Letter from Rachel Fish, Board President

It is a gift to be a part of our JCDS community. Not just a gift for our children, but also a gift to our parent body and faculty. We are living in an increasingly divisive world with less opportunity to engage with differences in a meaningful and empathetic manner; a world where identity politics define one’s ideological and political orientation and leaves little to no room for true questioning and authentic curiosity; a world in which a single misstep can result in personal and professional cancellation without opportunity for growth and reflection. For me, JCDS is a living and breathing laboratory that refuses to cow to these trends and societal pressures. Our aspiration and north star are to teach our children, and model through our own actions, how to live with complexity despite living in a world that often seeks to flatten nuance. We aspire to hold multiple perspectives rather than assume our version is the only one that matters. Our ambition is to foster deep and substantive connection honoring the “I-Thou” relationship that philosopher Martin Buber embodied. It is through seeing each individual for who they are and what they possess that allows the building of enduring relationships and a connected community. The kindness of our school’s leadership, its faculty, staff, parents, and children, is not to be taken for granted in a world where even basic pleasantries are few and far between. Whether it is Middle Schoolers holding the hands of Gan Nitzaners, 8th graders demonstrating to Lower School children how to participate in t’fillah, or teachers joyfully escorting children to buses at the end of the school day; these moments cannot be taken for granted as they are not necessarily the ways in which life exists outside of our JCDS community. All of this educational work is done intentionally being rooted in Jewish values, traditions, and histories. During this time of year we hear the shrill, clarion call from the shofar – a moment of stillness and awakening. There is a sense of being part of a greater whole, an acknowledgment of the ancient tradition which has aroused so many of our people to heed this call as a reminder of where we have been, where we are, and where we must go. My blessing to our children, and for each member of our community, is to remember our roots and from where we come, thereby providing the foundation for wherever life’s journey takes us. May this be our northstar now and forever more.