After waiting in a long line on a rainy May 17, students made their way into a brightly colored ice cream shop. After asking for their favorite flavor, they savored a cold and sweet dessert as it melted away in their mouths.

Celebrity Scoop Night, a fundraiser during which students and their families can buy ice cream served by CESJDS staff members, was started around 10 years ago by PTO member Lynn Morgan. Morgan wanted to organize an event similar to public schools’ restaurant nights and to “capture some of that enthusiasm,” but in a kosher shop. The Cabin John Baskin Robbins, a certified kosher ice cream shop, fit that criteria.

Each year, there are more than 40 faculty and staff volunteers scooping.

“It’s a really nice cross-section of participation between the Upper School and the Lower School [faculty],” Morgan said.

According to Morgan, teachers and faculty members who volunteer for the event are provided with a yellow t-shirt they can wear throughout the school day. Doing so allows them to simultaneously dress-down while promoting the event to students.

Over time, Scoop Night has gained popularity among both students and teachers. According to Morgan, when the PTO writes about Scoop Night in the faculty communications, there are instant responses from teachers asking if they can sign up.

Additionally, Morgan said that the interaction between students and teachers involved in the fundraiser is what differentiates Scoop Night from other school fundraisers and has helped increase its popularity.

“One cannot put a numerical value on the tremendous value that [Scoop Night] raises in terms of community-building and just people having a really fun feeling of watching their teachers,” Morgan said. “People, particularly the younger people, really value when [their] teacher is going to be scooping. They come at the exact time that their teachers are scheduled to scoop, and they only want ice cream from that teacher.”

Freshmen Chen Etzion agreed that the social aspects of Scoop Night were what made her decide to attend the event. Additionally, Etzion said that the relationship with teachers is “more personal” and meaningful when you see them outside of school.

According to Etzion, Scoop Night not only increases interaction between students and teachers, but also allows students to come together as a community.

“It’s really fun to eat ice cream with friends and it’s not something we do as such a big group,” Etzion said. “Sometimes you can go out with just a little group of friends, but [Scoop Night] gives you a chance to go out with everyone and bond more.”

Jewish text teacher Osnat Eldar, who served ice cream on Scoop Night, was convinced to volunteer when Morgan told her that her students wanted her to participate in the fundraiser and have her scoop them ice cream.

Eldar said that although scooping the ice cream itself was more difficult and required more strength than she initially thought, she enjoyed having the opportunity to talk with her colleagues and see some of her students and their families outside of school.

“You have parents, students and teachers who can be involved together in the community, and it was like that in an ice cream place,” Eldar said.