As Dor L’Dor guests walk into the Upper School Campus, they are greeted by faculty and parent volunteers and given the schedules of the students they are visiting. On May 17, CESJDS held its annual Dor L’Dor Day, which translates to “generation to generation.” Each year on Dor L’Dor, JDS grandparents and other special guests shadow students through their classes for the day. This gives many an opportunity to get a glimpse at what their grandchildren or family members do on a daily basis.
The Berman brothers, seventh-grade student Zachary, freshman Caleb and junior Jonah, put on their tefillin, as per their custom, with their grandfather Gary Berman prior to praying in Masorti minyan during Zman Kodesh. The Bermans’ grandparents have visited on Dor L’Dor Day every year since Jonah was in kindergarten, he said. Every year they have visited, they have made sure to split their time between their grandsons. “They love seeing JDS, seeing how it operates and meeting all the wonderful teachers. They are always very proud of what I’m doing and what I’m learning,” Jonah said. “… They’re always happy to see JDS and see our Jewish education because it is really important to them.”
Students, faculty and visitors gather for the weekly Kabbalat Shabbat (Kab Shab) assembly. Dean of Experiential Leadership and Service Learning and math teacher Tori Ball organizes the assembly each week. At the assembly, juniors Noam Klein and Abby Chesman gave a D’var Torah about the week’s Torah portion Emor, Shir Madness performed “Nachamu” and, in light of Dor L’Dor, two students briefly shared their family histories. “I think that Kabb Shabb is one of the most special things we do here regularly. It’s so nice that we’re able to join together as a community every week,” Ball said. “…So I would certainly want, if visitors are present, for them to get to see those things.”
In his math class, sophomore Oliver Silver explains a practice problem to his grandparents and fills them in on what he has learned this year. While it may be hard for students to appreciate it, Ball said that visitors are able to appreciate learning different information since many no longer attend school. Even if guests don’t always understand the material, and often cannot participate in the lesson as a result, Ball has found that every Dor L’Dor Day, many visitors are proud to see their grandchildren or family members working on something elaborate.
Joined by two generations of guests, sophomore Jennifer Kelner was visited by her aunt, Nora Endlich, and grandmother,\ Judith Endlich for Dor L’Dor Day this year. Although she enjoys visiting any of her grandchildren’s classes, Judith especially loves going to their Hebrew and Bible classes because she’s Israeli and speaks Hebrew, meaning that she can participate to a greater extent. “It’s important to be supportive of my grandchildren,” Judith said. “I taught in a Hebrew day school … so that is another reason why I’d like to see how this [Jewish day] school is operating. From a professional point of view, I like to see what is going on here. I like to compare … and I am very impressed.”
While her students review for their upcoming test, Ball explains some of the content to sophomore Malka Lederman’s grandfather, Howard Leder, as he was interested in learning more. Ball enjoys having visitors on Dor L’Dor Day because “it is nice to show off the school a little bit” and have a chance to show visitors what goes on in JDS classrooms. “I definitely think that visitors, when they do choose to participate and ask questions, are really demonstrating Torah Lishma [learning for learning’s sake],” Ball said. “…It’s just such a good demonstration to young people [the students] of what it’s like to be a lifelong learner, what it’s like to be interested and remember different things. I am hopeful that it gives students an opportunity to reflect on that this [high school] is a really special and particular time in your life.”
