Our Stories

Volunteer Spotlight: Steven Aftergood

December 8, 2015 by Sharon Samber (Community)

JPDS-NC’s strength is due, in part, to the dedication of a cadre of talented and energetic parent volunteers. To learn first-hand about what motivates and inspires our volunteers, read the interview with parent Steven Aftergood. What is your volunteer role? Steven: I have volunteered with the JPDS-NC Ru’ach Campaign, which raises funds to help cover the school’s […]


Learning and Building Connections with iBuddies

December 3, 2015 by Anna W (’16) (Students) Gabriel B (’16) (Students) Rochelle B (’16) (Students) Samantha F (’16) (Students)

The Sixth Grade and Kindergarten classes at JPDS-NC participate in a program called iBuddies. Every Kindergartener is assigned to a Sixth Grade buddy who uses technology to help them research the projects they work on in class. On their last visit, buddy teams worked on finding and creating patterns for the Kindergarten math unit, and […]


Dancing with Love: A Mitzvah Event

December 3, 2015 by Ronit Greenstein (Faculty and Staff)

Nearly two hundred JPDS-NC students, parents, grandparents, alumni and staff gathered together last night to be a part of the Rokdim B’Ahava (Dancing with Love) Dance-a-thon! It was an unforgettable night of dancing, community building, family fun, and mitzvot in support of Anne Frank House. The Gottesman Auditorium was filled with the joy and energy […]


Torah Talk for Parashat Vayeshev

December 3, 2015 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

In this parasha, Yosef’s dreams anger his brothers and they sell him into slavery in Egypt, where he eventually ends up in prison, still interpreting others’ dreams. The circumstances in which the brothers and Yosef were alone, allowing them to sell him into slavery, are outlined in chapter 37, verses 11-17, a passage which raises a […]


A Tradition of Gratitude

November 24, 2015 by Naomi Reem (Faculty and Staff)

In the Jewish tradition, the first thing we do every morning is to give thanks for being alive, just as our students do at the start of tefilah at school, literally thanking God for giving us our soul back after the night’s sleep. Gratitude is firmly entrenched in Jewish life; we give thanks for our […]


Torah Talk for Parashat Vayishlach

November 24, 2015 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

In this parasha, Yaakov confronts Eisav, wrestles with a “man” who blesses him by changing his name to Yisrael, loses his wife Rachel in childbirth, and experiences the trauma of the incident with his daughter Deena. Yaakov takes several steps as he prepares to meet Eisav for the first time since the “birthright and blessing […]


Reflections on Parenting Education

November 23, 2015 by Gayle Neufeld (Community)

Sometimes it feels really good to talk over difficult subjects with a group of people to whom you feel connected. For some, this is family in the traditional sense, for others its colleagues or close friends. Last week, it was our JPDS-NC community. The annual Ari Zymelman Parenting Lecture Series event gave us the opportunity […]


Arts Integration at JPDS-NC

November 20, 2015 by Janet Collier (Faculty and Staff)

The integration of the arts into other academic disciplines provides to children important windows into the world and important languages for exploring, finding, and expressing the meaning they make of the world. True arts integration results in all students learning the skills, habits of mind, and real-world purposes of the arts while at the same […]


Pre-Kindergarten Performs for Veterans Day

November 19, 2015 by Class of 2025 (Students)

Every year, JPDS-NC has a Veterans Day program where all the students perform songs to honor and thank our veterans and service members. We asked pre-K students about their thoughts and feelings before the big show. Yael J. said, “I feel happy because I want to be on stage.” Sam S. said, “I am a […]


Torah Talk for Parashat Vayetze

November 19, 2015 by Sharon Freundel (Community)

In this parasha, Yaakov flees to his uncle Lavan’s household and lives there for several years, marrying Lavan’s daughters, Leah and Rachel, and establishing a large family. The parasha begins and ends with malachim. Yaakov, on his way to his Uncle Lavan’s house, has a dream of malachim ascending and descending a ladder. He arrives […]