June 30, 2026
15 Tamuz 5786
Dear Leffell School Community:
Today, the last day of June, we officially close out the 2025-2026 school year and mark the completion of 25 years of our High School! It also marks the final day of Elisha Andron's 26-year tenure here.
Elisha was hired in 2000, a year before our High School opened its doors, charged with helping convert a bold dream into a reality. He recruited our very first high school class, built our student support infrastructure from the ground up, and became, in every meaningful sense, one of the architects of this institution.
As Director of Student Life, Elisha was instrumental in establishing so many "firsts" during those early years of the High School — our various clubs, activities, holiday programming, special days, grade-level trips, the prom, and Lev v'Nefesh, just to name a few. His work led to a first freshman class of 57 students (about 25 more than we originally anticipated for a first class!), and it was that pioneer class that laid the groundwork for future classes of the next quarter century. Over time, he took on roles at each of our three divisions. As Director of Student Services, he grounded us in seeing the school's mission as "the boss." But his title alone cannot capture the scope or essence of his impact.
Simply put, Elisha helped shape the soul of the institution. He was instrumental in building the systems, structures, and culture that define how we care for students. Alongside colleagues including Headmaster Emeritus Dr. Elliot Spiegel and psychologist Dr. Jill Schehr z"l, he helped establish a student support model rooted deeply in both thoughtful counseling systems and Jewish values. From the earliest days, Elisha brought to his work a set of deeply held convictions: that every student deserves to feel seen and included; that relationships between students and teachers are sacred; that students must be seen holistically, and that academic, spiritual, emotional, social, athletic, and Jewish growth were all to be held as inseparable parts of education.
That vision took shape in countless ways: in the creation and refinement of our "deanery" and student support systems; in programs such as grade level trips, senior internships, drug/alcohol abuse programming, post-Israel programming, and so much more; and in the daily, often invisible work of supporting individual students and families. Elisha was present not only as a thinker on various leadership teams and in administrative meetings, but also as a doer — training deans, building schedules, following up with students and families, participating in trips and Shabbatonim, refining processes, and ensuring that no detail was too small when it came to student well-being.
Perhaps what most defines Elisha's legacy is his unwavering commitment to helping each student grow into who they are meant to become. He consistently brought us back to our core purpose, asking not only how things should run, but what they should mean. He helped ensure that our work remained anchored in values, in Jewish purpose, and in care for each individual student.
On a personal note, it is difficult to imagine this High School without him. For the past quarter century, he has been a constant partner in leadership — steady, insightful, deeply committed, and always willing to engage in the hardest and most important work of building and sustaining a school. I am deeply grateful for his partnership, wisdom, and friendship. We celebrate him as he begins his next chapter in executive coaching, confident that his impact will continue to ripple far beyond our walls.
With gratitude and admiration,
Eric Bassin
High School Principal, The Leffell School