JCDS’ Seven Habits of Mind and Heart inspire our educational program, guide participation in our community, and prepare our students to live lives with purpose and meaning. Pluralism is the frame through which we help our children develop these habits, allowing them to engage across differences, build self-awareness and reflection, cultivate curiosity and empathy, and foster a strong Jewish identity. We teach these habits explicitly across all academic disciplines so that they will become infused in the language of our students. We strive to enable our students to identify opportunities in which they can employ the habits successfully and intentionally, allowing them to be contributing and engaged members of society.

Today we are modeling that behavior by displaying a capacity for reflection amid the chaos of school winding down by looking back at the 2022-2023 school year and sharing examples of the Habits of Mind and Heart in practice within the four walls of JCDS.

Problem Solving פתרון בעיות

Sukkot offered a chance for Kitat Erez (3rd Grade) to celebrate and put their problem-solving skills to the test, utilizing learning from across their many school subjects. They were introduced to the difference between standard and non-standard units of measure, and when and why different types are used. Next, the students reviewed the requirements of a kosher sukkah, including the minimum size (walls 7 handbreadths wide, height 10 handbreadths tall). Working collaboratively, students practiced measuring their own minimum sukkah size in handbreadths, reinforcing this newly acquired math concept. Then came the fun part! With their mathematical and Judaic knowledge in hand(breadths), third graders were ready to build sukkah frames the minimum size of a kosher sukkah! Everything came together in HaSadna, where students were taught how to connect branches at the corners. Students had to measure in handbreadths, trim, and connect. The students had a chance to apply learning from many subjects to a real-world situation and make their Judaism come to life.

Capacity for Reflection הערכה עצמית

The habit of reflection is baked into the daily routines at JCDS, from our Nitzanim (Kindergarteners) reflecting upon their recess with a “fist-to-five” rating to our Middle School B’nei Mitzvot students receiving heartfelt tributes from their teachers reflecting upon their time at JCDS. 

On a more macro level, this year’s graduating class and their families will assemble at school this upcoming Tuesday morning for a Reflections Ceremony, an annual tradition at JCDS. Each student reflects, in their own very personal way, on their time at JCDS, and the role the school and community have played in their emotional and intellectual development. 

Multiple Perspectives and Empathy הסתכלות רחבה

Cross-school partnerships can be transformative experiences. Simply stepping outside the comfort of one’s familiar surroundings, known peers, and familial community can expand our world. This winter, middle school students met peers from three different communities. In order to build towards a future whereby our children comfortably share their Jewish identities with those from different backgrounds and learn about others’ experiences, they need practice. It is on us, their teachers, to teach our future leaders to embrace diversity, respect differences, and celebrate both their own and others’ uniqueness.

1. Our eighth graders were partnered with the Epiphany School, an Episcopal school in Boston, with whom they met twice this year: exploring the similarities and differences of Chanukah and Christmas this past winter, and reconvening in the Spring to compare Pesach and Easter.
2. Building on the success of prior years, a new cohort of sixth graders began a three-year partnership with sixth graders from the German International School of Boston. Together, we explored our responsibility to collective memory, including the Holocaust, and how we can use that memory to improve the future. During a visit to Jewish Family and Children’s Service in Waltham, the students made caring cards for Holocaust survivors to let them know that there are people who care about them and are thinking about them. Next year, the two cohorts will reunite to visit the Holocaust Memorial in Boston and read The Upstairs Room together.
3. Lastly, the boys’ soccer teams from JCDS and the Carroll School joined forces to learn about positive models of communal responsibility in the wake of antisemitism.

Curiosity & Humility סקרנות וענוה

In February, we held our very first ScratchJr Intergenerational program. Students and grandparents alike brought enthusiasm and curiosity to the endeavor. Our young children are growing up in a technological revolution and we are committed to preparing them for a world we cannot even imagine today. Yet, despite the onrush of technological advances such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and coding, there will always be a human dimension that rests on strong interpersonal skills. JCDS’ Habits of Mind and Heart alongside the Palette of Virtues guiding the work of Boston College’s DevTech research group provided a strong foundation for positive mindsets such as patience, perseverance, curiosity, and collaboration. The opportunity to retell the ancient story of Noah through the 21st-century language of ScratchJr was just amazing!

Integrity and Ethical Living יושרה

As part of this year’s Social Justice focus on Climate Justice and Action, the JCDS community took on a number of efforts to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Enjoy the natural world around us. Each week at All-School Recess, students from grades K-8 gathered for “Green Team,” where they engaged in learning and action programs related to this theme. This year, the students conducted a grounds clean up, made reusable bags, participated in a Bike Train, and much more, culminating in the 2nd annual Craft Fair last month. We also unveiled a dedicated plaque woodburned in our Makerspace, HaSadna (The Workshop), which bears the quote: “Just as my ancestors planted for me, I too am planting for my descendants. (Ta’anit 23a)”

Rigorous Appreciation for Evidence שימוש בראיות

In February, 5th Grade Toshba students prepared and presented their own personal perspectives as well as rabbinical perspectives on discipline, including evidence from Torah to support their beliefs. A group of faculty and staff offered to sit and listen to the students’ views, serving as judges in this Beit Din (court).

The 4th Grade Science Debate is an event described by teacher Anna Martinez as “the crown jewel” of 4th-grade science. After learning about six alternative energy types – Wind, Solar, Biomass, Hydroelectric, Geothermal, and Tidal – students in 4th-Grade science were assigned one to defend in their energy debate. With their teammates, students used their notes to write compelling arguments supported by empirical evidence for their assigned energy type. Across three rounds, students read carefully prepared scripts in front of their peers, a panel of judges, and a supportive audience. 

Perseverance and Resiliency התמדה והתמודדות

This spring, the 8th graders were challenged to design and build their own Punkin’ Chunkin’ Machines, also known as catapults & trebuchets. Using their knowledge of physics and engineering students selected the best materials to increase the distance of their flung objects. Leveraging their understanding of Newton’s Laws of Motion, students tested and improved upon their machines to some intentionally destructive results!

And who could forget our intrepid Blaze boys and girls basketball teams both making it to the Finals of JDSL tournament? After losing to Maimonides both times they played each other during the regular season, the boys pulled out a last-second victory over Maimonides in the semifinals to advance to the finals, demonstrating grit and resilience. The girls’ team lost to Rashi in the final game by a mere 3 points, their slimmest margin of defeat this season, showing the trademark perseverance and resiliency they’d been exhibiting all season long, hustling until the final whistle.

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It feels important to pause and reflect on the intentionality with which we’re undertaking the process of educating and mensch-making at JCDS. The exercise of looking backward energizes and excites me about all that lies ahead in the 2023-2024 school year!

It is a taleTold by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.

 (Macbeth)

The tale of JCDS’ 6th grade Shakespeare Showcase signifies everything! Directed by Class of 2006 alum and interim 6th Grade English Teacher, Jesse Garlick, and produced by 6th-8th Grade Social Studies Teacher, Josh Mocle, our students “knocked it out of the park!” Tonight’s Showcase was the result of many weeks of hard work, memorization, commitment, and tenacity. I was particularly proud that our very own alumna, now of international fame, returned to his “home” to inspire the next generation of Shakespearien talent. 

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

When I first arrived at JCDS as a student back in the winter of 2006, I immediately felt a sense of belonging. I remember thinking, “This is a place where I can truly be myself. Where I can feel what I need to feel and be who I want to be without anyone judging me for it.” It was much the same feeling I experienced when I discovered Shakespeare for the first time a few years earlier. Through each play of his that I would read or perform, I discovered that he had crafted a world that was large enough to support all my feelings, with words that captured the enormity of my emotional life. Each character of his that I have taken on has revealed a different, more beautiful part of myself that I am still reaping the benefits of. Shakespeare created a container, I found, where I could be my expansive, goofy, tragic, dramatic self.

Returning to JCDS in 2023, this time as a theater educator, I have been truly awed everyday by how the students in this 6th grade class have discovered and filled their own containers. First working on sonnets and then on the scenes which you will see today, these students have approached this incredibly challenging work with a sense of exploration, joy, and comradery that has been truly inspiring to witness. I have rarely had a group of students learn such challenging text so quickly, and their willingness to dive head first into the complete emotional, physical, and mental work that Shakespeare’s text begs has made me very hopeful for their future as young artists. I hope you enjoy this evening of performances as much as I have enjoyed directing it. 

— Jesse Garlick

At JCDS, we strive to infuse joyful Judaism in our students. From weekly all-school Kabbalat Shabbat, to Chagigot (holiday celebrations) (including Chagigat Shavuot which we had just this afternoon), to grade-level milestones, to t’fillah (prayer), to t’fillah electives, our students experience the joys of Judaism. In the video below, I share a story about a recent morning that illustrates the joyful Judaism being practiced at JCDS.

T’fillot (prayers) at JCDS are engaging. They hit your soul. In fact, one of the students said to me, “This is way more important than my math lesson. This is feeding my soul.” Nourishing the soul takes work and intention. When it’s done in a place that students see models of different ways to live out your life joyfully and meaningfully, we are setting them up for success as young Jews.

Before becoming the Madrich Ruchani (Spiritual Educator) at JCDS, Oren Kaunfer produced animation at places like MTV and the Cartoon Network. That work provided Oren with creative fuel and a different lens through which he sees possibilities for connection and innovation in Jewish education. A few years ago, virtual reality struck him as a fascinating medium. He was particularly curious about the notion of “presence,” a VR term that describes when our brains are tricked into thinking that we are standing in and experiencing places when we are not actually there.

Learn more about this in Oren’s blog post for Prizmah, Virtual Tefillah, Real Emotion and find out why students responded by saying things like “I felt like I was more spiritual and it was easier for me to pray.”

Being Jewish is not fixed in stone and is ever-evolving in how one practices Judaism, connects to Israel, feels comfortable with Hebrew, and sees Hebrew as a gateway to a whole culture, and so much more. The foundational connection to Judaism that is fostered in Gan Nitzan (Kindergarten) through 8th grade is just the beginning of one’s life-long connection to Judaism. As our students and staff were dressed in white in preparation for Shavuot, gathered in mixed-grade groupings to present their Bikurim (first fruits) or learning and made Zerim (flower garlands) in advance of our all-school gathering, it is evident that our students truly enjoy their connection with Judaism. As we near the end of our school year, we have witnessed time and time again how our students lean in with a tremendous amount of joy and a real sense of possibility.

רְאֵה מַעֲשַׂי כַּמָּה נָאִים וּמְשֻׁבָּחִין הֵן, וְכָל מַה שֶּׁבָּרָאתִי בִּשְׁבִילְךָ בָּרָאתִי, תֵּן דַּעְתְּךָ שֶׁלֹא תְקַלְקֵל וְתַחֲרִיב אֶת עוֹלָמִי, שֶׁאִם קִלְקַלְתָּ אֵין מִי שֶׁיְתַקֵּן אַחֲרֶיךָ

“See My Work, how good it is. Know that everything which I created, I have created for you. Now take care, lest you spoil and destroy My world. For if you spoil and destroy it, no one will rebuild it after you (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:13).”

With this sentiment in the background, JCDS students across the grades embraced putting these words into action in a hands on, age-appropriate way. For the second year in a row, under the joint leadership of parents and faculty, JCDS students embraced learning about real world challenges and committed to making a positive difference together. I am so proud of our students who spent hours creating their very own crafts to sell in order to raise money for an important cause. I invite you to read the description written below by our 2nd grade teacher and Social Justice Programming Lead, Naomi Greenfield, P’24 & ’27:

By Naomi Greenfield, 2nd Grade Teacher and Social Justice Programming Lead

This past Friday, we had our 2nd Annual JCDS Student Craft Fair. The Craft Fair was the culminating event of our year of Social Justice Programming around the theme of Climate Justice and Action. This year, we had more than 60 student crafters from grades K-8 creating more than 1,000 crafts. We also unveiled our plastic cap mural, a year-long effort by our Green Team, with cap collection from the entire community and a dedicated plaque woodburned in our Makerspace, HaSadna, which bears the quote: “Just as my ancestors planted for me, I too am planting for my descendants.” (Ta’anit 23a)

Similar to last year, there were many creative, beautiful and “green” crafts on display, many of which sold out in the first half hour of the fair! Notecards, planters, jewelry, games, soap, paintings, hamsas, pillows, slime, and pottery. As we did last year, equity was also top of mind in the planning and execution. Families and staff were asked to donate in advance of the fair and then students were given the same number of tickets to shop regardless of donation. Every craft, regardless of size and complexity, “cost” one ticket. We received more than 90 individual donations, totaling more than $1,900, which we presented to the World Wildlife Foundation and Dayenu: A Jewish Response to Climate Change.

I love to teach about stories of kids throughout history who have changed the world, impacted causes like civil rights, education, and the environment. Kids really do have the power to make change and the Craft Fair was a great example of one way kids can take action to make change. Using their hands and their hearts (and with their parents and teacher support), our students were able to make a very significant Tzedakah donation to help take on the challenge of climate change. Throughout our Social Justice Programming this year – the Green Team, our composting and plastic film recycling efforts, our Climate Change Book Discussion, and now the Craft Fair – we made a small dent in the big project of tikkun olam, repairing our world. Kol HaKavod to everyone who crafted, supported a crafter, volunteered to help at the fair, and donated!

This week’s double Parasha, Behar-Bechukotai, the final parasha in Sefer Vayikra (the Book of Leviticus), reminds me of a podcast I listen to religiously: “The Private School Leader,” hosted by Mark Minkus, who has more than 30 years of experience as a head of school. In last week’s podcast, he explores the challenges of school-wide classroom management and discipline, and he makes a strong case for spending time in the beginning of the year rehearsing the routines for the classroom and school-wide procedures. He recommends that teachers should assign a “do now” for students to complete upon entering their classrooms, leaving little time for meandering around and getting off task; develop a consistent method for quieting their class; and never talk over students. Classrooms with predictable routines and procedures have much less need for discipline because the students are well versed in what to do. When teachers spend sufficient developing these routines with students at the beginning of the year, and then revisit them throughout the year, teachers can be much more proactive rather than reactive through traditional disciplinary measures. In other words, allocating time at the beginning of the year dedicated to practicing the routines will serve the teacher and students in the long-run.

Parashat Behar-Bechukotai offers a different approach. One might call it a contractual approach, an approach resting on reward and punishment. If Bnei Israel follows God’s commandments, they will enjoy blessings such as rain, fruits of the trees, and restful sleep free of fear and anxiety, and our Covenant will remain intact. However, if we do not follow God’s laws, bad things could happen: God will let loose wild beasts to rob us of our children and destroy our cattle, we will lose in war and suffer, etc. We will be punished, even though God promises to never abandon us. Both Minkus and God play with the notion of respect – you respect the students by frontloading the year with predictable routines and you can avoid consequences and the need for discipline; if Bnei Israel respects the Brit/Covenant, they will surely enjoy bountiful blessings.

Building on the theme of respect, there is a moment on the Jewish calendar that provides us with an opportunity for reflection. Lag BaOmer is an annual celebration that falls on the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer. In Israel (and as luck may have it at Camp Cedar Hill for those of us here in Watertown) people light bonfires, enjoy barbecues with friends and family, children will get their hair cut, and adults who wish to marry will be allowed to do so as the prohibitions that are customarily in place during the counting of the Omer are lifted on Lag BaOmer. (You can keep track with this special JCDS New England Sports Omer Counter!)

Rabbi Akiva was a leading Jewish scholar, a Tanna, who lived between the 1st and 2nd centuries. He is referred to in the Talmud as “Rosh L’Chachamim,” “Chief of the Sages,” and he was ultimately executed by the Romans in the aftermath of the Bar Kochba Revolt. You might recall that Rabbi Akiva said: ואהבת לרעך כמוך. אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא זֶה כְּלָל גָּדוֹל בַּתּו You shall love your fellow man as yourself. Rabbi Akiva continued that “This is a fundamental principle of the Torah,” and the rest is commentary.

As legend has it, Rabbi Akiva was a teacher of Torah to 24 thousand students. However, a terrible tragedy befell these students: between Pesach and Shavuot, a plague afflicted his students and they all died because they did not treat one another with respect. But somehow, the plague miraculously lifted on Lag BaOmer, which is one of the reasons we celebrate so joyfully on this day and lift the prohibitions mentioned earlier.

Perhaps even more significant is WHEN Lag BaOmer falls, not just on the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, but during the Hebrew month of IYAR. In Hebrew, IYAR is spelled alef, yud, yud, reish, an acronym, according to the Rabbis for “Ani Adonai Rofecha. I am your God, your healer.” Thus, traditionally, the month of Iyar is regarded as the Month of Healing. It is said that manna started on the 15th day of Iyar, which healed Bnei Israel from terrible hunger while journeying through the desert. Miriam, the prophetess who brought healing and compassion to Bnei Israel, first appeared in the month of Iyar. Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut fall on the 4th and 5th days of Iyar, two days of Israeli national celebration and healing.

We are almost coming to the end of our year, and something happens around this time of year. With the sun shining above and the rustling of leaves in the warm breeze, there is an openness we witness within the students. They can feel the end is near and the rifts that can sometimes occur within groups begin to close; students begin to make room for a different perspective. There is ample opportunity for healing and we are seeing this in real time. Friendships that have lapsed over time are ready for repair, students who have missed the mark look for ways to make things right, and teachers who sometimes let down their guard and become impatient reflect on reasons why and seek to make amends. On Wednesday, I facilitated a “mistake walk” with the 7th graders who needed some help healing a class wound. Even parents take the time to reflect on possible reasons for not living up to the role of “Super Parent,” which we are called upon to fill. Some parents have been impatient, or allow their own worries to spill out onto their children. Some bring fatigue home after a long day and lack the energy to actively listen to their children or spouses. Some are guilty of checking their text messages even around the dinner table. Iyar comes just in time.

So, as the end of the school year creeps up on us, let’s use this year’s Lag BaOmer to remember that storms come and go, relationships and respect are central to our shared work, and healing is possible.

We are kvelling over our JCDS students and staff who’ve made headlines in the news over the past few weeks. We’re tremendously proud to share with you a few recent noteworthy accomplishments in our community!

Kayla Shechter in the International Bible Contest
After winning last year’s USA Chidon HaTanach (Bible Contest), 8th Grader Kayla Shechter advanced all the way to the final 16 in this year’s International Chidon HaTanach in Israel on Yom HaAtzmaut. Kayla was the youngest contestant of 41 students who qualified to participate in a two-week Chidon camp, and was one of four American contestants, all of whom advanced to the final 16. All contestants had the opportunity to meet Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel, and the top 16 met Yoav Kisch, Minister of Education. Kayla was celebrated by classmates and teachers when she returned this week, all of whom are proud members of “Team Kayla.”

JCDS Alumni Athletes Named Boston Globe All-Scholastics All-Stars

Meital Baker ’19 and Amalyah McCoy ’21 were named Boston Globe All-Scholastics All-Stars in the IGC Conference for basketball, and Jacob Gordon ’20 was named a Boston Globe All-Scholastics All-Star in the Boston City Conference for Track. Kol HaKavod to these former Blaze athletes for being recognized in their respective sports!

JCDS Madrich Ruchani in the News 

Did you know that prior to spending the past 11 years as Madrich Ruchani (spiritual educator) at JCDS, Oren Kaunfer produced animation at places like MTV and the Cartoon Network? Oren says that portion of his career has often provided him with creative fuel and a different lens through which to see possibilities for connection and innovation in Jewish education. Read about Oren’s innovative work using virtual reality to inspire spirituality in a post entitled “Virtual Tefillah, Real Emotion,” published by Prizmah.

Oren’s VR tefillah project was supported by an Ignition Grant from the Covenant Foundation. 

Oren was also named to the Board of Directors of the Covenant Foundation this week. He was previously a 2018 Covenant Foundation Pomegranate Prize recipient, which recognized Oren as an emerging leader in the field of Jewish education. 

Josh Mocle to be awarded the 2023 Service to Youth Award 

Yasher Koach to Josh Mocle, JCDS 6th-8th Grade Social Studies Teacher and Advisor, (and former JCDS staff Jared Matas) who was awarded the City of Watertown Historical Commission 2023 Service to Youth Award for “Watertown Museum Pop-Up Project” (from February 2019). Josh and Jared will be presented their award on Thursday, May 18th at the Gore Estate and will present their work. Read this letter to learn more!

There are a few moments during the JCDS calendar year when our bi-culturalism really comes to life. This week, Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut highlighted the authentic connection – both through joy and tears – that brings our worlds together.

After a two minute siren rang through our school and we stood at attention in silence, our community entered a sacred memorial space together. Our Sifriyah was transformed into a sanctuary of intense emotion. Sometimes we can better access the textures, emotions and experiences of a colossal event through the experiences of one single story. In this year’s Yom HaZikaron tekes (ceremony), the history of Kibbutz Beit Hashita served this purpose. Students learned about the history from Yael Bar, mother of 8th grader, Tamar Bar, who grew up on this very kibbutz. In 1973, the Yom Kippur war broke out. This was a war that took Israel by surprise, lasted three weeks and took the lives of 2,500 Israeli soldiers. No community had suffered more per capita casualties in the war than Kibbutz Beit Hashita. Eleven young kibbutz men, fathers and reservists were killed. It was an incomprehensible loss for this tight knit communal village. The following year, in 1974, Dorit Zameret, a member of the kibbutz, composed one of the most famous memorial songs, “The Wheat Grows Again”*, a song that expresses the despair felt by those who knew the kibbutz’s lost men. Among several other songs including Ein Li Eretz Acheret*, a song that has surfaced as the protest song of our day, our students sang these heartfelt memorial songs for the school. Our soon-to-be graduates modeled for their younger peers the high level of respect for this somber day and for those in our community who are deeply affected by it.

Mimicking what happens in Israel at this very moment in time, JCDS students recast the emotional rollercoaster with a fun-filled joyful Yom HaAtzmaut the very next day. The entire school split into four mixed-aged groups through which they rotated throughout the day. Preparing Israeli foods such as homemade falafel, salad, limonada, and chocolate treats, Chidon Hatanach (the Biblical Contest which you will hear much more about when we feature the amazing accomplishments of JCDS 8th grader, Kayla Schechter, who made our school so proud as she competed in the finals in Israel at the International Chidon Hatanach this week!), Israeli flag art activity, Gadna Group Bonding Activity, and Israeli Map Activity. Students seamlessly moved from station to station speaking Hebrew (which earned them stickers), and the day culminated with a school-wide dance festival outside on the blacktop under the warm sun!

The United Nations chose January 27th, the day the Russian Army liberated Auschwitz, to commemorate the Holocaust. The State of Israel chose a different date to mark the same event. In 1951, the Knesset decided to mark April 17th or the 27th of Nissan as Yom HaShoah v’HaGevurah. When I asked the students why this particular date they knew it marked the day of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. We discussed how marking a date on a calendar is an opportunity to share a narrative that is to be passed down from generation to generation. In 1951, just six years after the war, Yom HaShoah v’HaGevurah, the Day of Remembrance for the Holocaust and Heroism was codified into Israel’s calendar. From there on into the future, this somber day reminds us of the fragility of democracy and what can result from a dangerous dictatorship if democracy is not protected. We remember the individuals who perished and we remember the heroes who resisted in a variety of ways.

As is the tradition in our school, the 8th grade students publicly set the tone by taking turns stationing themselves in pairs right in the center of our school – our Mercaz. They respectfully read the Yad Vashem’s list of children who died in the Shoah to ensure that their names would not be forgotten. Later, the 3rd-8th Grades assembled for a brief communal commemoration led by teachers and students alike. This year, we learned about the story of a Romanian survivor through a videotaped interview by his grandson, 8th Grader, Yishai Gershon. Other students brought the community together in prayer, song, and music, through the El Maleh Rachamim, Hannah Senesh’s “Eli, Eli” and Israel’s National Anthem, “Hatikva.” 8th Grader, Hadas Leibowitz’s mournful sound of the violin, accompanied by piano and guitar, contributed to the tone of the day. 

This was all a lead up to the pinnacle of the commemoration – an opportunity to hear from child survivor, Jack Trompetter. In Jack’s casual and easy going style, he shared with our students how the heroism of his parents, who courageously chose to place him in the care of others while they hid during the Holocaust, has stayed with him forever. He openly shared how he has spent a lifetime trying to understand how this could have happened. He spoke honestly and transparently about the psychological pain along with the immense love, respect, and gratitude he has for his parents. Today he is a happily married artist who is dedicated to sharing his narrative to all who will listen. In fact, he spoke at this year’s Yom HaShoah commemoration at Faneuil Hall in downtown Boston. 

When asked what we should remember from his talk, Jack shared:

“Be kind to yourself, Be kind to others, Be kind. Know who you are. Speak out for others who are going through a hard time, and eat your vegetables!”

We are so grateful to have had the soon-to-be-rare opportunity to hear this powerful testimony from a child survivor. Jack had such a powerful impact on all who bore witness to his story.

By Shira Deener, Head of School.

This week the world lost a giant. My teacher, mentor, and friend, Margot Stern Strom, z”l, founder of Facing History and Ourselves, passed away. Margot’s personal story began growing up in segregated Memphis, Tennessee. She was frustrated by an educational system that sanitized history, leaving students blind to the reality behind terms such as “colored water fountains.” She knew schools were robbing students of something significant, and her belief that there must have been rainbow water in those water fountains left her with a burning commitment to do better by her students.

Creating classrooms of students wherever possible, Margot convened people – children and adults alike – in the practice of critical thinking. She believed in honoring the moral philosopher in every student, and knew that, if taught thoughtfully, students would make meaningful connections between history and their personal lives. By making these connections, students would be left with a better understanding of human behavior, and the reasons behind hatred and bigotry of all kinds. 

In order to offer these experiences to a broader community, Facing History and Ourselves, an international educational nonprofit was born. After 50 years, millions of students across the globe, including JCDS, have benefited from a deep study of both choices individuals made throughout history and the choices individuals make today. Questions and connections drawn between watershed moments in American and world history, such as Reconstruction and the Holocaust, lives at the heart of Facing History’s approach. Ethical reflection, emotional engagement, and historical rigor are the key ingredients in such classes and JCDS’ students are poised to practice this thoughtful approach to learning.

With Passover around the corner, we are reminded that classrooms can be created anywhere – including around the seder table – especially when the right ingredients are included. The Haggadah, much like a Facing History textbook, asks us to consider how the history of yetziat mitzrayim (the exodus from Egypt) connects to our lives today. Keeping Margot in my heart, I look forward to bringing the lessons of my incredible teacher to my family’s seder, and I encourage you to look for ways to make meaningful connections between our collective and individual stories, as well.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach.

By Shira Deener, Head of School.

Living an ocean away from the weekly protests and public strife taking place in the Land of Israel, it is hard to make sense of it all. Where to begin? How to best explain it to our students in order to help them understand the complexities associated with Israeli’s definition of democracy? How can we best prepare for the celebration of Israel at 75 when so much is changing and is at stake?

With our stance towards education that prioritizes learning how to think, not what to think, we invited Dr. Rachel Fish, JCDS parent and Israel scholar, to put the news in historical context for our Middle School students as a first step towards clarity and engagement. Students in the Middle School took a deep dive into learning about Israel’s parliamentary democracy, the structures and history of the Knesset and Israeli law, and an overview of Religious and Secular culture in Israel.

The very first activity perhaps made the biggest impact: Our students began by reading together from the Megilat Atzma’ut, the Israeli Declaration of Independence. Students read the words David Ben Gurion proudly announced to the world almost 75 years ago, some for the very first time. Students interrogated words and phrases directly from the Declaration such as equality, freedom of religion, justice, and benefiting all inhabitants. By doing this, students were able to more fully appreciate what Israel means to the worldwide Jewish community and the destiny shared by those living in the land and those outside of it.

This opportunity was just one of an ongoing series of special events we have coming up in the lead up to Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) next month not only to inform our community of the situation being faced by Israel currently, but also to cultivate and grow our students’ connection to Israel, and their commitment to democracy and fair governance in our shared homeland. Our younger students will have an opportunity to explore the governmental structure and the importance of a fair justice system through age-appropriate metaphors and content.

Living an ocean away from the weekly protests and public strife taking place in the Land of Israel, it is hard to make sense of it all. Where to begin? How to best explain it to our students in order to help them understand the complexities associated with Israeli’s definition of democracy? How can we best prepare for the celebration of Israel at 75 when so much is changing and is at stake?

Stay tuned for more details…