About
JCDS
אודותינו
"We changed the Jewish day school landscape. With English and Hebrew as part of everyday learning and the warmth and acceptance of a pluralist family community, we built something that has become a beacon for progressive day schools around the nation."Arnee Winshall, Founding Chair
Intentional Pluralism
At JCDS pluralism is more than the existence of diversity - it is an active posture, a point of view that shapes how we attempt to build and foster Jewish community, and how we understand and seek to engage with and improve the world around us.Our pluralism is rooted in a few core understandings:
- The world (and the Jewish world, as a smaller segment of it) is diverse and increasingly interconnected.
- The most successful people in the 21st century will be those who can creatively bridge these differences and effectively work with people different from themselves.
- The key to productive collaboration and creative partnership is a humble confidence, deeply rooted in a sense of self and commitment to core values.
- This humble confidence is a way of being in the world that must be intentionally practiced, particularly during the formative K-8 years.
JCDS Statement on Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
JCDS is a pluralistic learning community where diversity and inclusion are woven into the very fabric of our school. Our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging emanates from the school's core Jewish values of nurturing each student's capacity for intellectual and spiritual discovery in a respectful, pluralistic, dual language Hebrew-English environment. Our community is intellectually and morally strengthened when many different voices, viewpoints, and backgrounds learn with and from each other.Our goal at JCDS is to build a cohesive and caring community, one based on the premise that we respect and intrinsically value each and every member as being created b'tzelem Elokim (in the Divine image). This means honoring the inherent worth and dignity of every individual, embracing their individuality and uniqueness at all turns. As educators, all of our decisions are made l'shem chinuch - for the sake of education - we endeavor, with all of our hearts, to ensure that we recognize and cherish each student's uniqueness.
We celebrate diversity and actively embrace and welcome Jews of all backgrounds and identities. The spectrum of Jewish community belongs to JCDS: people with diverse Jewish affiliations, practices, and beliefs; family structures of all kinds; varied financial backgrounds; and people of all races, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities/expressions. We are proud to have such a diverse and vibrant JCDS community.
Community
JCDS depends on parents, family members, and friends to foster the vibrant, diverse and joyful Jewish ecosystem that positions our school at the forefront of education.We also encourage everyone within the JCDS family to get involved and participate in our truly unique and enthusiastic community. Whether it is weekly All School Kabbalat Shabbat, weekly ceramics, monthly singing in the intimacy of people's homes, learning in Hevruta with Project Zug, twice yearly all-school bike trains, an end-of-year community Shabbaton, and much more, there is something for everyone! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook or connect with the school to learn how you can become a more active member of our growing community.
After School Program
JCDS runs an After School Program from 3:30-5:30pm Monday - Thursday, which includes After School Hour (traditional After School care), Clubs/Classes, and Middle School Athletics. Contact Karen Siegel, Director of Admissions, to learn more about our partnership with the JCC of Greater Boston for Friday-only afternoon options.The After School Program provides a unique opportunity for JCDS students to relax, get creative, engage in productive interests, and most of all, have fun! Parents choose from an extended day program that offers a wide variety of activities, including art, games, and gym. More structured hands-on enrichment classes in crafts, robotics, strategy games, and more are also available. Students participate in activities and classes, all geared to our students in a more relaxed environment than the rest of the school day.
Middle School Teams
Interscholastic athletics and competitions are an extension of the classroom at JCDS. Students learn the importance of conditioning, teamwork and fair play; they are able to develop a healthy attitude toward competition and practice the Habit of Heart and Mind of resiliency in the face of challenge.Parent Engagement
JCDS believes in a strong culture of philanthropy. We define philanthropy with its broadest definition which simply means "one who loves humankind." At JCDS we encourage all families and friends to think about the ways to give through time, talent, and treasure.Student Life
CLUBS
Our after school program offers a wide variety of clubs. From Dungeons & Dragons to Elementary Coding to Yoga, our after school clubs provide students with opportunities to try new things, learn new skills, and interact with students from different grades and parts of the school. Each session we bring in new clubs along with old favorites to create a diverse, enriching experience for our students once the school day ends.
ATHLETICS
At JCDS, we prioritize the physical and emotional health of our students, and our athletic program plays a crucial role in fulfilling that mission. Athletics have become a cornerstone of our holistic approach to student development. In 2024 JCDS installed regulation pickleball courts in a portion of our outdoor space. The pickleball courts are an opportunity for all JCDS students to explore a new sport during recess, building physical and social skills in a new, engaging way.Media
VIDEOS
SONGS
Our Alumni
Children who graduate from JCDS grow into the adults we aspire for them to be in our mission statement: informed by Jewish values and culture, they will make a difference in their communities and in the world, and they live the JCDS Habits of Mind and Heart. JCDS graduates possess self-assurance and humility that engender comfort and ease when among diverse people in their workplaces and social lives. They have grit and kindness and are resilient adults who, each in their own unique way, exhibit compassion and a deep caring for others.Va'ad Horim / Parent Association
The Va'ad Horim / Parent Association is JCDS's all-volunteer family organization that focuses on building community both inside and outside our school walls. We bring together the amazing families that make up our intentionally pluralistic community, to learn, celebrate, and serve the community, and to support the faculty and staff to whom we entrust our children's education.As a JCDS parent and Va'ad member, you're invited to take part in supporting our school community in any way that feels meaningful and doable—from being a room parent or helping to plan a seasonal event to organizing a teacher appreciation gesture or picking up a box of coffee for a parent schmooze.
Volunteering with the Va'ad is an opportunity to meet new people, connect with parents across grades, and be part of making our school a great place. (It's also a lot of fun!) Our goal is to enable every parent to deepen their relationship with our school community by participating in some way.
Va'ad leadership can be contacted at vaad@jcdsboston.org
JCDS's greatest resource is our families. It takes all of us to build the community together, and our hope is that every parent finds a meaningful way to become part of our volunteer community. We look forward to growing our community together!
