Our Stories

JPDS-NC Announces Elementary School Director

March 8, 2016 by Naomi Reem (Faculty and Staff)

It is with great pleasure that I welcome Arielle Derby as our Elementary School Director, effective July 1, 2016. Arielle is a master educator, curriculum developer, and administrator who has served Jewish day schools in multiple capacities. She spent most of her career to this point at the Lerner Jewish Community Day School in Durham, […]


Picture This: Envisioning Our Middle School

March 3, 2016 by Lisa Schopf (Faculty and Staff)

What an exciting moment this is to be on the cusp, at that moment of possibility and potential. As we look ahead to our Middle School, we can embrace the opportunity to apply what we have learned, to enrich what we have achieved, and to realize what we imagine. This is the time to come […]


Torah Talk for Parashat Vayakhel

March 1, 2016 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

In this parasha, the Bnei Yisrael bring so many materials for the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) that Moshe tells them to stop; Betzalel and Oholiav, gifted craftspeople, construct the elements of the Mishkan. The backgrounds of these craftspeople elucidate some important principles. Betzalel is introduced in Chapter 35, verse 30 as “Betzalel, the son of […]


Meet the 2016 Purim Ball Honorees

February 25, 2016 by Vered Asta (Faculty and Staff)

On March 20th, the JPDS-NC community will gather at the National Press Club for the event of the year! Together, we will celebrate JPDS-NC’s success, show our support for the school, and recognize eight outstanding parents for their years of service and dedication to the community. Take a read below to learn more about this year’s […]


In the News: District Day School Names Middle School Director

February 25, 2016 by Washington Jewish Week (Press)

Read the Washington Jewish Week article about the appointment of JPDS-NC’s founding Middle School Director.


A Letter from Founding Middle School Director Lisa Schopf

February 23, 2016 by Lisa Schopf (Faculty and Staff)

Having been part of the JPDS-NC community for the past ten years, I have had the privilege of joining with a dedicated team of educators committed to nurturing our children’s growth. From Pre-K through Sixth Grade, our students begin to develop their unique identities, define their own goals, cultivate their interests and passions, hone academic […]


JPDS-NC Announces Founding Middle School Director

February 23, 2016 by Naomi Reem (Faculty and Staff)

I am pleased to announce the appointment of our founding Middle School Director. After a national search, we chose an internal candidate, Ms. Lisa Schopf, for the position. Lisa has been a standout educator at JPDS-NC since 2006, first as a General Studies teacher for 5th Grade, and most recently as the Math and Social […]


Student Stories: Sixth Grade Teamwork Leads to Trivia Night Success

February 23, 2016 by Noah K (’16) (Students) Sammy R (’16) (Students)

Trivia Night is a fundraiser organized by the Sixth Grade students and teachers each year in order to pay for their trip to New York in the spring. On this trip, the students (with teacher chaperones) go to a Broadway play, a baseball game, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and other places in the city. […]


Torah Talk for Parashat Ki Tisa

February 22, 2016 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

In this parasha, Hashem continues describing the Mishkan (Tabernacle) to Moshe; the people worship the Aygel Hazahav (Golden Calf), Moshe pleads on their behalf, and Hashem forgives them. After the sin of the Aygel Hazahav, Moshe ascends the mountain again to commune with Hashem, and an interesting exchange takes place [30:17-23]. During this conversation, Moshe asks […]


Meet the Swing Space Committee: Co-Chair Evan Goldman

February 18, 2016

JPDS-NC turns kids into mensches. We chose JPDS-NC because we saw the same warmth and sense of community that we experienced in the Gan at Adas Israel. It has been six years since we first joined the community, and we love having our three children at the school. I was excited that there was an […]