Wall of Gratitude
Our Ma’ayan, a natural spring, sustains our community's roots and nourishes us with a deep appreciation for our Jewish heritage. At the CESJDS, our educational journey is deeply rooted in tradition.
The Ma'ayan Annual Campaign extends beyond fundraising; it embodies a collective endeavor to nurture and celebrate the distinctive qualities of CESJDS.
We invite you to share with us what you love most about CESJDS.
We love the community at JDS - the teachers, administrators, students, and parents make JDS a wonderful place.
-Andrew Knutsen, CESJDS Parent
I love that my child gets an excellent academic and Jewish education.
-Ayelet Hines, CESJDS Parent
Before attending JDS, our daughter never participated in class. Now she comes home and enthusiastically tells us about her class discussions and how she contributed. It's truly amazing!.Paulette and Joshua Kaffee, CESJDS Parents
Thank you CESJDS for making our daughter’s Kindergarten year amazing and a wonderful start to her formal Jewish education. Special shout outs to Miss Shoshana, Miss Courtney and Mora Sivan. Team Gan Gefen, along with the rest of the faculty and staff do amazing work. We are proud to be a CESJDS family!
-Jay and Jan Feldman, CESJDS Parents
We love how well our kids have flourished at JDS. They've felt at home there since kindergarten/Gurim, and we'd never consider sending them anywhere else.
- Stewart, Barbara, Alexander, and Zachary Bushman, CESJDS Parents
We are grateful for all that the teachers, administrators, and coaches at CES-JDS have done to instill a love of Judaism in our grandchildren. Their educational experience has been exemplary.Marsha and Seth Bernstein, CESJDS Grandparents
We are truly grateful to the leadership, staff, and volunteers at CESJDS for creating such an exceptional environment filled with a love of learning and connection to community.
-Jana and Jeremy Sharp, CESJDS Parents
The school has cemented my children's identity as Jewish Americans - which is so important in the current environment.
- Debbi and Ethan Schultz, CESJDS Parents
Our kids not only learn the how's and why's of living Jewishly at JDS, but are guided to connect with the deep well of joy that emerges through their experiencing the beauty and meaning of a Jewish life lived in a caring and supportive Jewish community.Jordan and Shulie Hersh, CESJDS Parents
Jds is such a warm, nurting and loving school! We feel welcomed every time we visit and feel so blessed to be here. Our favorite times are at Kabbalat Shabbat when we bring our entire family and sing!
-Rebecca and Nathan '01 Bortnick, CESJDS Parents
We are grateful to be part of the warm and loving community that is JDS. While there are many things that distinguish JDS, it is the teachers that stand out most. We have been blown away by the commitment, dedication, expertise and care that JDS teachers exhibit every day. The degree to which our child is known, cared for and pushed to succeed and do and be his best is what we love most about JDS!
- Natalie and Ethan Selzer, CESJDS Parents and Former Faculty/Staff
Whether instilling a love and connection to Judaism and Israel or learning to write letters and read, everything is done with intentionality and a deep desire to develop the right values in each student. It has been just a pleasure to watch our son develop a tremendous joy for learning since starting at JDS that we hope stays with him for a lifetime.Natalie and Jay Lefkowitz, CESJDS Parents
CESJDS inspires our son to be his best. We feel like JDS is an extended part of our family - with faculty and teachers sharing strong values, high ethics and creating a nurturing environment for children and young adults to thrive. Thank you for helping us raise our son to be thoughtful, kind and a strong advocate for Israel. René and Charl Marais, CESJDS Parents
From the moment you walk in the door at JDS, you feel supported and welcomed into the community.
-Dara and Scott Freling, CESJDS Parents
We love JDS for the solid Jewish education!
- Dalya and Edward Luttwak, CESJDS Alum Parents
A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the incredible teachers, coaches, and administrators at CEDJDS for the invaluable work you do every day. Your unwavering commitment to nurturing our students, instilling in them Jewish values, and fostering a love for Israel is truly remarkable. Your dedication not only shapes young minds but also shapes the future of our community. Thank you for being such an integral part of our students' lives and for your tireless efforts in creating a nurturing and inspiring learning environment.Connie and Erik Lindenauer, CESJDS Parents
JDS gave our daughter the values, education and life skills to thrive in college not only academically, but to build a strong Jewish community for herself, and to dedicate herself to volunteer and lead in many aspects of campus life. She received an award from the School of Public Health as a Deans Outstanding Senior Scholar and will graduate next week summa cum laude from University of Maryland! Thank you JDS !
-Rabbi Irving and Fran Elson, CESJDS Alum Parents
JDS provided a warm environment to learn, where teachers encouraged students to challenge themselves. JDS instilled values that I practice daily and helped shape my Jewish identity, including my connection to Israel.
- Sari '08 and Jordan Auerbach, CESJDS Alumni
We love the community that creates a warm, supportive, empowering space for our kids to learn and grow.Joanna and Roee Snir CESJDS Parents
We love the feeling of community as the children and adults go through that Jewish calendar of holidays, celebrations, and commemorations, always focused on child-centered, age appropriate development and growth! We love the people, the places, the memories! We love knowing Freddy since he helped me walk in as a lower school student in the '80s. We love the music, the art, the ruach, and the love of Israel.
-Caryn Mervis '99 and Daniel Moshinsky, CESJDS Parents
My two daughters received a wonderful rich education from JDS. I believe that their strong love and commitment to Israel and their acts of tikkun olam are a result of what they learned there for many years. I taught at JDS and love the students, parents and faculty. JDS has my heart.
- Rhonda Kleiner, CESJDS Alum Parent and Former Faculty/Staff
We love the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School. At the Upper School our children have benefited from academics that propel them to higher achievement and Judaic studies that ground them in their history and traditions. We also appreciate the thoughtful and research-based approach to students' social and emotional needs during these vibrant, dynamic years of adolescence. Our whole family has been enhanced by the inclusive community at the school. We have been impressed with the breadth and depth of the classwork, the extra-curricular opportunities and the devotion and expertise of the staff and administration. The school took our child's pre-pubescent "meh" approach to the world around him and turned him into a "mensch" who is engaged with and committed to his peers and community.Anna and Michael Janson, CESJDS Parents
They have taken the time to get to know my children and not just their challenges in the classroom
-Christine Beresinova, CESJDS Parents