Our Stories

Milton Teacher Selected for Library of Congress Summer Teacher Institute

July 5, 2017 by Ronit Greenstein (Faculty and Staff)

Milton teacher Vinny Prell was selected from a pool of more than 300 applicants from across the United States to participate in the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Summer Teacher Institute. During the five-day program, participants work with Library education specialists and subject-matter experts to learn effective practices for using primary sources in […]


In the News: Washington Jewish Week Covers the Rabin Lecture with John McCain

June 2, 2017 by Washington Jewish Week (Press)

Washington Jewish Week covered the Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Lecture with Senator John McCain. Read the article here >


In the News: Prizmah Interviews Middle School Director Lisa Schopf

May 3, 2017 by Lisa Schopf (Faculty and Staff)

Last year, Middle School Director and Sixth Grade teacher Lisa Schopf participated in Prizmah’s YOU Lead program, an eight-month leadership development program for Jewish day school professionals that focuses on mentorship and peer support. Recently Lisa sat down with Shira Loewenstein, the Director of YOU Lead, to talk about her experience in the program and […]


Ari Zymelman Lecture Series on Parenting Education: Screen-Time Struggles

November 10, 2016 by Sarah Fertig Trauben (Community)

While I consider myself to be a capable parent, the topic of technology is one that I want support around. There are websites, articles, and resources on the issue. But where to look next? The answer: JPDS-NC! Next week, the JPDS-NC parent community will gather for the screening of the documentary Screenagers: Growing Up in […]


Sharon Freundel, Director of Jewish Life, Named to Elite Innovation Design Team of Jewish Educators by the Jewish Education Innovation Challenge

October 20, 2016 by Ronit Greenstein (Faculty and Staff)

Sharon Freundel, JPDS-NC’s Director of Jewish Life, has been named one of only 10 Jewish educators in the world who will serve on HaKaveret, an innovation design team focused on improving Jewish education. The team of elite Jewish educators will spend the next year learning with and from each other as well as external experts, […]


JPDS-NC Hosts DC Reggio Emilia Alliance Study Group

October 13, 2016 by Melissa Davis (Faculty and Staff)

JPDS-NC hosted the first DC Reggio Emilia Alliance (DCREA) meeting of the school year at the South Campus on Wednesday, September 28. We were honored to host 35 educators from Washington area preschools, independent schools, and public schools at the event. We thank our colleagues from Congregation B’nai Tzedek, St. John’s Episcopal Preschool, Temple Sinai Nursery […]


Starting the New Year Like an Aleph – Cultivating a Growth Mindset in 5777

October 5, 2016 by Arielle Derby (Faculty and Staff)

I have been spending time visiting classrooms, getting to know the students, and telling them a story about why Aleph is the first letter of the aleph-bet: the print Aleph (א) is the only letter that is “open” on all sides, with many access points. After the story, we talk about being open to new […]


Lifelong Learning at JPDS-NC

September 1, 2016 by Arielle Derby (Faculty and Staff)

Every August, I find myself counting the days until the start of the academic year when the building fills with the sound of children’s greetings, laughter, and excitement, and the school begins to hum with the energy and whirring minds of the teachers. As in years past, we began preparing for your children not by […]


In the News: Washington Jewish Week covers 10th Anniversary Rabin Lecture

June 23, 2016 by Washington Jewish Week (Press)

At the 10th Anniversary Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Lecture, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro spoke with Washington Post Editorial Writer Charles Lane about Rabin’s legacy and the current political situation in Israel. The community also heard personal remarks by Yuval Rabin, son of the late Prime Minister. Read the Washington Jewish Week article about the event […]


Traditions and Core Values

June 16, 2016 by Adina Kanefield (Faculty and Staff)

Traditions abound at JPDS-NC. As I hear the students practicing speeches for graduation, I see how longstanding JPDS-NC traditions stand out and deeply shape our students’ overall experience. TEVA, the New York trip, Chagigat HaSiddur, historic site guides and kindergarten self-portraits have become a part of the anthology of the JPDS-NC experience. Like these great […]