With just seven students, the Jewish Day School of Greater Washington held their first class in September of 1965 in the basement of Ohr Kodesh Congregation in Chevy Chase. Today, 60 years later, the seven-person class has transformed into a 858 student, two campus, pre-K through 12th school named the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School.
In honor of this milestone, there will be a series of 60th anniversary celebrations throughout the school year. According to Head of School Rabbi Mitchel Malkus, rather than holding a single exclusive and expensive gala, the goal is to make every celebration accessible and inclusive.
“We’ll celebrate the school, we’ll note the history of the school, and it’ll be an opportunity to sort of mark this moment and also think about the future,” Malkus said. “We’re thinking about it in a way that we felt matched the moment.”
The 60th anniversary is particularly meaningful for Malkus, who is marking several personal milestones. This is his 25th year as a head of school and his 13th and last year at JDS.
To mark these celebrations, the school has introduced a 60th anniversary logo, adding the number 60 and connecting the numbers with an infinity sign to symbolize both the history and continuity of the school. Alongside it is the tagline “Celebrating 60 Years and Counting,” which, according to Malkus, is a reminder that this anniversary is not an endpoint. It also echoes the Jewish birthday wish “May you live till 120,” referencing the age Moses died and expressing hope for continued growth and longevity.
According to Director of Development Sarah Shapiro, a large focus of the 60th anniversary is re-engaging alumni. The alumni network is being rebranded to be more inclusive by extending beyond graduates to also include alumni parents and former faculty. The idea is to recognize JDS as a student, family and multi-generational experience.
As part of this effort, the development department is planning programs such as Alumni-in-Residence initiatives where they will bring back graduates as experts, speakers and panelists for the school. Additionally, they are continuing the Legends From the Lion’s Den celebration, an event that started last year for alumni to come back to the school to reconnect with teachers and friends and celebrate the school’s growth. At this event, they will also be introducing a new David Topol ’84 (z”l) Alumni Leadership Award winner and inducting new alumni into the JDS Alumni Sports Hall of Fame.
“We want to bring our alumni network in and bring them into the building to feel that JDS magic and to reignite that JDS feeling, being in the building and being around students who are experiencing what they experienced in their time,” Shapiro said. “So it really is important for us to bring as many people as we can into the building to be able to reconnect … But it’s not just about nostalgia. It’s also about giving [and] paying it forward.”
Shapiro adds that the 60th anniversary also seeks to strengthen connections among current families and students. Inclusive events like a reimagined all-parent social dubbed “S’more Than A School” will be held, where there will be firepits, appetizers, music and s’mores. The anniversary will also be woven into existing student traditions so that it feels like a natural part of the school year. According to Shapiro, these student initiatives are not finalized. But when they are, they will be shared with the JDS community.
For many, the 60th anniversary also carries deep personal meaning. Eighth grade student Eliana Zuckerman, whose family has been connected to JDS for three generations, feels that the school has shaped her sense of identity and belonging. Her grandmother, Director of Upper School Educational Support Services Sue Zuckerman, has been working at the school since 1984. Since then, she has founded the Lion’s Tale, and all four of her children have attended JDS.
“I’m very proud that not only that my family has a strong connection with the school, but also that I can proudly express my Jewish identity in a pro-Israel school without the fear of antisemitism or discrimination,” Eliana said.
According to Shapiro, during this moment of leadership transition, the community needs to remember that JDS has been a place of care, how it has grown and evolved over the years, and the importance of bringing together generations of students, families and alumni.
“We want the community outside of JDS to see JDS as an anchoring institution, a place that is very firm in what it values, what it stands for, and [that] is looking to the future to see as our world rapidly changes,” Shapiro said.
