Announcing a Major Gift Towards Comprehensively Educating Our Children

With profound gratitude, we are humbled and honored to announce a transformational donation of $1 million from the Cloobeck Family in memory of Sheldon Cloobeck, Z”L, a past president of Stephen Wise Temple. This leadership gift will create the Cloobeck Family Fund for Differentiated Instruction which will provide essential resources to ensure that a diverse student body can benefit from a world class Jewish education.

The Cloobeck Family Fund for Differentiated Instruction will benefit students in all of our academic programs including Wise School, Early Childhood through 6th grade, as well as our Center for Youth Engagement programs.

“The investment we will make in these students will pay dividends for generations to come,” said Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback. “The Cloobeck Family Fund will help students with learning differences as well as those who require additional educational challenges. It is a beautiful expression of the core Jewish value of Talmud Torah, the pursuit of wisdom, and an extraordinary tribute to Sheldon Cloobeck, one of the builders of our Stephen Wise Temple community.”

Tami Weiser, Head of Wise School, explains that this extremely significant gift will enable Stephen Wise Temple and Schools to excel as a true leader in educating all students. “We are proud of the work we are currently doing with professional development, state-of the-art resources, identification of need, student support services and gifted education,” she said. “This funding will allow us to further extend this vision ensuring academic success for all children in our community.”

“Rabbi Zeldin would love this. My dad would love this!” said Sheldon’s son, Stephen Cloobeck, who described his father as his “hero and best friend.” Stephen added that he is himself dyslexic and that assisting and inspiring similar students to achieve success and gain self-esteem is near and dear to his heart – as it was to his father’s heart.

The Wise Board of Directors, clergy, educators, and staff are grateful for this extraordinary support from the Cloobeck family in loving memory of a leader who did so much for the Wise community during his lifetime.