During the fall soccer season, alumnus Jonathan Polon (‘92) watched with pride as his eighth-grade daughter stole the ball from a player on CESJDS’s rival team, Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy. The fact that his daughter was playing the same sport in the same place he did, only many years later, made the experience all the more meaningful.

Like her father, who not only played soccer, basketball and baseball, but also racked up regular and tournament championships; eighthgrader Anna Polon is an active participant in JDS sports. Though she has played softball since the spring of second grade, she hadn’t played soccer consistently until this year.

“My dad told me how much fun he had playing soccer at JDS and that I should give it a try,” Anna said. “ …I think it’s cool to know that we’re both doing the same thing, but a [long] time apart.”

Anna and Jonathan’s shared interest in athletics allows them to bond through practicing an activity that they both enjoy, together. Despite the fact that Jonathan does not play on sports teams anymore, he is a devoted supporter of Anna and her younger sister, Sophie’s sports. 

“I love seeing the excitement that they get out of it and the memories that they make playing with their friends,” Jonathan said. “ … The memories I made and the times I got to spend playing with my friends, I wouldn’t trade it, and to see them get the same thing is great.”

The Polon family is far from the only JDS family with a parent that played the same sports as their child. Athletic Director Becky Silberman estimates that there is at least one per sports season. To help alumni and students alike remember their achievements, their banners and trophies are displayed in the hallways and in the gym, dating back to the ’80s.

Among those alumni is Marshall Einhorn (‘94), whose love for sports is so great that he is the CEO of Maccabi USA. He was the JDS Athlete of the Year in 1992-93, was named PVAC All-Conference in all his sports, won two basketball championships with the JDS team in 1992-1994 and was inducted into the JDS hall of fame. Marshall has two high school children who are three-season athletes at JDS.

Freshman Ari Skolnick-Einhorn attributes his love of sports to his dad.

“[My dad] was the first person I ever played catch with or played basketball with. And I’m always watching sports with him,” Ari said. “… We’ve always been able to connect by playing outside, once or twice a week or just watching sports.”

Ari and his sister, senior Elana Skolnick-Einhorn, both played soccer and basketball this year. Elana played on the varsity softball team last year, and Ari hopes to play for the baseball team this year. Last year, Elana and the rest of the girls varsity soccer team won the division, and during softball season, Elana made the PVAC first team. This past soccer season, she made the PVAC second team. 

Marshall enjoys cheering his kids on and seeing the latest generation of athletes compete for his alma mater.

“It’s amazing. In some ways, the blink of an eye and your kids all of a sudden are in similar settings. You feel like it wasn’t too long that you were in there,” Marshall said. “But then for that all to take place at JDS is particularly meaningful, and some of their teammates are children of people I went to school with or played with and that adds even more meaning to it. And some of the parents are now grandparents and to see them on the sidelines is great.”