The Lithuanian Jewish Community, school students, parents and staff congratulate Ruth Reches on her selection to become the next principal of the Sholem Aleichem school in Vilnius. She had acted as temporary principal following the retirement of Miša Jokubas last year.

The world ORT organization has also sent congratulations to the new principal of their affiliate school.

Ruth has been doing an outstanding job as acting principal and we wish her continued success at the multicultural school which has consistently placed in the top ten best schools in Vilnius and Lithuania.

Ruth Reches recently earned a PhD in clinical psychology at an Israeli university following her master’s work at Vilnius University in the same subject. She has long worked at the Sholem Aleichem school as a Hebrew teacher and psychologist. She earned her teaching certificate in Vilnius as well at the Vilnius Pedagogical University.

Unfortunately a lot of seemingly artificial controversy has surrounded the school and its leadership recently with all sorts of anonymous complaints alleging irregularities in governance and finances being sent to Lithuanian law enforcement institutions and several semi-anonymous calls to action being circulated among some but not all parents. The LJC hopes we can now all get back to the core function of the school which is educating our children for a better life.