Gallery • 3 Photos

photo by Daphne Kaplan

The junior dancers passionately and cohesively unite in the middle of the gym amid their dance and performance. “Having our last Zimriyah is so bittersweet because it is unique to JDS and is absolutely amazing, but also chanting six more months alongside everyone in the grade was so much fun,” junior Reilly Lowell said.

Upper School students from the sixth through 11th grades enthusiastically gathered in the gymnasium on Thursday to perform a song and dance related to the theme, Eurovision, in honor of Israel hosting the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019. For nearly 25 years, Zimriyah, CESJDS’ Israeli song and dance competition to celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut has been an annual tradition at the Upper School campus.

To adhere to the theme, middle school students performed Eurovision songs from past years, including the songs “Happy Birthday,” which was performed by the sixth grade and was from Eurovision in 1999, “A-Ba-Ni-Bi,” performed by the seventh grade from Eurovision in 1979 and “Kan,” which was performed by the eighth grade and from Eurovision in 1991.

Comparatively, high school students showcased songs that best represented their grade. Namely, the freshmen class performed the song “Et Rekod,” translating to “time to dance,” to express the importance of dancing and putting conflicts aside; the sophomore class danced to “Feel the Magic,” as the class is experiencing a transformative year filled with “magic;” and the junior class performed the song “Kol Hair Shelanu,” translating to “All Of Our City,” as the title relates to unity, and therefore, to their intensifying support and appreciation for each other and for Israel.

After an afternoon of singing, dancing and celebrating Israel’s 71st birthday, the eighth grade and the freshmen were victorious in the Zimriyah competition.