Irene and Daniel Simpkins Senior Capstone Israel Trip

The Irene and Daniel Simpkins Senior Capstone Israel Trip is a unique and extraordinary adventure. Following their February graduation, students travel together to Eastern Europe and Israel, where they spend the semester living, learning, exploring and celebrating together.

They follow the historic footprints of their ancient and modern forbearers, uncover the magnificence and tragedy of Eastern European Jewish life, and discover the vibrant culture of modern Israel. Guided by teachers from the Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI), students:

  • Learn about nature and the environment, debate the complex challenges facing the State of Israel

  • Explore various approaches to Judaism, and volunteer their energy and skills alongside students from around the world.

  • Hike, bike, dance, and swim, while challenging themselves to new levels of personal growth.

CESJDS seniors develop independence, while strengthening their ties to one another and their community. They learn to live abroad and process new life experiences within the familiar intellectual, social, and spiritual context that distinguished their high school years. More than a trip, the Senior Capstone Trips are a joyous and life-altering step on the journey of self-discovery.

Experience the Trip

2023

2022

2020

AMHSI

AMHSICESJDS partners with the Alexander Muss High School in Israel (AMHSI) to coordinate our trips to Europe and Israel. AMHSI is a pluralistic, college-prep, international study abroad program for high school students where the land of Israel is a living classroom.

Students experience the core curriculum, taught by our renowned educators, as they explore 4,000 years of Jewish and Israel history by climbing Masada with the Romans, fighting the Crusaders at Belvoir, or hearing the mystics at Tzfat.

Based at our Hod HaSharon campus, students live a college campus-like lifestyle where they enjoy independence within a structured system supported by professional staff and dedicated counselors. Students develop lifelong learning and leadership skills and form strong friendships that last a lifetime within our diverse student body.

CESJDS greatly appreciates the support from the following endowed funds to provide scholarships for students to attend the Irene and Daniel Simpkins Senior Capstone Israel Trip:

  • Jacob Behrman Memorial Fund Scholarship Endowment
  • Sondra and Howard Bender Endowment Fund
  • Dr. Maurice Berger Memorial Fund for Scholarship Endowment
  • Class of 1999 Endowment
  • Family Deposit Endowment
  • Jacob Heckman Memorial Fund for Scholarship Endowment
  • The Jewish National Fund USA and Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School Scholarship Fund for the Alexander Muss High School in Israel.
  • Donna and Ronald Oser Family Endowment
  • Eileen J. and Laurence E. Rubin Memorial Fund for Scholarship Endowment
  • Schonfeld Family Endowment in Memory of Gustav and Miriam Schonfeld
  • Irene and Daniel Simpkins Israel Education Fund