By Shira Deener, Head of School. In the wake of the verdict of the Derek Chauvin trial last week, school leaders rose to meet the challenge of how to bring the lessons and values of this difficult moment in history to students. Teachers in all grade levels approached the topic in ways that were appropriate, … More School Sparks: Action In Justice
By Avraham Sosa, Middle School Science Teacher. .אָמַר רַב זוּטְרָא: הַאי מַאן דִּמְכַסֵּי שְׁרָגָא דְּמִשְׁחָא וּמְגַלֵּי נַפְטָא קָעָבַר מִשּׁוּם ״בַּל תַּשְׁחִית״ Rav Zutra said: He who covers an oil lamp or who uncovers a kerosene lamp for no purpose violates the prohibition: Do not destroy (Bal tashchit) since by doing so the fuel burns more … More School Sparks: Bal Tashchit
By Shira Deener, Head of School. This week, we begin the Jewish month of Iyar and observe two important days on our calendar: Yom HaZikaron and Yom Haatzmaut. On Yom HaZikaron we remember the fallen soldiers and the victims of terror attacks throughout Israel’s history, and on Yom Haatzmaut we celebrate Israel’s founding and continued … More School Sparks: Yom HaZikaron and Yom Haatzmaut
By Shira Deener, Head of School In our last weekly conversation, we explored the Exodus story of Pesach and the charge presented to every person to relive the Passover story with each annual retelling. We began to grapple with the idea of history becoming memory, of long ago and far away stories becoming personal experiences. … More School Sparks: Yom Hashoah
By Shira Deener, Head of School. “בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלוּ הוּא יֶָָצֶָא מִמִּצְרַָים” “In every generation, a person must see themselves as if they left Egypt” The Haggadah describes the obligation of each person that they must see themselves as if they themselves experienced the Exodus and its miracles. Not … More School Sparks: Haggadah
By Shira Deener, Head of School. It is wonderful from time to time to showcase particular teachers who offered to write a detailed description of their work with their students. Thank you, Joanne. By Joanne Baker 7th & 8th Grade English teacher/Rosh 8th Grade As Jewish cultures have survived for millennia, so too has antisemitism. Four hundred … More School Sparks: Shylock’s Last Words
By Shira Deener, Head of School. As Pesach approaches, we begin to turn our attention to the telling of the Passover story and how the sharing of a narrative has the power to connect us to our history and to one another. Each year, we pull our Haggadot out of storage and the same story … More School Sparks: Storytelling
By Shira Deener, Head of School One of the JCDS Habits of Mind and Heart is “applying multiple perspectives” and this is a core component of the way we teach Tanach to our students. The tendency to sort complex situations and arguments into just a few black and white perspectives comes rather naturally to human beings, but … More School Sparks: Multiple Perspectives
By Shira Deener, Head of School לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשׁוֹן וִיקַרThe Jews enjoyed light and gladness, happiness and honorEsther 8:16 This verse in Megillat Esther is the culmination of the story of Purim and includes four different words for the triumph of the Jewish people: light, gladness, joy, and honor. Four words to describe … More School Sparks: Celebrating Purim
By Shira Deener, Head of School Here at JCDS, we strive to create a community where our students and families can show up as their complete selves with their own unique identities and life experiences. That is how we measure the strength of our community, and nowhere is that more clear than when we see … More School Sparks: Even the Worst of Times Brings the Best of Times
