SJCS

Building bridges across our Seattle Jewish community, one graham cracker sukkah at a time!

We loved welcoming high school students from Northwest Yeshiva High School - NYHS to SJCS to lead our students in a special Sukkot program. Together, they explored the meaning and traditions of the holiday, then put their creativity to work building their own graham cracker sukkahs.

What made the afternoon especially meaningful was the connection between students. When younger children have the opportunity to learn from older Jewish students, they get a glimpse of the community that surrounds them and the many ways they can continue to grow, lead, and belong.

Thank you to the NYHS students for bringing your energy, leadership, and plenty of Sukkot sweetness to SJCS!

Building bridges through play, friendship, and community.

Last week, 5th graders from Seattle Hebrew Academy , SJCS, and JDS came together for Kehillah M’Shulevet (integrated community). It was a joyful day of team building, giving students the chance to laugh, play, connect, and begin forming bonds that will continue throughout the year.

In November, these students will spend time together at IslandWood, but this gathering was about something even bigger: helping our students recognize that they are part of a wider Seattle Jewish community.

Fifth grade is such an important bridge. Our students are beginning to look ahead toward middle school and taking on new responsibilities, while still needing space to simply be children. Play gives them that space. It also creates connection, trust, and friendships across school communities.

We are excited to see where these new bridges lead.

🐝🍯 Building bridges with our littlest learners, our oldest students, and some very important pollinators (VIPzzzzz)!

Michael from the Puget Sound Beekeepers Association brought a live observation hive to SJCS, giving our Shorashim (kindergarten) students and their 5th Grade Buddies an up-close look at the amazing world of honey bees.

Together, they learned how bees help connect plants, food, and ecosystems through pollination, a perfect tie to this year’s theme of G’sharim, Bridges.

And with Rosh Hashanah just behind us, what better way to celebrate a sweet new year than by learning more about the bees behind the honey? 🍎🍯

The sweetest part? Everyone left with their own pair of bee antennae. 🐝

Thank you, Michael and PSBA, for helping us make connections, build bridges, and learn together!

Casting Away, Looking Forward, and Returning To

Our students headed to Green Lake for Tashlich, a centuries-old Rosh Hashanah tradition.

Before tossing stones into the water, students reflected on what each stone could represent: a mistake, a difficult moment, a habit, or something they are ready to leave behind as they enter the new year. With each throw, they practiced the idea that we can acknowledge where we’ve been, let go, and choose how we want to move forward.

That reflection connects beautifully to this year’s theme, G’sharim/גשרים (Bridges). A new year is a bridge between who we have been and who we hope to become.

At SJCS, Jewish learning is not only something our students study. It is something they experience, question, reflect on, and carry with them into the world.

🍎 Shanah Tovah from SJCS! 🍯

As we welcome the new year, we’re thinking about the bridges we build between who we have been and who we hope to become, between one another, and between generations.

This year’s Rosh Hashanah artwork was created by two of our talented 5th graders, a beautiful example of how our students help shape and share the story of our community.

May 5787 be a year of sweetness, connection, growth, and many new bridges built together.

Shanah Tovah U’Metukah!

Turning Toward the New Year

As we prepare for Rosh Hashanah at SJCS, one small Hebrew word is helping our students explore a much bigger idea: shuv/שוב.

Shuv means “return,” “turn back,” or “come back.” It shares a root with teshuvah / תשובה, the Jewish idea of returning, reflecting, and finding our way back to who we want to be.

In 5th grade Hebrew, students brought the word to life with a spin-and-turn game. They practiced the vocabulary through movement, while also connecting to an idea at the heart of this season: we can always turn again. We can refocus, make a different choice, reconnect, and begin anew.

That same energy is filling SJCS as Rosh Hashanah approaches. Students are hearing the shofar, creating cards for their families, learning holiday traditions, and experiencing the excitement of a new year together.

Rosh Hashanah reminds us that a new beginning doesn’t always mean starting from scratch. Sometimes it means shuv/שוב: turning back toward our values, our community, and one another.

We Just Arrived At a Brand-New School Year

Yesterday was all smiles, hugs, backpacks, reunions, and first-day energy as we welcomed our SJCS students and families back to school.

This year, we’re all about G’sharim/גשרים (Bridges) 🌉. Building new friendships. Strengthening old connections. Trying new things. Finding new ways to connect across our community.

What advocacy issues should we prioritize for the upcoming legislative sessions?

Take a few minutes to answer a 10-question survey and tell us what matters most to you. Our Jewish Community Relations Council will use your input when it advocates in Olympia on public policy issues that impact Jewish life in Washington State. 📋

👉 Take the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PPPSurvey2026

Don't miss out - the survey closes on August 31!

The Jewish Community Relations Council at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle advocates on behalf of the Jewish community across the state. From community safety to education to confronting antisemitism and protecting democracy, don’t miss your chance to tell us what matters to you most! Fill out the survey here: https://ow.ly/G4N850ZA2PZ

Join the JCRC and Federation of Greater Seattle for an inspiring morning of civic engagement!

Hear Jewish elected officials discuss how Jewish identity guides public service in conversation with Rabbi Daniel Weiner from Temple De Hirsch Sinai Then, join fellow community members for small-group discussions to share your perspectives and explore the issues that matter most to our community.

📅 Sunday, August 23, 2026
🕙 10:00 am: Coffee & Bagels | 10:30 am - 12:00 pm: Program
📍 Seattle (exact location shared with registered attendees closer to the event)
👉 Register by Wednesday, August 19: https://ow.ly/KzfI50ZuPMT

https://www.jewishinseattle.org/our-voice-our-future/

Join Israeli American Council - IAC Seattle and the Seattle Be’er Sheva Sister City Association for their Summer Party: Nosh in the Park at Vasa Park
on August 23rd from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Bring your swimsuit and enjoy a fun-filled day by the lake with friends, family, food, and community.

They'll have outdoor lawn games for all ages, summer-themed arts and crafts, shared snacks, and plenty of activities for all ages.

https://iac360.org/iac-events/noshsea/