Our Stories

Milton Sixth Grader was Selected Finalist in The Forward’s Youth Essay Contest

May 4, 2020 by Mariana Lemcovich (Faculty and Staff)

Congratulations to Milton sixth grader Maya Fritz on being selected as a finalist in The Forward’s Youth Essay Contest and having her submission published! The contest for middle and high schoolers invites students to submit essays, short stories and poems on the topic “What It Means To Be Free in the time of COVID.” Read […]


Milton Students Win Regionals in Cadena Social Entrepreneurship Competition

April 26, 2020 by Ronit Greenstein (Faculty and Staff)

Congratulations to eighth graders Mira E. and Gabriella K.-E. on winning first place in the Cadena Initiative Regional Competition and kol hakavod to Nava F., Eleanor F., and Ilana K. who were named finalists in the social entrepreneurship competition. The Cadena Initiative challenges middle school students to develop projects that mitigate the effects of disease, […]


Building Communities of Curiosity, Discovery, Connection, and Deep Learning

December 12, 2019 by Lisa Schopf (Faculty and Staff)

Middle school students created communities of curiosity, discovery, and deep learning during our Immersive Learning Week. Students in Grades 6 to 8 engaged in deep dive learning in a number of different fields, including art, Judaic text study, coding, law, nature, and flight. These experiences helped students bond with peers across grade levels in the […]


Milton Third Grader Inspires Proclamation by Mayor of Washington DC

November 22, 2019 by Ronit Greenstein (Faculty and Staff)

A few months ago, Milton third grader Temima Genauer wrote a letter to DC Mayor Muriel Bowser asking her to declare a “Ruby Bridges Day.” Temima fell in love with learning about Ruby when she was in Kindergarten, and has read many children’s books about her. She wrote to the Mayor asking for a day […]


Students Build Miniature Mishkan, Enhancing In-Depth Study of Shemot

May 22, 2019 by Reut S. (’20) (Students) Shoshana L (’20) (Students)

Seventh grade students built a mini-Mishkan as part of our learning the end of Sefer Shemot. First, we were assigned partners and objects to research and build. Next, we looked through the last two parashiot in Shemot, Vayakhel and Pekudei, to find out how our objects looked and the ways they were built. To ensure […]


MILTON students made a Board Book for their Teacher’s Baby

April 15, 2019 by Ronit Greenstein (Faculty and Staff)

Sixth grade students made board books for their teacher’s baby based on their learning in her Judaic Studies class. The students had learned about Masechet Rosh Hashana, a practice during the Mishna time period of witnesses seeing the new moon and being examined by the Jewish Court to decide when to start each Hebrew month. […]


Meet the Purim Ball Honorees: Steve and Chani Laufer

March 21, 2019 by Sarah Wildman (Community)

When Chani and Steve Laufer moved from Riverdale, NY to Washington, DC in early 2012, they came in search of two things—a vibrant Jewish community and a great school for their kids Shoshana (’20), Ari (’22), and Erez (’25). Friends recommended JPDS. “They thought it would be a great fit for us,” Steve recalls. “JPDS […]


Meet the Purim Ball Honorees: Kinney Zalesne and Scott Siff

March 21, 2019 by Sarah Wildman (Community)

Kinney Zalesne and Scott Siff are taking an online ulpan class, and the whole family—including Matthew (‘14), Adina (’17), and Gideon (’21) -—is heading to Israel this summer to study Hebrew. All of it, the couple happily note, is an extension of their JPDS/Milton experience. Neither Kinney nor Scott had gone to day school, so […]