Our Stories

JPDS-NC Celebrates Purim with Joy, Creativity, Design Thinking, and Outreach to the Community

March 13, 2017 by Hannah Seidel (Faculty and Staff)

The entire school celebrated Purim on Friday with a day full of Megillah, Tikkun Olam, and Design Thinking – and of course a lot of fun! We saw Esthers and Hamans, pirates and baseball players, pandas, lions, and Hogwarts students. The children engaged each other in a Purim-themed Design Thinking challenge, made Mishloach Manot for the community, and […]


Inquiry and Curiosity: Three JPDS-NC Sixth Graders Participate in DC STEM Fair

March 9, 2017 by Elana Cohen (Faculty and Staff)

Have you ever wondered whether acidic fruit conducts electricity better than less acidic fruit? Or whether the pesticides we use on plants actually impact the growth of those plants? What about considering the effect of temperature on a polymer used for watering plants? Or how the food a chicken eats impacts the color of the […]


Torah Talk for Parashat Tetzaveh

March 7, 2017 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

In this parasha, Hashem describes to Moshe the clothing and the process of anointing the cohanim (priests). Almost an entire Torah portion is dedicated to how people, in this case Aharon and his descendants, should dress. At first glance, it seems like too trivial and materialistic an issue for the Torah to address. However, when […]


In the News: Kindergarten Community Library Project featured in Local Newspaper

March 2, 2017 by Kol HaBirah (Press)

“Impressive, collaborative, strategic, caring, and dedicated are some of the adjectives that come to mind after talking with Jewish Primary Day School’s (JPDS) Kindergarten General Studies team, comprised of Lisa Davis, Xani Pollakoff, and Vas Pournaras. Despite teaching separate classes, these educational leaders work closely together, planning their sessions on a weekly basis, discussing their […]


Growing Through Writing

March 2, 2017 by Lisa Schopf (Faculty and Staff)

After their successful Ancient Egypt Exhibition this week, our Sixth Grade students sat with their written compositions and the artifacts they created, and reflected on the ways they have grown as researchers and writers. They also considered the ways in which the process of writing has helped them grow as students and human beings. Yonatan […]


JPDS-NC Presents: The Lion King

March 2, 2017 by Hannah Seidel (Faculty and Staff)

Kol Hakavod to all the cast and crew of the JPDS-NC production of The Lion King! JPDS-NC community members and the preschoolers at Washington Hebrew Congregation and the EDCJCC were treated to two dazzling performances. The show featured 120 talented cast members and an extraordinary set and costumes that our 40 creative crew members worked […]


Torah Talk for Parashat Terumah

February 28, 2017 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

In this parasha, Hashem instructs Moshe to collect gifts from Bnei Yisrael in order to build a Mishkan (Tabernacle) so that Hashem can dwell among the people; Hashem describes to Moshe the vessels and structures that comprise the Mishkan. An oft-quoted verse appears in Chapter 25:8: “They will make for Me a sanctuary, and I […]


JPDS-NC Faculty Teams Awarded Two of Six Kohelet Prizes for Excellence in Jewish Education

February 22, 2017 by Naomi Reem (Faculty and Staff)

JPDS-NC’s faculty teams were awarded two of the six 2017 Kohelet Prizes for Excellence in Jewish Education. The Kindergarten General Studies team – comprised of Lisa Davis, Xani Pollakoff, and Vas Pournaras – won the “Award for Development of Critical and/or Creative Thinking” category for the Community Library Project from the 2015-2016 school year. A cross-grade, multi-disciplinary […]


Torah Talk for Parashat Mishpatim

February 21, 2017 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

In this week’s parasha, Moshe informs the people of numerous ethical and ritual laws and seals the brit (covenant) between the Bnei Yisrael and Hashem. One of the numerous laws in the parasha states (22:20): “Do not wrong a stranger nor oppress him for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Hermann Cohen (1842-1919), […]


Torah Talk for Parashat Yitro

February 16, 2017 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

Yitro, Moshe’s father-in-law, suggests a system for establishing lower courts to settle disputes; Hashem articulates the Aseret HaDibrot (Ten Commandments) to the Bnei Yisrael amidst fire, smoke, and sounds of the shofar. We often translate Aseret HaDibrot, as I did above, as “The Ten Commandments.” However, they are not really Ten Commandments, because Dibrot means […]