This past week, our kindergarten students reached a beautiful and memorable milestone in their Jewish learning journey – the Siddur Ceremony. With joy and pride, each child received their very first siddur, marking the beginning of their personal relationship with Jewish prayer and tradition. The ceremony was a moving celebration, as our youngest students led...
Author: Natalie McKee (Natalie McKee)
Coach Bobby Schwartz: Overcoming Life’s Obstacles with a Championship Mindset
Living His Childhood Dreams WWhile most 8-year-olds would tell you they want to become doctors, police officers or pro athletes, Coach Bobby Schwartz had one goal at that age: to become a coach. Everything he’s done over the years has been to that end, and he says he’s living his dream come true. Schwartz...
Chapters for Change: AJA Fifth Graders Raise $4.2K For Destroyed School Library
Earlier in the fall, AJA fifth graders were learning about natural disasters—like hurricanes—and read about the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene. When they heard that a school in North Carolina called Black Mountain Elementary had lost its entire library, they knew they wanted to help. So they combined two of their big goals: learning about...
Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’Atzmaut: A Day of Reflection and Celebration
Last Thursday, AJA students in grades 3 and up participated in a deeply meaningful programcommemorating Yom HaZikaron, followed by an all school celebration of Yom Ha’Atzmaut. The morning began with a solemn Yom HaZikaron assembly, where students paused to honor Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror. The program included a moving moment ofsilence, a...
Fifth Grade Milestone: Trope Ceremony
The 5th graders had their moment to shine with their milestone Trope Ceremony last week. This event was a celebration of the students’ hard work and knowledge of Trope, the musical notes that accompany the reading of the Torah. Not only did the 5th graders sing the Trope beautifully, but they also taught their families...
Teaching Empathy and History: 8th Graders Lead Holocaust Exhibit for 5th Grade
This month, our 8th grade students took on a powerful and meaningful project: sharing their learning about the Holocaust with our 5th grade peers through a student-curated exhibit. This exhibit was the culmination of in-depth historical research, guided by the essential question:How can we use historical research and storytelling to preserve the memory of the...





