My Jewish Day School experience prepared me for junior high school academically, socially, and spiritually with a strong grasp of Jewish identity and confidence. It gave me a base for raising my own family in a Jewish home celebrating the holidays and the different aspects of the beauty of being Jewish.

I believe that because of the values the school places, I have become the happy, successful person I am today. It is so rare for kids to experience a school where every single teacher cares for each student’s success. The strong sense of community and positivity the school brings is so admirable and makes me miss my times spent there.

Jewish school was good to me for a couple reasons. It taught me to think analytically at a young age. (When you study mishnah at age 9, you’re essentially thinking like a lawyer.) I think analytically every single day at my job. Second, the smaller class sizes gave me a leg up. There’s more time for teachers to spend on the little nuances to help kids along.

I am so very grateful for everything that a Jewish Day School education has given me. It prepared me for a lifetime of success through enhancing my public speaking abilities, providing me with a stronger sense of Judaism, and teaching me good work ethic. It was during my time at school that I truly developed the confidence and self-assurance I carry with me today.

It was a true community, a place where “everybody knew your name.” Friendships were forged and a lifetime of memories was created. The foundations of Jewish education, culture and Hebrew language were forged.

The quality of the education was second-to-none. It also gave me a solid foundation in Hebrew language, which turned out to be crucial, as I eventually married an Israeli woman and we are raising our daughter to speak both languages.

It was a common experience that was shared and so many of us still share. Lifelong friendships were formed there. I think our lives were enriched and guided by Hebrew school as so many of us went on to be involved in Jewish community organizations and events.

I’ve been to a lot of schools but The I.L. Peretz School was the place where I learned the most, made the best friends, tried my hardest and had the best teachers. We learned four languages! At the age of eight. If you could handle The I.L. Peretz School curriculum, you could handle anything.

Attending Jewish Day School gave me an early sense of Jewish community and introduced me to life long friends. It provided a strong foundation for my Jewish learning
and my support for Israel.

Attending Hebrew school gave students a well-rounded education, which I felt gave us not only an education in our Jewish heritage, but also gave us a more worldly view than what I felt public school students received.

When I got to high school, I realized that I was extremely WELL prepared. The friends that I made at the Hebrew school are amazing. Some of them continue to be my closest friends, and will be for life!

Without a Jewish Day School education, I would have never had such a strong affinity to Israel. It instilled a passion for the country, the language and the people that has never left me.

Growing up with Jewish friends and building a foundation for a Jewish home has been the greatest benefit I gained from attending Jewish Day School. Learning together with my Jewish peers about our language, holidays, customs, and each other is something I will always remember. I’m so grateful that I was given a place to start growing my Jewish roots so I could teach my children the importance of growing up Jewish.

I grew up as a child of intermarriage- one parent from the Peretz School and one from the Hebrew School. Our school, and the community, were at our family dinner table. The school taught me to learn and keep learning and also to be part of a community. Many of my dear friends today are kids I grew up with in elementary school. The school, and my family, instilled in me Jewish values that have informed and motivated my volunteer work both within our community and in the general community.

First, I felt that my education was exceptional. I remember how well prepared me and most of my friends felt when we moved on to the next level of schooling. I think over 85% of our class went to university, and a very large number went on to post-graduate training. Second, I will always treasure the great social aspects of the school and the connection with the Jewish community it provided me.

The Jewish education that I received has provided me with a compass that helped me navigate my way through public high school, university, entering the workforce, choosing a spouse, and starting a Jewish family. The values that I was infused with have helped me focus on being a mensch and aspiring to improve my community. A Jewish education isn't meant to merely teach rules, but to provide operating principles to help make insightful decisions about the types of lives we wish to build.

It was definitely foundational in starting me thinking about my Jewish identity. It has remained and will remain a huge part of who I am, privately and publically.

Jewish Day School was a major part of my life growing up, my classmates were almost like siblings. We argued and fought, and celebrated together. Today when we see each other, even if it has been a long time, there is still that easy smile and genuine caring. I believe that my Day School experience had a major impact on my career.