Andrea Kasper
Andrea Rose Cheatham Kasper, winner of the 2011 Jewish Futures Competition, is committed to simple, resourceful living and envisions a Jewish community that appreciates the diverse skills of its members. Originally from Israel, she has lived in the U.S., Japan, Panama and Iceland. Living in such diverse countries has led Andrea to question her own cultural assumptions and incorporate new social perspectives, both of which have influenced her educational vision and philosophy. A professional dancer, Andrea is intimately connected to the arts and the creative process, and she was recently awarded a regional grant to produce her work, Skagi, which explored the shades of gray between isolation, loneliness and being alone. While dancing with the Momentum Dance Company in Panama, she found inspiration in her Jewish identity and premiered Inherited Memories, a work rooted in Jewish memories of the Holocaust. This piece was later presented at Hebrew College in a collaborative concert called TRACE. When she is not studying or spending time with her family she is dedicated to building a new kind of Jewish high school, Yadaim. Andrea’s vision of Yadaim is one that fundamentally challenges the status quo by manifesting Rabbi Soloveitchik’s understanding of Bereshit, to create. It is a Jewish vocational high school where students can learn concrete skills to prepare them for a wide array of work within their communities, including carpentry, agriculture, welding and textile making. While it is informed by Jewish education and values, Yadaim is also a place where students can use both their hands and their minds to become skilled workers. This applied Jewish education would be open to students of all backgrounds and academic abilities, and would offer them a full range of career options. Most importantly, Yadaim offers a new learning paradigm for Jewish students who may not fit into the traditional structures of our educational system.