Sam Sharp 

Varsity Boys Basketball 

Starting point guard and two-time varsity captain Sam Sharp is looking forward to his fourth and final season of CESJDS basketball . As Sharp’s freshman year was during the height of the pandemic,  there were limited practices and no games. During his sophomore and junior years, the JDS Lions made it to the championship and semifinal games respectively, before losing to Sandy Spring Friends School both times. 

One of Sharp’s best games was a game in Toronto against a team from Israel called Leo Baeck. He had ten points, five assists, and five rebounds, and played well all around with his teammates. Sharp is confident that his team will make another finals appearance this year and plans to use his past experience and losses as momentum towards a winning season. 

“I’m definitely excited for the new team dynamic,” Sharp said. “The last two years we’ve had a pretty similar team and I think it’ll be exciting, for me at least to have new teammates that I’ve never played with before and continue to play the role as a captain and get us the best looks we can and become the best possible team we can.”

In regards to playing in the future, Sharp is in contact with one college right now, but besides that he plans to continue playing club or intramural in college.

Shani Schwartz 

Varsity Girls Basketball 

Five-year varsity player and senior Shani Shwartz, is excited for her final season at JDS. Schwartz began playing on the varsity team in eighth-grade and went on to lead her team to victory during a close game against Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy in the 2023 PVAC championship game only three years later. “I’m feeling better about Berman this year than last. … [I expect] to win again,” Schwartz said. 

Last year Schwartz scored her 1,000th point of her high school career in the quarter-finals game against the Washington Waldorf School. She is the starting point guard and, as of last season, the leading scorer for her team in every game. 

Since elementary school, Schwartz has played on various club teams including Potomac Valley Thunder and Classics Basketball. While Schwartz hopes to continue her basketball career after high school, she can’t wait for what this season has to offer. Schwartz plans on taking her team all the way to another championship win in her second year as a captain. 

“I’m excited,” Schwartz said. “I think we have a good group of girls that have been together for a while and a bunch of new players coming that will make it very exciting.” 

Ethan Safra 

Winter Track 

Senior Ethan Safra is a track and cross country runner who hopes to have fun and embrace his last chance to represent JDS on the track team. Safra has been running since sixth-grade and has spent seven years working to become a better runner and athlete. Over the summer, Safra kept in shape by running five days a week in order to stay ready for the coming season.

Safra is hoping to improve his personal record during the coming season. One of Safra’s best meets was the PVAC championships last year, which JDS won. Safra’s 5K personal record (PR) is 18:24. 

“It’s my last chance to PR … and just embrace my last season on the team,” Safra said. During winter track Safra races the 400 and 800 meter, but in the fall Safra competes in the 5K.  Safra does not plan to keep running competitively in college, but  is glad he took up running and got a chance to represent JDS for the past seven years. 

Jordan Levy  

Swimming 

Senior Jordan Levy has been swimming since he joined a summer team in first-grade and has been on the JDS team since eighth-grade. The swim team is small meaning they often do not do well at swim meets, but last year the boys ranked second in the PVAC. 

Even though the team is not super competitive, “we always have fun together,” Levy said. “We have a good atmosphere, we have a good team.” The JDS team practices outside starting in November and ending in February, so it’s always cold, but the team always pulls it together and has a good practice. 

Levy competes in the 50 and 100 meter freestyle and the 100 meter breaststroke. As a captain of the team for the second year in a row, Levy leads his team in warmups before practices and meets. Even though Levy does not plan to continue swimming competitively after graduation, he hopes to continue swimming laps for fun after this season ends. 

“I’m looking forward to picking my co-captain, … and I’m also looking forward to hanging out with the team and having fun,” Levy said.

Dalya Brickman 

Dance Team

Senior Dalya Brickman has been dancing since she was only two years old. She’s danced ballet, jazz, modern, tap, hip hop, contemporary and even pointe. Brickman has never been on any competition teams, but she has participated in and represented many intense performance studios including Maryland School of Dance and Unity Dance and Movement. 

Brickman joined the JDS dance club sophomore year, officially being on the team for the past two years. As one of three captains, Brickman helps choreograph and teach the dances. The dance performance team is very small, with only 13 members. Brickman says she’s met some of her best friends on the team and encourages others to join. “It’s a good way for me to decompress from school,” Brickman said “After school I can just have dance team.” 

Brickman has already started choreographing the dances for this year, including dances to Barbie World and Speed Drive for a Kab Shab performance before winter break.  

“I’m excited. It’s senior year. I want to make the performances as good as possible,” Brickman said.