In the 1960s, leaders in the Washington Jewish community set out on a mission to form a conservative Jewish day school for the future. Fifty years later, CESJDS will launch a fundraising initiative to plan for the 50 years to come.

The “Building Our Future” endowment campaign, officially beginning in May, is the largest fundraising campaign in JDS history. According to Director of Development Sharon Metro Roll, the 50th anniversary is a “wonderful time” to build up the endowment.

The endowment is targeted for the growth of the school in three areas: Jewish student life and community, success in academic studies and accessibility.

“As we continue to grow the endowment, it will also enable us to provide enough tuition assistance so that all families that want to attend CESJDS will be able to do so,” Metro Roll said in an email.

The goal is to add to the existing $15 million endowment, raising between $25 million and $36 million during the “Building Our Future” campaign. When benefactors contribute to the endowment campaign, they get to choose to donate to a program or a department from a list of commemorative naming opportunities. The interest on the donation is used to fund the program itself, while the rest of the money is kept in the endowment.

Ruth and Samuel Salzberg, grandparents of junior Zoe Salzberg, were founding members of Ohr Kodesh Congregation. Fifty years ago, they helped raise funds for building JDS with their rabbi.

The Salzberg family was one of the first contributors to the “Building Our Future” campaign. On Oct. 7, 2015, the Upper School Science Department Chair was named in honor of Ruth and Samuel after a recent contribution from the Ruth and Samuel Salzberg Foundation. The Salzbergs chose to name the Science Department Chair because of their family’s work in the medical field.

“We feel great satisfaction knowing that this gift is precisely the way our parents would want this money spent,” Arthur Salzberg, son of Ruth and Samuel, said in an email. “The gift connects one generation to the next, ‘L’dor vador nagid godlecha’ and we draw deep satisfaction knowing that our parents fully believed that.”

For Zoe, the 50th anniversary is an indication of JDS’ commitment to Jewish education.

“[The 50th anniversary and commemoration of the science department chair] reminds me to always value Jewish education … and the significance of the impact that JDS has had on my life,” Zoe said.