The student news site of Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School

The Lion's Tale

The student news site of Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School

The Lion's Tale

The student news site of Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School

The Lion's Tale

Photo by Deborah Berman

Following 3:45: JDS’s various after school routines

Sadaf Zadeh March 18, 2024

From the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., all high school students and staff spend their time on the Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Upper School Campus teaching and learning. But once the bell...

The play includes many props created by students and staff at JDS.

A peek into the middle school production of “Frozen”

Aliza Braier, Guest Writer March 18, 2024

Walking into rehearsal after school, 7th grade student Gigi Walker is met with a chaotic symphony of voices from the cast who are “ready to act but also want to talk to their friends.” Walker is playing...

Cohen gives coaching advice to girls varsity basketball team during their rivalry match against Berman.

Teacher reports for WNBA

Jordana Dauber, Reporter March 15, 2024

For the past two years Matt Cohen, history teacher and assistant girls basketball coach, has been to almost every Washington Mystics home game. Cohen has now been a reporter for Winsidr, a website that...

Students present bills to the floor before they are voted on. Photo by Eliana Abrams.

Eighth grade students hold model congress

Eliana Abrams, Reporter March 14, 2024

After three months of preparation for this moment, eighth grader Ayla Gerstenblith took one last glance at her bill and made her way up to the podium to present her bill on disability accommodation in...

While in middle school students are required to be in a davening ZK, in high school students can choose to opt out

Opinion: CESJDS should only offer davening Zman Kodesh options

Eliana Wolf, Sports Editor March 12, 2024

There are many occasions when I daven in my Zman Kodesh, unmotivated and tired, and yet, I always find myself drawing something meaningful from prayer, whether it is gratitude or hope for more guidance...

Because UMD is so close to most JDS students, many spend weekends at football games or visiting friends.

Opinion: UMD’s decision to suspend all Greek life is unfair

Stella Muzin, Editor-in-Chief March 11, 2024

As a high school student, I often hear of my alumni friends who are underclassmen at their colleges participating in Greek life. Whether it’s a post on Instagram or hearing a story from a friend, Greek...

“Barbie”
Who knew that a movie about a children’s toy could mean so much more than anticipated, relaying a message of female empowerment and multigenerational struggle? This past summer, “Barbie” captivated the attention of many when it did just that, landing itself at the number 11 ranking for lifetime gross earnings, according to Box Office Mojo. 

“Coming into the movie, I didnt really know what to expect, but what happened in the movie and what the mission was really threw me off. I didnt expect it - I didnt see it coming at all,” Sophomore Caden Mont said. “And thats why I enjoyed it so much, because it wasnt predictable.”

What was perhaps even more unpredictable was the nominations “Barbie” received. Although the film overall had earned a “respectable” eight nominees, according to Variety, Margot Robbie, the actress of Barbie, and director Greta Gerwig received no nominations in their respective individual categories, which to many online were seen as undeserved snubs. Ryan Gosling, the actor of Ken, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. In a statement following the release of the Oscar nominees, Gosling stated “There is no Ken without Barbie,” according to Variety. Regardless, “Barbie” is in the running for many categories, with both “I’m Just Ken” by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt and “What Was I Made For? by Billie Eilish and Finneas OConnell nominated for Best Original Song.

Must-Watch Oscar-nominated movies

Ruby Kotok, Features Editor March 7, 2024

Billboard plastered beside a street in Israel featuring a hashtag: Creating Hope amid the war struggles.

Israel-Hamas war update

Mia Forseter, Sports Editor March 7, 2024

When Israelis open google maps, the first suggestion they receive is one for a bomb shelter. Despite a return to semi-normality, the war between Israel and Hamas that broke out on Oct. 7 is ongoing, with...

Students participate in grade-wide discussions at Pearlstone Retreat Center. Photo by Abby Chesman.

Juniors attend Shabbaton at new location

Maiya Blumenthal, Opinion Editor March 5, 2024

For 10 years, students and faculty members of the CESJDS high school have become familiar with the experience of riding on buses with their peers down the spiral road that leads to the Capital Camps and...

Before meeting with JDS high school students, Tevel tours the Upper School with Kaufman.

StandWithUs youth delegation visits from Israel

Eliana Wolf, Sports Editor March 4, 2024

Delegates from the StandWithUs Tevel Youth Program in Israel visited CESJDS on Feb. 28 as part of an advocacy trip to the U.S., where they spoke with various high school on the program. The cohort, which...

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