Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School
Encyclopedia
The Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, often referred to as CESJDS or JDS, is a private, pluralistic Jewish K-12
school in Rockville, Maryland
.
The school's namesake is Charles E. Smith
, a renowned local Jewish philanthropist and real estate magnate. The school was founded in 1969. The head of school is Jonathan Cannon.
With over 1,500 students, the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School is the largest private school in the D.C. area, according to the Washington Business Journal's 2007 Book of Lists, and is one of the largest Jewish day school
s in the world.
. Other notable facilities include the Great Books
Reading Room, "Field of Dreams" Playground
, technology labs, mobile tabletpc laptops, fully equipped science classrooms and an expansive library with two designated working classrooms.
Since 1976, the Lower School has undergone three major renovations. The school now occupies approximately 130000 square feet (12,077.4 m²) on 11 acres (44,515.5 m²) and houses over 700 Lower School students.
", is bracketed by imposing arches modeled on the archways in the ancient Jewish Quarter of Byzantine
Jerusalem. This main thoroughfare is a lively meeting ground for Middle
and High School
students and teachers. The main thoroughfare showcases student art and other similar 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—adapted to the space from one seen by seniors during their annual trip to Poland—frames the room. Jerusalem stone is featured throughout. Every doorpost in the school features a distinct mezuzah
, designating each space in the building an intimate extension of home.
Adaptability and flexibility are hallmarks of the school, and are reflected in the way classrooms are organized: table are used instead of individual desks, which can be configured for group discussions, computer labs, or learning in chavruta
(study partnerships). Each grade has a separate hallway so students can create their own informal communities-within-a-community. An atrium off the central skylit hallway is a place for picnic-style lunches, as well as subject review labs and mentoring sessions.
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 and dark room and a recording studio.
(prayer book). In the third grade, students begin to study Ivrit b'Ivrit, in which every class in Judaics is taught in Hebrew.
Inspiring a spiritual connection to Judaism is central in the elementary grades. A sense of celebration surrounds tefilah
. Children are encouraged to explore their ideas about God by exploring their own sense of connectedness to the world around them and their place in it. Most students take part in tefilah every day and a communal tefilah becomes central in the older grades.
The school believes that a connection to the state of Israel is integral to establishing a strong Jewish identity. By the fifth grade, the school begins to introduce the history and culture of Israel through classroom discussion, reading material and projects.
Pluralism and egalitarianism are expressed in the way CESJDS approaches study and prayer with respect given to the traditions of each family's practice are respected.
A challenging academic program is paralleled by the teaching of an appreciation for the spiritual and ethical guidance offered by Judaism. The school remains committed to creating a caring, moral community based on the tenet of "V’ahavta L’rayakcha" where each individual is respected for his uniqueness.
Central to students' experience at CESJDS is "Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Ba Zeh", "all of Israel is responsible for one another and for the community". A commitment to community service is paramount with 80 recorded hours required for graduation, though students regularly exceed this requirement.
Most departments offer three levels of High School courses: College Prep, Honors and Scholars. College Prep classes are rigorous and demanding, yet paced to promote the success of every student in our School. Honors classes offer students who are talented and interested in a particular discipline the opportunity to delve more deeply into the subject and to learn more sophisticated, discipline-oriented skills (e.g., literary criticism or mathematical reasoning). Scholars' classes offer gifted and dedicated students an intense academic experience. Although CESJDS does not offer AP courses because the school remains philosophically opposed to "teaching to a test", students occasionally take AP tests.
Middle school
High school
Theater performances
COLLAGE - Gold Medalist rating from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the highest medalist rating CSPA offers; First Place with Special Merit from the American Scholastic Press Association, the highest medalist rating ASPA offers.
MELTING POT - First Place with Special Merit from American Scholastic Press Association 12/2005.
LION'S TALE - earned a Gold Medal Certificate from Columbia Scholastic Press Association for the papers published between November 1, 2004 and November 1, 2005, an overall award for the paper.
Winter sports:
Spring sports:
Teams are usually divided into Varsity
and Junior Varsity
divisions. Many sports, such as Tennis and Volleyball, 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.
through the Alexander Muss High School in Israel were arrested by Israeli police in relation to the possession of marijuana. Student possession of marijuana was initially discovered by program guides, and the quantity, which was ultimately determined to be 3.3 pounds, was judged to be large enough to necessitate involving governmental authorities, according to Muss Institute headmaster Chaim Fischgrund. Drug experts cited in an article in the Jewish Standard
theorized that the students 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 program. Local police arrested two students on drug charges who were held overnight before being released.
In an interview with Washington Jewish Week, editor-in-chief Valerie Cohen characterized the administration's actions as effective censorship, and members of the editorial staff speculated that they were motivated by concerns over the school's image, and its link to fund-raising capabilities, rather than being motivated purely by journalistic values. As a means of balancing the school's agenda with the concerns of the editorial staff, the administration redistributed the newspaper to the student body via the ordinary pick-up stations in the central hallway but did not send it out to the parents as per their usual practice. This controversy was given prominent coverage in Washington Jewish Week
, the major newspaper of the greater Washington Jewish community. Journalism teacher and Lion's Tale faculty advisor Samantha Gendler did not return to the school the following year.
K-12
K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...
school in Rockville, Maryland
Rockville, Maryland
Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...
.
The school's namesake is Charles E. Smith
Charles E. Smith (developer)
Charles E. Smith was a real estate developer and philanthropist in the Washington DC area.-Life:Smith immigrated from Russia in 1911 speaking only Yiddish....
, a renowned local Jewish philanthropist and real estate magnate. The school was founded in 1969. The head of school is Jonathan Cannon.
With over 1,500 students, the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School is the largest private school in the D.C. area, according to the Washington Business Journal's 2007 Book of Lists, and is one of the largest Jewish day school
Jewish day school
A Jewish day school is a modern Jewish educational institution that is designed to provide Jewish children with both a Jewish and a secular education in one school on a full time basis, hence its name of "day school" meaning a school that the students attend for an entire day and not on a part time...
s in the world.
Campus
The school is separated into two distinct campuses; the Lower School campus houses kindergarten through sixth grade students, while the Upper School houses seventh 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
Two wings of the School exist side by side: K-2 and 3-6. Each encompasses its own facilities for individual and collaborative study. The oval Beit Midrash located at the entrance is regularly used for tefilahPrayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
. Other notable facilities include the Great Books
Great Books
Great Books refers primarily to a group of books that tradition, and various institutions and authorities, have regarded as constituting or best expressing the foundations of Western culture ; derivatively the term also refers to a curriculum or method of education based around a list of such books...
Reading Room, "Field of Dreams" Playground
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
, technology labs, mobile tabletpc laptops, fully equipped science classrooms and an expansive library with two designated working classrooms.
Since 1976, the Lower School has undergone three major renovations. The school now occupies approximately 130000 square feet (12,077.4 m²) on 11 acres (44,515.5 m²) and houses over 700 Lower School students.
The Upper School
A skylit central hallway, the "CardoCardo
The cardo was a north-south oriented street in Roman cities, military camps, and coloniae. The cardo, an integral component of city planning, was lined with shops and vendors, and served as a hub of economic life. The main cardo was called cardo maximus.Most Roman cities also had a Decumanus...
", is bracketed by imposing arches modeled on the archways in the ancient Jewish Quarter of Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
Jerusalem. This main thoroughfare is a lively meeting ground for Middle
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
and High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
students and teachers. The main thoroughfare showcases student art and other similar projects.
Throughout the structure are pieces of Jewish history
Jewish history
Jewish history is the history of the Jews, their religion and culture, as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions and cultures. Since Jewish history is over 4000 years long and includes hundreds of different populations, any treatment can only be provided in broad strokes...
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
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
, Neshamah (Soul), Kavanah (Spirit), Tikkun Olam
Tikkun olam
Tikkun olam is a Hebrew phrase that means "repairing the world." In Judaism, the concept of tikkun olam originated in the early rabbinic period...
(Repairing the World) and Rachamim (Compassion). A woodworking motif—adapted to the space from one seen by seniors during their annual trip to Poland—frames the room. Jerusalem stone is featured throughout. Every doorpost in the school features a distinct mezuzah
Mezuzah
A mezuzah is usually a metal or wooden rectangular object that is fastened to a doorpost of a Jewish house. Inside it is a piece of parchment inscribed with specified Hebrew verses from the Torah...
, designating each space in the building an intimate extension of home.
Adaptability and flexibility are hallmarks of the school, and are reflected in the way classrooms are organized: table are used instead of individual desks, which can be configured for group discussions, computer labs, or learning in chavruta
Chavruta
Chavruta, also spelled chavrusa , is a traditional Rabbinic approach to Talmudic study in which a pair of students independently learn, discuss, and debate a shared text. It is a primary learning method in yeshivas and kollels, where students often engage regular study partners of similar knowledge...
(study partnerships). Each grade has a separate hallway so students can create their own informal communities-within-a-community. An atrium off the central skylit hallway is a place for picnic-style lunches, as well as subject review labs and mentoring sessions.
Spaces for the arts and athletics include the Daniel Pearl
Daniel Pearl
Daniel Pearl was an American journalist who was kidnapped and killed by Al-Qaeda.At the time of his kidnapping, Pearl served as the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, and was based in Mumbai, India. He went to Pakistan as part of an investigation into the alleged links between...
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 and dark room and a recording studio.
Mission statement
The Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School of Greater Washington is an independent, community day school, serving students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The School is dedicated to creating an environment in which students can grow to their fullest potential as responsible and dedicated members of the Jewish people, and of American society. Based on six basic Jewish precepts, the school's mission is to teach its students:-
- Torah L’Shmah - תורה לשמה
- ...to become lifelong learners inspired by a love of "learning for the sake of learning" through a rigorous comprehensive academic program of General and Judaic studies which places a priority on critical, independent and creative thought and expression
-
- Ahavat Torah - אהבת תורה
- ...to understand and appreciate the wisdom, spiritual depth and ethical guidance of Judaism.
-
- K’dushah - קדושה
- ...to understand and appreciate the perception of God's presence in the awe and wonder of our world, and how we can sanctify our lives through the practice and experience of the Mitzvot.
-
- Ahavat Yisrael - אהבת ישראל
- ...to form an inextricable bond with the Jewish people - past, present and future - to foster a sense of commitment to the State of Israel, and to appreciate and master the Hebrew language as the language of the Jewish people.
-
- V’ahavta L’Rayakha - ואהבת לרעך
- ...to create a caring, moral community based upon the concepts of B’tzelem Elokim (each individual is created in the image of God) and Derekh Eretz (ethical decency) in which members respect each other's uniqueness and preciousness and are responsible for each other and the community.
-
- Tikun Olam - תקון עולם
- ...to be passionate about preserving God's world and making it a more compassionate, just and peaceful place through individual and collective commitment to programs of social action and public policy.
Lower School curriculum
Lower School students spend 60 percent of their day in General Studies and 40 percent in Judaic studies. In addition to a core curriculum, the academic calendar is dotted with holiday celebrations, visiting artists days, field trips and important school "life cycle" events. During the high holidays, JDS students often have 40% of the month of September or October off.Judaic Studies
Lower School students are introduced to Judaics and Hebrew through a combination of classroom instruction and experiences. The study of Hebrew begins with Tal Am, a curriculum based on creating a visual and oral environment for learning. By the end of their first grade, children are comfortable reading out of the siddurSiddur
A siddur is a Jewish prayer book, containing a set order of daily prayers. This article discusses how some of these prayers evolved, and how the siddur, as it is known today has developed...
(prayer book). In the third grade, students begin to study Ivrit b'Ivrit, in which every class in Judaics is taught in Hebrew.
Inspiring a spiritual connection to Judaism is central in the elementary grades. A sense of celebration surrounds tefilah
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
. Children are encouraged to explore their ideas about God by exploring their own sense of connectedness to the world around them and their place in it. Most students take part in tefilah every day and a communal tefilah becomes central in the older grades.
The school believes that a connection to the state of Israel is integral to establishing a strong Jewish identity. By the fifth grade, the school begins to introduce the history and culture of Israel through classroom discussion, reading material and projects.
Pluralism and egalitarianism are expressed in the way CESJDS approaches study and prayer with respect given to the traditions of each family's practice are respected.
Upper School curriculum
Upper School students follows a nine-period curriculum (run on a block schedule with 6 periods per day). The Upper School's academic focus is based on Torah L'Shmah, teaching students to "become lifelong learners, inspired by a love of learning for the sake of learning". The school places a priority on critical, independent and creative thought and expression in the classroom.A challenging academic program is paralleled by the teaching of an appreciation for the spiritual and ethical guidance offered by Judaism. The school remains committed to creating a caring, moral community based on the tenet of "V’ahavta L’rayakcha" where each individual is respected for his uniqueness.
Central to students' experience at CESJDS is "Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Ba Zeh", "all of Israel is responsible for one another and for the community". A commitment to community service is paramount with 80 recorded hours required for graduation, though students regularly exceed this requirement.
High school
Designed to prepare students for high achievement in college and in life, the dual-curriculum academic program for the High School is challenging. Students take from seven to nine academic courses within a rotating block schedule; a regular school day has six one-hour periods, and each class meets twice every three days. In order to ensure a solid foundation in both Judaic and General Studies, the school requires three Judaic and four General Studies core courses and two electives each year. Since all students take Hebrew, electives include Romance language courses as well as courses in the arts. The ninth course may be another core course, an elective, or a Study Hall.Most departments offer three levels of High School courses: College Prep, Honors and Scholars. College Prep classes are rigorous and demanding, yet paced to promote the success of every student in our School. Honors classes offer students who are talented and interested in a particular discipline the opportunity to delve more deeply into the subject and to learn more sophisticated, discipline-oriented skills (e.g., literary criticism or mathematical reasoning). Scholars' classes offer gifted and dedicated students an intense academic experience. Although CESJDS does not offer AP courses because the school remains philosophically opposed to "teaching to a test", students occasionally take AP tests.
"Early" graduation
The Upper School curriculum is designed through a unique method whereby all High School seniors graduate after the fall semester, as opposed to continuing through the spring and graduating in May or June, as is the practice at most local schools. Students complete their High School studies in late January and graduate in early February, after which they are given the choice to go on two school-sponsored trips that mix education and tourism. The first trip is a week-long visit to Eastern Europe, during which recent graduates tour Poland and Prague, visiting concentration camps (including Treblinka, Auschwitz and Terezin), ghettos and other former centers of Jewish life destroyed by the Holocaust. Students then have the option of continuing on a three-month, whirlwind tour of Israel, guided by the Alexander Muss High School in Israel. The trip begins in Eastern Europe and concludes in Israel to emphasize the importance of the State of Israel in the history of the Jewish people, especially after the Holocaust. "Love of Israel" is also an integral part of the school's mission statement, and this trip ensures that all students who graduate from the Upper School will have an opportunity to visit Israel. The majority of graduating seniors routinely choose to embark on both trips.Performing arts
- A cappella Choir (Shir Madness)
- After School Jazz Band
- Art Club
- Ceramics Club
- School Newspaper
- Media/Video Club
- Theater Tech Club
- Video/Photo Club
Middle school
- Collage Literary Magazine
- Musical Performance
- Middle School Knesset
- Chess Club
High school
- STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition (social action club)
- Lion's Tale (school newspaper)
- Loa Ha’ari (Hebrew literary magazine)
- Melting Pot (Romance language magazine)
- Reflections (Literary magazine)
- Women's Choir
- Grade Government (representation from each grade)
- Gay-Straight Alliance
- Junior Statesmen of America
- Business Club
- HaDaSh (community service club)
- Debate Team
- Mock Trial Team (Circuit Champions in 2009)
Theater performances
- Fall Play
- Winter Musical
- Spring Workshops
Literary awards
REFLECTIONS - received a Gold Medalist rating from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association for its 2005 edition, the highest medalist rating CSPA offers; its Superior rank in the 2005 NCTE Program which Recognizes Excellence in Student Literary Magazines (out of 486 schools in the state of Maryland, Reflections was rated second in the entire State)COLLAGE - Gold Medalist rating from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the highest medalist rating CSPA offers; First Place with Special Merit from the American Scholastic Press Association, the highest medalist rating ASPA offers.
MELTING POT - First Place with Special Merit from American Scholastic Press Association 12/2005.
LION'S TALE - earned a Gold Medal Certificate from Columbia Scholastic Press Association for the papers published between November 1, 2004 and November 1, 2005, an overall award for the paper.
Athletics
Fall sports:- Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- Boys' Soccer (middle school also)
- Girls' Soccer (middle school also)
- Girls' VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
(middle school also)
Winter sports:
- Boys' BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
(middle school also) - Girls' Basketball
- Boys' Wrestling
- Dance team
- Coed ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
(club)
Spring sports:
- BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
(middle school also) - GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
(middle school also) - TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
- Track and FieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
- Boys' VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
Teams are usually divided into Varsity
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
and Junior Varsity
Junior varsity
Primarily in North America, junior varsity or JV players are the members of a team who are not the main players in a competition , usually at the high school and college levels in the United States and Canada. The main players comprise the varsity team...
divisions. Many sports, such as Tennis and Volleyball, have boys' and girls' divisions. Almost all teams practice daily and compete with teams from other schools, primarily other schools within the Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
private school community.
Student marijuana arrests in Israel
In April 2006, three seniors who were participating in the school-sponsored program in IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
through the Alexander Muss High School in Israel were arrested by Israeli police in relation to the possession of marijuana. Student possession of marijuana was initially discovered by program guides, and the quantity, which was ultimately determined to be 3.3 pounds, was judged to be large enough to necessitate involving governmental authorities, according to Muss Institute headmaster Chaim Fischgrund. Drug experts cited in an article in the Jewish Standard
Jewish Standard
The Jewish Standard is a newspaper based in Teaneck, New Jersey, USA, that serves the Jewish community in Bergen County. The Jewish Standard was founded in 1931 and is the oldest Jewish weekly in New Jersey....
theorized that the students 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 program. Local police arrested two students on drug charges who were held overnight before being released.
Student newspaper censorship controversy
In November 2009, a conflict arose between the Upper School administration and the editorial staff of the school's student-run newspaper, the Lion's Tale, over the November 9 issue and the administration's controlling of its availability and distribution. Violating the ordinary practice at the school, copies of the issue were removed from pick-up stations around the school by members of the administration, and mail distribution of the issue to members of the JDS community was prevented. Headmaster Jonathan Cannon stated that these actions were justified due to an overall poor quality of the issue, in which numerous articles contained glaring grammatical and typographical errors, and were characterized by a negative bias against the school. Particularly at issue were articles reporting on class size increases, teacher attitudes regarding technologies in the school, and the folding of the French program, which was covered by three separate articles within the paper.In an interview with Washington Jewish Week, editor-in-chief Valerie Cohen characterized the administration's actions as effective censorship, and members of the editorial staff speculated that they were motivated by concerns over the school's image, and its link to fund-raising capabilities, rather than being motivated purely by journalistic values. As a means of balancing the school's agenda with the concerns of the editorial staff, the administration redistributed the newspaper to the student body via the ordinary pick-up stations in the central hallway but did not send it out to the parents as per their usual practice. This controversy was given prominent coverage in Washington Jewish Week
Washington Jewish Week
Washington Jewish Week is an award-winning independent community weekly newspaper whose logo reads, "Serving the nation's capital and the greater Washington Jewish community since 1930." Its main office is located in Rockville, Maryland, a Maryland suburb of the District of Columbia.Over the...
, the major newspaper of the greater Washington Jewish community. Journalism teacher and Lion's Tale faculty advisor Samantha Gendler did not return to the school the following year.
Notable alumni
- Natalie PortmanNatalie PortmanNatalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
(through 1st grade) - Samuel SheinbeinSamuel SheinbeinSamuel Sheinbein, born in 1980, is an American convicted murderer. In September 1997, Sheinbein and a former classmate at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Aaron Benjamin Needle, killed Alfredo Enrique Tello, Jr. then dismembered and burned his body in Aspen Hill, Maryland...
- Ben Saypol
- The two original members of The Max Levine EnsembleThe Max Levine EnsembleThe Max Levine Ensemble is a DIY punk band from the Washington, DC metropolitan area. They play punk rock with various pop influences, and often have politically conscious lyrics. They used to have a rotating band roster that changed from tour to tour depending upon who could go...
, David Combs and Benjamin Epstein - Jeremy BashJeremy BashJeremy B. Bash is the Chief of Staff to Leon Panetta, the Secretary of Defense. He was given the position in July 2011, at the same time as Panetta. He previously held the same position at the Central Intelligence Agency.-Biography:...