The only school of its kind in the Chandler area, the East Valley Jewish Day School (EVJDS) offers not only a highly charged Jewish atmosphere in which students can immerse themselves in Jewish culture, but also a curriculum comparable to its private school counterparts for kindergarten through seventh grade.
The student body is made up of local students and foreign exchange students from Israel and Germany. Emily Zappa, head of school and executive director, explained, “The East Valley Jewish Day School is unique because of its inviting and challenging learning environment, low student-to-teacher ratio, the extensive Hebrew education, and hands-on activities and events for students and their families.”
Hebrew Education
East Valley Jewish Day School’s Hebrew teacher, Liora Hamu, comes from Israel. Each year she teaches all students how to speak, read and write Hebrew. By second grade, students are fluent and prepared for ongoing instruction in Hebrew literature. In addition to the Hebrew studies, teacher Lindi Samakoski-Wach guides students toward a deeper understanding of their Jewish heritage through an ancestral research project. The project helps students understand how and when their ancestors emigrated to the United States. This extensive research program, with its unique social studies aspect, has been funded by a Salt River Project grant.
Jewish Culture
Complementing the Hebrew education, EVJDS fosters and develops an understanding and appreciation for Jewish traditions. For example, they hold an annual Havdalah in the park, where students and their families enjoy a potluck meal, singing and guitar playing. Students also learn how to prepare a community Passover seder, including food preparation, table settings and tradition.
In addition, students participate in monthly and annual mitzvah projects to learn the important Jewish custom of taking care of one another. One year the students sang for seniors at a retirement home for Chanukah. And at the start of this school year they set out to collect tissues for “Hankies for Hannah.” Hannah is a 15-year-old East Valley teen struggling with Stage 4b Hodgkin’s lymphoma. “We plan a mitzvah project every month,” explained Emily. “Helping others is an important lesson and an important part of our Jewish culture.”
Secular Education
Combined with the Hebrew and Jewish culture studies is EVJDS’s secular curriculum, which far exceeds the Arizona State Academic Standards. “Although we use the state standards as a guide, we also individualize the curriculum to meet the needs of each student,” said Emily. “As a result of this method, 97 percent of our students meet or exceed the AIMS test requirement.”
