At the beginning of each school year, I ask the seniors to fill out a questionnaire, sharing what they believe defines their class, what makes them similar to other classes and what makes them different. I did the same with you at the beginning of this year and your answers were surprisingly unanimous. You all agreed that your class is not like most other JDS classes, that there is no overarching characteristic to describe the members of the Class of 2025. You view yourselves as a group of 78 unique individuals, and while you come together when it is important, you remain very much individuals. It was so interesting to me that you saw your class exactly as your teachers, and I, have described you. 

You each have specific talents, passions, and quirks. You are athletes, artists, musicians, scholars, dreamers, and doers. Some of you light up the room with your energy; others quietly inspire through your determination. Each of you brings something uniquely yours to the table.

Some of you are thinkers, diving deep into topics and wanting to know the “why” behind things, taking this curiosity outside of the walls of JDS. You have served as an intern at NASA in Earth Sciences and at the Air and Missile Defense Sector at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. Another of you interned at the League of United Latin American Citizens, where you co-authored a position paper that was then presented to national leaders who were working to empower Hispanics. One of you is the founder of a local chapter of Gen Z Teens, a Jewish youth climate movement. You were a Neuroscience lab intern at University of the Health Sciences at Walter Reed. In these and many other ways, you have shown your passion for Torah L’shmah/Learning for Learning Sake. 

Members of your class are creative and passionate both in the arts and in athletics. Among you are two recruited athletes and the most decorated PVAC athlete in history. You have members of dance troupes, a violinist who played at Wolf Trap and the Royal Albert Hall in England. One of you is the principal horn player in the DC Young Virtousi Chamber Orchestra who performed in Munich, Prague and Vienna. You have an acrobatic aerialist in your class. You participated in the Maccabi games in Israel and one of you is a member of an international teen choir. You founded a classic car club and had your car photographs featured in publications and in a coffeetable book. Even if you are not actively participating as an athlete, you are involved working as a Little League umpire and a youth soccer referee. You led our publications, Melting Pot, Lions’s Tale, Reflections, and Dimensions to win top honors from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the National Council of English Teachers. You have the first female member of the JDS baseball team and your greatest musical achievement of all is that you won Zimriyah two years in a row!!! Your involvement in activities both at JDS and in the community has been outstanding. 

You are courageous and caring. One of you has been involved in Teens with Heartsongs that supports Children's Hospital and who won an award for their leadership. You are a teacher in Dance Inclusive, have fostered dogs most of your life, fundraised for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and served on the youth philanthropy board of the CES Life Communities. One of you won an award in Israel for your service project bridging the gap between Muslim and Jewish girls in adjacent Jerusalem neighborhoods, You worked at a dog rescue center in Costa Rica, volunteered at Children’s National Medical Center, the Shriver School, the Ring House, the Hebrew Home, at Friendship Circle for developmentally challenged children, and as an inclusion counselor at the JCC day camp. One of you is a Volunteer for the Hey Sam Crisis Textline, a mental health crisis line for youth under 25. You have clearly shown that you live our school value of Tikkun Olam, reaching out to help those less fortunate.

So, Class of 2025, you may not be like other classes with an overarching characteristic. But you ARE special in your individuality and diversity of passions. So, my gift to you is a puzzle which symbolizes that individuality and shows the unity that holds your class together. Each piece represents your singularity, your distinct contribution to this class, and demonstrates that each one of you is indispensable to the whole of the Class of 2025. Without even one of you, the picture would be incomplete. 

I am so proud of you, Class of 2025. Together, you have created something truly special, and I know that as you move forward, you will continue to build, connect, and complete whatever puzzles come your way. Remember that while you are an individual, you always have a place in your larger picture—whether it’s your family, your community, or in the world itself. Take what you have learned from your teachers and your experience at JDS and go forward to the next step in your journey. 

Never underestimate the value of your special piece. You belong. You matter. And your contribution is crucial. So go out and make a difference because YOU CAN. We send you off with much pride, good wishes for happiness and success and lots of love. 

And now, it is an honor and privilege for me to announce the names of the uniquely special members of the Class of 2025 as they receive their diplomas.