Our Stories

In June, MILTON hosted the largest event in its history at Washington Hebrew Congregation, the 2026 Rabin Lecture with Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin. For 21 years, MILTON’s Rabin Lecture has been a signature event, drawing broad audiences and fostering conversation about leadership, difference, and the responsibilities of a vibrant Jewish community. This year it became our anchor spring gathering, with over 1800 registrations. The event served not only as a meaningful moment for those already connected with MILTON, but as an introduction; over half of the crowd had no former ties to the school and learned about our mission and values through this impactful evening. 

The discussion with Rachel and Jon, facilitated by Board President Beth Tritter, asked questions that both highlighted their history and unique viewpoint as a result of the past years, while also touching base on topics that are equally important to the MILTON community: Jewish education, identity, values, civil discourse, and shaping Jewish practice for one’s family. The two were thrust into the spotlight after their son, Hersh, was taken hostage on October 7, and became known worldwide as the face of those advocating for the hostages’ release.

“Rachel and I have met more Jews in more places in the world than anybody else in the last three years,” Jon said. “We see what the Jewish people are going through on a global basis.” He went on to describe the different experiences and stories of the people across the world that he encountered—and the many problems as well. “Of course, there’s no one solution,” he said, “But I do believe [Jewish education at all ages] is the single best solution to start to address the problems that we’re all facing, to be more confident people in the world, to be less reactive and more confident in our skin no matter what anybody is trying to make us think, or do, or feel.”

Rachel similarly discussed the importance of her Jewish identity in grounding her through the challenges of the current time. She discussed both her and Jon having mantras that helped them persevere through the past few years; while Jon’s was “Thank God I’m Jewish,” Rachel’s was “Thank God I believe in God.”

“Even now…what helps is that the second I open my eyes in the morning, I’m saying what many of us say when we wake up,” she said. “Wow, creator of the universe, you gave me back my soul again. You have tremendous faith in me.”

The evening ended with a discussion of particularly impactful teachers that Rachel and Jon have encountered over the course of their lives, particularly from the Jewish schools that both attended. They also recognized the principal of their son Hersh’s Orthodox boys’ school in Israel who, at a meeting for prospective families, spoke about the school as valuing academics and Jewish observance, but above all, wanting to build mensches.

Before the lecture, MILTON also hosted receptions for alumni and their families, current families, and young DMV families. These receptions were opportunities for guests to connect and come together, an apt thing to do for a night that centered so much around Jewish community and its importance.  Many remarked on the unique and valued opportunity to see so many generations of the JPDS/MILTON community in one space.

Displayed at these receptions were a collection of “blind contour” portraits by MILTON students from Pre-K to Grade 6, along with several staff members. In their programs, guests read the following description of the project:

As a community, MILTON wanted to give the Goldberg-Polins something to express our gratitude for what they have given to Am Yisrael since Hersh, z”l, was taken. Under the leadership of MILTON art specialists, Rachel Bickel and Rachel Farbiarz, we embarked upon a school-wide project of looking, seeing, and being with each other. 

The entire student body (and many teachers!) spent careful time looking at and drawing each other using the “blind contour” method of drawing. These are timed exercises, in which the artist looks only at the subject and not the paper, and attempts to make a faithful rendering from one single, continuous line. 

The drawings displayed tonight and those contained within the handmade book we are gifting to Rachel and Jon are the result of this exercise of seeing and considering one another with intention and love. 

The school community was struck by the evident joy that accompanied this process and awed by the profundity that unfolded alongside it.

The deep meaning behind these portraits was apparent at the receptions as guests wandered from table to table noticing the unique traits of each drawing. Some paid particular attention to a table near the entrance featuring portraits drawn by a MILTON staff member and her sons, where each family member drew the other two. The love of the family resonated clearly from this collection of drawings, creating a touching example of just one of the strong, caring relationships that define our community. As a parting gift, MILTON presented Rachel and Jon with a book of many of these portraits, sharing some of the compassion and community that makes it—and made this evening—so special.