Rashi School Honors Newton Residents Michelle and Darren Black

This year, the much anticipated celebration honored Michelle and Darren Black with the 2022 Kehillah (Community) Award for their outstanding leadership and commitment to the school as well as to the local Jewish community. Michelle and Darren, Newton residents, are the proud parents of four Rashi alumni: Evan ’16, Emily ’20, Scott ’20, and Alex ’22.

“We are thrilled to present Michelle and Darren with this prestigious award,” stated Head of School Adam W. Fischer. “Their work on behalf of The Rashi School is truly exceptional. They embody Rashi’s core values and have contributed to our community for years with their time, effort, heart, and soul. Clearly, these two remarkable individuals set such a wonderful example for all of us.”

Michelle Black currently serves on the Board of Trustees at The Rashi School and Gann Academy where she is a strong champion for expanding the reach and impact of local Jewish Day Schools. Previously she served on the board of Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP), is an alumnus of CJP’s Acharai Leadership Development program and The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) National Young Leadership Cabinet. Michelle is a past recipient of CJP’s Young Leadership and Circle of Excellence awards, recognized for her commitment and passion to Jewish communal service. Currently Michelle co-chairs CJP’s Teen Initiative and co-founded TribeTalk, an organization that helps prepare teens for Jewish life on the college campus and navigate any antisemitism they may face. Michelle earned her BA from University of Pennsylvania and her MBA from Harvard Business School.

Darren Black is a Managing Director at Summit Partners, a private equity firm where he focuses on health care investments. Darren currently serves on the board of directors for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, CJP, and Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of New England. He has served as Campaign Chair for CJP and is a current co-chair of Gann Academy’s Permanence and Possibilities Campaign, lending his time and expertise to building a strong future for Jewish day schools and the Greater Boston Jewish community at large. Darren earned his BA in government from Harvard College and his MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. In his free time, Darren is an avid athlete.

Upon accepting the award, Michelle gave a heartfelt speech which drew a standing ovation from the guests. As the Black’s four children all attended The Rashi School, Michelle spoke passionately about their time at Rashi. “Rashi created an atmosphere of joyful learning and discovery that aligned with our values and helped transform our children into self-confident, capable, and compassionate young adults,” remarked Michelle. “It is not by chance that Rashi graduates grow up and bring their voices, leadership skills and moral values with them as they lead and impact the world. We believe this is in large part because of the education they received at the Rashi School. “

This year’s event co-chairs were Helene and Seth Gelber, Newton residents, Jessica and Chuck Myers, and Lisa and Neil Wallack. The Rashi School’s Annual Dinner is the school’s largest and most important fundraiser and community event of the year.

About The Rashi School

Located on a 162-acre, multigenerational campus in Dedham, Mass., The Rashi School is the Boston area’s Reform Jewish K-8 independent school. Rashi is distinguished by exceptional academics, a strong sense of community and a deep commitment to Jewish learning and social justice. In our classrooms, children, adolescents, and adults form a community of learners, learning with and from each other and cultivating critical minds and compassionate hearts.

Rashi’s diverse community welcomes all kinds of families including interfaith and Jewish+, two-mom/two-dad families, single parents by choice, Jews of Color, and multiethnic families. Our students represent 25 towns across eastern Massachusetts.