Established September 1965 Enrollment 1,187 (2010–2011) Phone +1 301-881-1400 Founded 1966 | Head of school Mitchel Malkus Student to teacher ratio 6:1 Mascot Lion Faculty 199 | |
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Motto "...You shall teach them diligently to your children" (Deuteronomy 6:7) Similar Jewish Primary Day Scho, Georgeto Preparato School, Melvin J Berman Hebrew A, Bullis School, Winston Churchill High Sch Profiles | ||
Johanna paretzky speaks at charles e smith jewish day school
The Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, often referred to as CESJDS or JDS, is a private, pluralistic Jewish K-12 school located in Rockville, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1966, the school's namesake is Charles E. Smith, a local Jewish philanthropist and real estate magnate.
Contents
- Johanna paretzky speaks at charles e smith jewish day school
- Campus
- The Lower School
- The Upper School
- Performing arts
- Literary awards
- Athletics
- Student marijuana arrests in Israel
- History
- Notable alumni
- References
The head of school is Rabbi Mitchel Malkus. With over 1,500 students, the school is the largest private school in the Washington metropolitan area according to the Washington Business Journal, and one of the largest Jewish day schools in the world.
Campus
The school is separated into two distinct campuses; the Lower School campus houses pre-kindergarten through fifth grade students, while the Upper School houses sixth through twelfth grade students. The two campuses are distinct yet interrelated, and school functions take place regularly at both locations. The two campuses are located less than two miles from one another.
The Lower School
The building has three levels. The oval Beit Midrash located at the entrance is regularly used for tefilah. Other notable facilities include the Great Books Reading Room, "Field of Dreams" Playground, technology labs, science classrooms, and a library with two designated working classrooms.
Since 1976, the Lower School has undergone three major renovations. The school now occupies approximately 130,000 square feet (12,000 m2) on 11 acres (45,000 m2) and houses over 700 Lower School students.
The Upper School
The central hallway, the "Cardo", is bracketed by arches modeled on the archways in the ancient Jewish Quarter of Byzantine Jerusalem. The main thoroughfare showcases student art and other projects.
Throughout the structure are pieces of Jewish history and acknowledgments of the foundation of pluralism on which the school was established. The Beit Midrash features rounded stained glass windows circling a cupola based on Eastern European synagogue design, with each panel representing an essential principle of Judaism, including Torah, Neshamah (Soul), Kavanah (Spirit), Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World) and Rachamim (Compassion). A woodworking motif frames the room and Jerusalem stone is featured throughout. The doorposts in the school have distinct mezuzot.
Spaces for the arts and athletics include the Daniel Pearl Memorial Gym which holds 700 and encompasses full-court basketball play. Art spaces include a ceramics studio with six pottery wheels and state-of-the-art kiln, a professionally equipped photography studio, dark room, and a recording studio.
Performing arts
Middle school
High school
Theater performances
Winter MusicalVarious Plays in the Early Spring (typically one-act dinner theatre)Spring WorkshopsLiterary awards
Athletics
Fall sports:
Winter sports:
Spring sports:
Teams are usually divided into Varsity and Junior Varsity divisions. Many sports have boys' and girls' divisions. Almost all teams practice daily and compete with teams from other schools, primarily other schools within the Montgomery County private school community. The inaugural CESJDS hockey team won the MSHL Conference Championship in 2009, before losing in the state semi-finals. The team lasted from 2008/09-2010/11. For the 2013–14 season it was started back up again. No Lions teams have assigned practices or games on Friday. Only once has a team ever played a game on Friday, when a 2012 Varsity baseball game got postponed because of rain. To get the game done in time it started at 1:30 p.m., and the baseball team got out of class at 12:15 p.m.
Student marijuana arrests in Israel
In April 2006, three seniors who were participating in the school-sponsored program in Israel through the Alexander Muss High School were arrested by Israeli police for marijuana possession. The marijuana was discovered by program guides, and the quantity was judged to be large enough to necessitate involving governmental authorities, according to Muss headmaster Chaim Fischgrund. Drug experts cited in a Jewish Standard article theorized that the students had intended to sell the marijuana. These three students were expelled from the program; additionally, six other students were expelled on the basis of either having bought or used marijuana during the program. Local police arrested two students on drug charges who were held overnight.
History
Solomon Schechter School of Greater Washington opened in September 1965. Operating under the auspices of United Synagogue of America, classes were held near Chevy Chase, Maryland. During the school's first year in operation, two teachers, Masha Spiegel and Masha Cohen, taught seven children in kindergarten and first grade. Gershon W. Gross became the school's administrator in 1967.
In 1977, the school moved to 1901 E. Jefferson Street in Rockville. In 1980, the school was renamed in honor of Charles E. Smith, who had been a generous donor and fundraiser for the school.