successfully combine current educational theory with practical application - programs that are relevant to varied Jewish educational systems in communities worldwide. Lookstein Center activities focus on professional development for Jewish school leaders and educators, curriculum development, the planning and implementation of school improvement programs, research and publication, fostering networking among Diaspora Jewish educators, and distance learning. The Lookstein Virtual Resource Center (www.Lookstein.org) has created a venue for worldwide interactive communication among Jewish educators, and houses a rich collection of quality curricular and instructional materials.