Please carefully read through a few important reminders and announcements as we finish the last full week of in-person learning before winter break:

Last Thursday, all families participated in our first Post-It Palooza! Students were sent to school with Post-It Notes with messages of thanks and love for all of our Bernard Zell teachers and staff. Take a look at some of their notes below:

During the holiday of Hanukkah, the Nursery students studied light, shadow, oil, being a helper and the concept of bravery and power. They cooked latkes in oil, created masterpieces using liquid watercolors and oil as well as drew Hannukiot using metallic markers during observational drawing

To lift up the spirit of Hanukkah throughout school, Bernard Zell fifth-grade students took part in their annual dreidel tournament this week during gibush! Although they were a little more distanced than usual, the fun and tradition of this spirited competition continued unabated—they even had a classmate participating virtually at home!

In Mora Miri's second grade class, students used empty olive oil bottles to create their own unique Hanukkiot which were then sent home so students could use them to light Hanukkah candles at the school celebration last night. 

Parents of Lower and Middle School students are encouraged to place their lunch orders for January 2021 today! 

Join us for our next take-home Shabbat meal during the January remote learning period. Chef Ben is again offering a free Shabbat take-home dinner on Friday, January 8, 2021 for all families and employees who wish to participate, so we can share a meal even when we can't be together.

Mazel Tov to alumnus Jack Goodman (Class of 2018) along with Bernard Zell parent and former school artist-in-residence, Danny M. Cohen, who were announced by the governor to serve on the Illinois Holocaust and Genocide Commission. We are proud and inspired by Danny and Jack's well-deserved honor!

Please join Yad B’Yad tomorrow morning, Thursday, December 17, for the final day of our Lakeview Pantry Stock the Shelves event! Volunteers will be present at morning drop-off to collect your non-perishable items. Our goal is to collect over 500 items–at least one item per child in the school. The most needed items are canned fruit, canned vegetables, oatmeal, peanut butter and canned tuna.

While limitations on singing and group movement have presented some challenges for teaching music this year, these new constraints have inspired a revised and unique curriculum for our second-graders!

Bernard Zell seventh graders are pleased to release the trailer for their upcoming movie, Mega Sus. Coming to a screen near you in January 2021. 

As the weather grows colder and the end of the year approaches, we thought we would provide you with an activity guide. While these activities are certainly fun and provide wonderful opportunities for families to engage together and young children to explore independently, they also support many early learning goals!

Holidays invite us to reflect upon our children's growth. Each year, Lower School students are ready to think about Hanukkah in new and complex ways. Learning about light, miracles, faith, leadership, bravery and courage are central ideas that will be infused into learning over the next three weeks at BZ.

As we prepare to kindle the lights of Hanukkah, we embrace a week of learning from home, each day uniting us as a community of learners connected by common Kavana, or intention, and Keva, rituals. Even through the waves of the internet, intentional learning continues, school rituals hold true and our commitment to curiosity never flickers.

Bernard Zell’s entry plaza is beginning to fill with all of your personalized brick pavers! Haven't purchased yours yet? It's not too late to purchase your own—or consider giving one as a meaningful and lasting Hanukkah present! The next deadline is December 18!

Everything is unusual this year, including our annual Hanukkah Sleepunder. So on Thursday, December 10, we're inviting the entire school, from nursery through eighth-grade, to join a "Zoomgathering" family celebration. We'll share Hanukkah stories, enjoy a special performance of The Runaway Latkes performed by the Bernard Zell Faculty Players, sing Hanukkah songs and light the Hanukkiah

Put on your holiday gear and join us on Sunday, December 13 at 5:00 p.m. to watch and learn latke secrets from our wise community chefs! Among the special guest chefs will be Diana Pure, grandmother of Noah, Sydney and Nathan and in-house chef at Williams Sonoma.

New gifts made to the Annual Campaign between today and the call night will be matched up to $25,000 by a generous donor. To make your gift to the Annual Campaign before the call night or on December 8, go to www.bernardzell.org/donate.

We can't wait for you to experience this year's Annual Fundraiser, Thursday Night Live: Zoom Through the Decades on Thursday, March 18, 2021. We hope you will take a moment to consider how you can support the event with the opportunities listed below or by visiting bernardzell.org/thursdaynightlive.

During this week of remote learning, second graders had a great deal of fun with their recent Hebrew scavenger hunt. Each was given directions in Hebrew and was directed to find several different items in their homes. Enjoy some of the screenshots that capture second graders and their scavenger hunt with Hamorah Miri! 

Our Junior Kindergarten classes just wrapped up their third day of distance learning! If JK teachers learned anything from last year’s virtual learning, it’s that connection is so important with the students, both in-school and while at home.

Our 7th-grade students recently engaged in free form, one-on-one conversations spoken strictly in Hebrew. This is one of the more challenging and advanced levels of learning a second language and our students were יוצא מן הכלל (outstanding)! 

Join Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School and Chill Anywhere for a discussion, meditation and Q&A session about how to bring light and positive energy to your life during the Hanukkah season and beyond. The evening will be led by Bernard Zell alumna ('84) and CEO of Chill Anywhere, Laura Sage. 

Every ten years, a study is conducted in the Chicagoland area to learn about the size and characteristics of our Jewish community. The goal of the study is to learn more about the characteristics, attitudes and needs of community members to inform future programming and planning.

While this coming Monday, December 7 is not a day of instruction for students, we ask that parents drop-off their child's surveillance test sample on this morning according to the same schedule used during a typical school day:

Join us for our weekly community check-in each Friday at 10 a.m. via Zoom. This week, pour yourself a cup of coffee and join Mr. Weisserman as he welcomes two very special guests, Elana Tennenbaum, PTC President and Brett Klugman, a volunteer on the Chesed and Young Family Winter Event committees and also a PAL! Elana and Brett will share the latest news from the PTC and all of the upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Pick-up for all meals, without exception, will take place on Friday, December 4 from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. Challah may also be picked up at this time.

On Tuesday, December 15, Bernard Zell families, faculty, grandparents and alumni will gather together to bring Hanukkah ruach into your homes!

One of our favorite after-school partners, Sticky Fingers Cooking, has created an enrichment class specifically for Bernard Zell families. The class, "Cooks + Books: Hanukkah Themed Cooking," pairs the love of reading with food. Our Sticky Finger friends host safe, fun and engaging cooking classes for all ages. The class will be held on Sunday, December 13 from 1:00 - 2:15 p.m.

Join us tomorrow night for the first in a series of community workshops focusing on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Bernard Zell.

Second graders recently held their own caucus on the Field of Dreams to find the winner of the "purple party" and the winner of the "yellow party." Next week, they will cast their ballots (either in person or "by mail") to elect the best book of the year.

Senior Kindergarteners learned to dance with their scarves to music by Prokofiev, Brahms, Satie and others. They also practiced clapping patterns and dance moves to a rap by John Jacobson called Play Fair. Check out the pictures below of SK enjoying explorations in music! 

Looking for great advice, tips and tactics for dealing with challenging parent-child situations? Ever needed help to successfully navigate daily routines with your kids? If yes, then we hope you will join us on Tuesday, November 10 at 9:00 a.m. via Zoom to hear from the professionals at Tuesday’s Child, who will conduct a one-hour session for Bernard Zell parents.

Please note that the 2021-2022 Tuition Assistance application process is now live. As in prior years, applications and all supporting documentation is due to SMARTaid by December 31, 2020.

Bernard Zell will be implementing a distance learning program for one week following Thanksgiving break, starting November 30 through December 4, and returning to in-person learning on Tuesday, December 8, 2020. On Monday, December 7 we will not be in session as we implement our new testing protocol. 

The annual Yad B’Yad Coat Drive will take place tomorrow, Thursday, November 5 and Friday, November 6 benefiting Cradles to Crayons. Please bring new or gently used children’s coats, hats, gloves and scarves—parent volunteers will be collecting these items in the morning drop-off line! 

Our amazing 8th-grade students are organizing a tampon/pad drive for The Period Collective and need your assistance! The Period Collective is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization that supplies feminine hygiene products to those in need in Chicago.

Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place on November 23 for Early Childhood parents and on November 23 and 24 for Lower and Middle School parents. Registration closes this Friday at 4:00 p.m.

This year, the PTC invites you to shop for the holidays from the comfort of your own home with the Hanukkah Virtual Pop-Up on Wednesday, November 11 through Friday, November 13.

For the last three weeks, Bernard Zell's Division Heads have taken parents on tours of their respective classrooms during Mr. Weisserman's weekly "Bring Your Morning Brew" event. In case you missed any of these tours, all are now available to watch online!

We are very proud to announce that Bernard Zell is now an official member of the Jewish Youth Climate Movement! JYCM is dedicated to mitigating climate change by empowering young people, mobilizing our communities and taking action. JYCM believes in using Jewish values as a motivation to create a more equitable and sustainable world for all. 

Menorahs are due by Tuesday, December 8, and will be on display in the library for all to see. Winners and "honorable mentchkins" will be awarded in EC, LS and MS at Shabbat lunch via Zoom on Friday, December 18.

This year has been a year of firsts for many of us—the first national pandemic of our lifetime, the first experience with prolonged virtual learning, extended quality time with family (maybe even too extended at times!), our first holiday celebrations over Zoom, and so on. So we thought we’d add one more first to the list: Bernard Zell’s FIRST Day of Giving: Thursday, October 29, 2020.

When I speak with alumni who are currently in high school, they often reflect on how much they treasured their relationship and work with their advisor and their daily Gibush or advisory meetings. While teaching and learning across departments is essential to student growth, our advisory program is the foundation of each day.

I am thrilled to share some exciting and relevant learning from our Lower School students, in advance of our upcoming presidential election. As we all know, this election season is particularly complex and layered, but that is not stopping our young learners from understanding important facets of democracy, voting, leadership and election processes.

I hope those of you who joined us for last Friday's Bring Your Morning Brew with Mr. Weisserman enjoyed the opportunity to virtually pop into our Early Childhood classrooms. Engaging our parents, grandparents and special friends is essential to who we are as a community and although this year does not allow us to invite you in as we usually would do, it has given us the opportunity to think outside the box to ensure you still feel connected!

Working in close partnership with you—the parent community—is an important aspect of a Bernard Zell education in a normal year, but even more essential during these extraordinary circumstances. In order to get an honest sense of your child’s experience, we’ve launched an anonymous parent pulse survey that asks you to weigh in on health and safety, academics, communications and more. Your feedback will help to inform how we adjust our approach to building community and building Jewish leaders in these most unusual times.

The Early Childhood team is excited to share that they are the recipients of a $3,000 Inclusion Initiative Microgrant from The Jewish United Fund. Their original idea was to create an Early Childhood focused sensory room that supported the needs of our very youngest students. With this unique year, we have pivoted to creating a sensory lending library and will have it up and running by the beginning of the new year.

The class discussed what they already knew about babies, which was quite a bit. They mentioned how babies wear diapers, they can't talk, they drink milk and some even knew that they have soft heads and are very delicate. JK105 looks forward to learning more about why the baby's head is soft, how much babies sleep, how to take care of a baby and what kind of toys babies like.

All students in art class grades first through eighth will be focusing on sending positive messages of encouragement and unity to our community through public art. First graders discussed different ways they can use their voices to help, uplift and heal those around us. 

There are many ways for prospective families to experience and learn about Bernard Zell's exhilarating challenge of academic study and cultural immersion. This year's event will take place on Tuesday, November 10 at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom and is open to families with children of all ages.

Now more than seven weeks into this incredibly atypical school year, we’re taking a moment to pause and reflect on how far we’ve come and all that we’ve accomplished since our world first changed. Watch this video to hear from parents, teachers and students about the strength and quality of a Bernard Zell Education.

In 5th-grade humanities class, students have been working on crafting their first personal narrative, taking their piece through the writing process. After a full week of revisions, this week students were able to partner together to edit for conventions in spelling, punctuation and paragraphing.

While the Thanksgiving holiday is still some weeks away, we ask that you take a moment to fill out this brief survey regarding travel and out of town guests, so that we may plan appropriately for distance learning. Please respond no later than Friday, October 30 at 5:00 p.m. 

In a world that’s contending with overlapping crises, all of us seem to be carrying around a little more stress and anxiety than usual—even third graders. So knowing how to identify our own emotions and how to develop the appropriate strategies for dealing with them is an important skill set to cultivate in this most unusual of years.

Attend a virtual panel discussion sponsored by The Women’s Board of the Field Museum featuring women in science followed by small group conversations with the panelists.

Picture Retake Day is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, October 22. 

In case you missed the launch email, take our short Campaign Wellness Tracker survey and consider supporting the 2020-2021 Annual Campaign so Bernard Zell can continue delivering a high-quality, safe and in-person education with enhanced and adapted programming to benefit all of our students.

In 7th grade science, students began their chemistry unit by exploring the big question, "how can we understand things we cannot see?” This unit focuses on atoms, subatomic particles, molecules and compounds and states of matter.

This year began differently than any other as the two Nursery classrooms have been divided for the first time. In past years, the Nursery students would explore throughout the Nursery suite weaving both classrooms together and being able to engage daily. This year, a window was installed between the classrooms, allowing the students to observe each other’s play, while also making unique connections.

It is that exciting time of the year when the students in Kitah Alef (first grade) receive their first Ariot book (a workbook the students will use to learn how to read and write in Hebrew). Ariot, the Hebrew speaking lion, usually comes to our school and delivers these books himself. Unfortunately, because of Coronavirus, Ariot's flight was canceled and he was not able to come to our school this year.

Join our experienced outdoor educators in our new natural outdoor playground for socially distanced exploration and Jewish learning. Yesterday was our first class and was a huge success with music and learning in our outdoor Early Childhood playground. Click here to learn more and sign-up! 

As part of their required summer reading, Bernard Zell 8th grade students read Andrew Mariness' award-winning book, Games of Deception: The True Story of the First U.S. Olympic Basketball Team at the 1936 Olympics

Last week, 20 1st graders received their very own library cards from the Chicago Public Library. Possessing and using a library card helps put students on the path of lifelong learning. If your child did not sign-up for a card through school, it's not too late to get one!

Join us for a celebration of your Leadership Gift* to the Annual Campaign and a conversation moderated by Bernard Zell parent, Jessica Malkin featuring two very special guests: Gigi Pritzker, CEO/Co-Founder of Madison Wells Media, film producer and entrepreneur, and Abby Pucker '06, Head of Business Development at Madison Wells Media. 

Thank you to the 2nd and 6th grade parents who've helped us kick off the new school year successfully with a safe, efficient drop-off! All parents of SK through 7th-grade students will have an opportunity to volunteer in the parking lot at least twice this year. Please watch for a note from the Parking Lot Committee notifying you that it's time to sign-up. 

Interested in volunteering to be a tutor? Connecting Chicago, created by Bernard Zell Alum Lucy Gold '18 and Rem Johannknecht of ICSJ, offers free virtual tutoring to students, kindergarten through 12th grade, who are struggling with changes to learning caused by COVID-19.

“The school is a very special place and it sets you up both as a person and as someone in the Jewish community with the best base of values and motivation in order to get to the next place in your life that you want to go. Every time Bernard Zell is brought up, it brings a smile."

Tikkun Chicago is back this Fall with new classes! Chicago's only city-wide, multi-denominational high school experience will kick off its second year on Sunday, October 18. Open to any Jewish high school student. Class information and registration can be found here.

Celebrate Sukkot and Shabbat with an all-school virtual celebration on Friday, October 9 beginning at 5:30 p.m. This special Shabbat will be broadcast live from the sukkahs of Bernard Zell community members!

As summer turns into fall and the weather turns cooler, the Bernard Zell admissions team is once again looking to welcome new families into our community. Please let your friends and family know that applications for our 2021-2022 school year are now available so they have a chance to experience what makes Bernard Zell so special!

We have had the most wonderful first few weeks with your children! It has truly filled my heart to be with them every day. I have always believed in the competency of young children, but this year has proven so much about our Early Childhood students' resilience, their ability to do more than we think they can and their innate love for learning. You should be proud!

In these days of COVID-19, parenting can feel overwhelming. We are all living in unprecedented times that can generate a variety of emotions. Leaving home and resuming school following a sustained interruption can be a relief, and also a huge task for ourselves and our children

Today I write to you with Hodaya, or gratitude. My appreciation extends across the Bernard Zell community. While 2020 / 5780 has presented immeasurable challenges, we maintain a steadfast dedication to our students and teachers. Beyond our immense commitment to safety and social-emotional wellness, at our core, we remain focused on our mission: to teach them diligently.

Bernard Zell's Senior Kindergarten students experienced Tashlich in a different way this year. Tashlich is a ritual where we symbolically “cast off” mistakes we have made in the last year into flowing water like a creek or river in order to have them literally be washed away. Instead of walking to the lake to perform this ritual, the students did an indoor version.

Picture Day is tomorrow, Thursday, September 24. Families will receive proofs online this year with a code that will allow you to place orders. Picture retake day will be Thursday, October 22.

After discussing the Mishnah for a few minutes, we shifted the conversation to Shofar at our times. How will it be different? Blowing a shofar during the pandemic can be dangerous as it can spread the virus. “How do we solve this problem?” I asked. Blowing it outside, via Zoom, or listen to a recording, were the most liked suggestions. 

Today, our 5th grade students walked to the lakefront to participate in tashlich. Tashlich, which literally translates to “casting off,” is a ceremony performed on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah but may be done until Hoshana - Rabah. 

Click below to view instructions on how to access the Family Events calendar, which is our schoolwide calendar that includes school events and programming. 

As summer turns into fall and the weather turns cooler, the Bernard Zell admissions team is once again looking to welcome new families into our community. Please let your friends and family know that applications for our 2021-2022 school year are now available so they have a chance to experience what makes Bernard Zell so special!

In support of National Diaper Need Awareness Week, and in partnership with Share our Spare, The Yad B’ Yad Committee is hosting a diaper drive on Thursday, October 1 and Friday, October 2.  

Pour yourself a cup of coffee and join Head of School, Gary Weisserman, for a community reflection of the week at Bernard Zell. Join us virtually every Friday by clicking this link at 10:00 a.m.!

Join us for a celebration of your Leadership Gift* to the Annual Campaign and a conversation moderated by BZ parent, Jessica Malkin featuring two very special guests: Gigi Pritzker, CEO/Co-Founder of Madison Wells Media, film producer and entrepreneur, and Abby Pucker '06, Head of Business Development at Madison Wells Media. 

This year, instead of a printed directory, parents are encouraged to use the online directories available in BZ Connect. From the landing page in BZ Connect, you have the option to view three directories; Students, Employees, Parents and Students. Each directory has a quick search bar that allows you to type in the person's name that you are looking for. 

Whether we’re looking in the mirror or examining our own face during a Zoom call, lately the image that we see is partially concealed by a mask. While our unique facial expressions can reveal our emotions, so too can the artistic expressions that our sixth-graders have creatively devised to help tell their personal stories.

The PTC is pleased to offer families a bi-monthly challah delivery service for the 2020-21 school year, right to your youngest child’s classroom EVERY OTHER FRIDAY that school is in session. In the event of distance learning, we will pivot to a pickup schedule. Should this happen we will be in touch with instructions.

The recent harvest of the much-extolled but long-lost Judean dates has, according to the New York Times, been called something of a scientific miracle. The fruit sprouted from seeds 2,000 years old that were found at an archaeological site in the Judean wilderness.

Tomorrow, Thursday, September 10 at 6:00 p.m., you should expect both a phone call and a text message in order to test our emergency notification system.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee and join Head of School, Gary Weisserman, for a community reflection of the week at Bernard Zell. Join us virtually every Friday by clicking this link at 10:00 a.m.!

This week, join our own Bernard Zell teachers and faculty in reciting the Shabbat blessings. All are encouraged to make signs wishing a "Shabbat Shalom"  and "Shana Tovah" to the BZ community. We hope that this Shabbat and this year will be filled with sweetness, good health, memories, traditions and peace.

With hard work and the support of a compassionate community, the Bernard Zell Class of 2020 has found incredible success that they’ll carry with them long into the future. Click below to watch the video of our most recent alum's success!

Wednesday, September 9

Middle School Back-to-School Night, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Early Childhood Back-to-School Night, 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. (Two identical sessions back to back).

Thursday, September 10 

Lower School Back-to-School Night, 6:30 p.m. (Two identical sessions back to back). 

New items have been added to the store, including a very cool ombre sweatshirt along with new masks and mask lanyards. Don't miss out! The store is open until Sunday, September 20 for delivery the week of October 11. 

First graders have been focused on how to keep themselves, as well as their classmates, healthy. Students have explored just how far six feet is, proper handwashing and how to lift others spirits to help boost their emotional health. This is where the idea for personal "High Five Sticks" originated.

One of the many changes implemented due to COVID-19 restrictions has to do with lunch. Instead of Lower School and Middle School students enjoying lunch in Blum cafeteria with six or seven of their friends, making selections from the salad bar and being served hot entrees by Griselda and Angela, lunch is now being served and eaten in classrooms. 

The PTC is pleased to offer families a bi-monthly challah delivery service for the 2020-21 school year, right to your youngest child’s classroom EVERY OTHER FRIDAY that school is in session. In the event of distance learning, we will pivot to a pickup schedule. Should this happen we will be in touch with instructions.

Since day one (in a brand new classroom with new expectations), each student in JK103 has demonstrated so much resilience as they quickly adjusted to the new normal routine! While there have been several changes to what they might be used to, they are adapting to these changes in order to keep themselves, their classmates and their community healthy. 

Bernard Zell Director of Athletics Kyle Sheahan invites you to attend the 10th annual Athletics Banquet tonight at 6:00 p.m.! The evening will feature student-athletes and coaches reflecting on individual seasons, The David Stiefel Spirit Award, the highest honor a Bernard Zell student can receive and more! 

This Friday, Bernard Zell will celebrate the incredible accomplishments of our classes of 2020, 2016 and 2012—heading off to high school, college, graduate school and the working world. But no matter what the next phase holds for our incredible graduates, each has been prepared with the tools to bring healing to our troubled world. Please join us for a special Shabbat in honor of the advocates, allies, changemakers and leaders who are moving to their next phase with the knowledge and Jewish values that will allow them to confront our most pressing societal challenges.

We are so proud of our graduates who are joining 74 years of engaged and compassionate alumni leaders with the courage to make the world a better place. We hope you will join us in giving them a fond farewell and best wishes for their next adventures!

The first round of commemorative bricks have now been placed on Bernard Zell’s entry plaza! But it’s not too late to purchase your own—a second wave of bricks will be installed this summer! Not sure what to put on your personalized brick? A few ideas to consider:

One of the best things you can do for your child this summer is to encourage them to read! Just as we want our children to take full advantage of being outside to use their bodies, we also want them to exercise their “reading muscles” to reinforce their progress from this school year. “Summer slide” is a real phenomenon that can occur when students don’t read during the summer months.

The annual Volunteer Appreciation program is an opportunity to say thank you to everyone who takes time to volunteer on behalf of Bernard Zell. Volunteers are a vital part of our community — from opening car doors, to delivering challah and coming up with creative ways to thank our faculty and staff for all they do.

Our BZ Auxilary Department has created a remote summer camp resource list for families to help fill the void that summer camps have usually filled. The list has an extensive range of options for each student at reasonable prices. Each resource has been researched by our staff to ensure the high-quality programming that echoes our before and after school programs.

These powerful images were created by 7th-graders before the pandemic, yet, they seem to be addressing events happening right now! As a response to the tragic killing of George Floyd and the ensuing protests all over American cities, images like these can be a call for justice.

A siyum, from the Hebrew word l'sayem, to complete, is a celebration in honor of a culmination of one's learning. Please join the Class of 2020 at 9:00 a.m., on Friday, June 5, as they mark the culmination of their Jewish learning over the course of their many years at Bernard Zell.

The Annual Music Awards Luncheon was held last Wednesday, May 27, and was a huge success! All Bernard Zell bands and choirs performed music they learned in class earlier this year and were honored for their incredible accomplishments. Additionally, band students who earned their black belts received recognition for their achievements.

Throughout the year, the Nursery class has focused on the value of chesed and how they each can plant seeds of kindness, love and hope within our kehillah (community). In the classroom, the nursery students would often bake some yummy treats or create a collaborative art piece to give to the various helpers in our school in hopes of making their hearts feel loved and appreciated.

Over the last few weeks, Ms. Kotler's 2nd-grade students have been studying opinion writing. Students have been writing letters to family members and friends persuading them to watch the student's favorite movie or read their favorite books.

Click read more to view Chesed announcements for June 3, 2020.

In Ms. Sherman's art class, Middle School students reflected on the real superheroes of today and shared their ideas about how these heroes are fighting the Coronavirus Villain. 

As part of their writing unit on fractured fairy tales, 3rd-grade students were very fortunate to participate in a Zoom session with Tara Lazar, author of Little Red Gliding Hood. Ms. Lazar her book with various accents and enthusiasm making the read-aloud very entertaining!

This Friday, Bernard Zell students, faculty and staff will come together for our sixth annual Day of Service. Created in 2014 in memory of Dr. Alyson Horwitz's late husband, Judd Horwitz, the Bernard Zell Day of Service will honor his memory while bringing ruach to the work of giving tzedakah and lifting up those from underserved communities. 

Tonight from 7:00 - 7:20 p.m., members of the Jewish community from across North America will join together to honor the first responders who are on the front lines working to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will feature Billy Crystal as well as leaders from the Jewish community.

Head of School and resident gamer, Gary Weisserman, is back with his fifth installment of "Gary's Games," a weekly game recommendation and review from his vast catalog of favorites.

Despite our shift to distance learning, the Early Childhood community continues to gather every Friday for our much beloved Kabbalat Shabbat celebrations! Students always begin with singing Hinei Ma Tov U'ma Naim, Behold how good and how pleasing it is to be together in unity. 

Just as parents the world over were coming to grips with the reality that school would be virtual for the rest of the academic year, a new unknown loomed: what will summer look like in the midst of a worldwide pandemic? This much we can assume — it will not be summer as usual. So now what? 

Please join us for the 2020 Music Awards Luncheon. Come and help us honor our students who have participated in our performing groups this school year. All band and choir members will receive a special participation award. Students who received their black belts in class will also be honored.

Parent volunteers are truly the backbone of Bernard Zell. We rely on parent involvement to make so much of what we love about our community happen. This year, more than ever, we need your help to keep our community connection that we all hold so dear. 

On Wednesday, June 3, Bernard Zell Director of Athletics Kyle Sheahan invites you to attend the 10th annual Athletics Banquet via Zoom! The evening will feature student-athletes and coaches reflecting on individual seasons, The David Stiefel Spirit Award, the highest honor a Bernard Zell student can receive and more! 

As we begin to look toward the 2019-2020 school year, we want to give you the opportunity to provide information, via our Parent Reflection Form, that might help us with your child's class placement next year.

The Bernard Zell community is invited to join together next Thursday, May 28, for a live cooking class to prepare for Shavuot with Chef Ben, hosted by Hagit Lewis, Jewish Visionary Leader.

Like many of you, earlier this week I received an envelope in the mail asking my family to participate in the US Census. (Well—that's not entirely accurate. I probably received it a few weeks ago, but I'm not always great about opening snail mail in a timely fashion.)

First-grade parents are invited to the virtual First Grade Siddur Ceremony! Students will be showcasing their learning about tefillot as well as receiving their first Siddur. It will be a special milestone event for everyone. We hope you will be able to join us!

To support Bernard Zell, visit smile.amazon.com, type Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School into the "pick your own charitable organization" box and start shopping.

Click read more to view Chesed announcements for May 20, 2020.

In different grade levels, Lower School students have learned about Faith Ringgold’s Story Quilts, Robert Rauschenberg’s sculptures, Andy Warhol’s pop art and Romero Britto’s works with patterns. Watch the videos below for a sampling of how students are embracing art with a distance learning lens!

We can't wait to continue the ruach of Special Friends' Week and join together again as a community on Friday for a special Shabbat honoring our grandparents and special friends. Since this year's celebration is virtual, we'd love to see homemade signs and shoutouts to special friends from students and parents during Friday's Shabbat.

Our very curious student scientists always impress with their abilities to experiment, design, create and tinker. Click read more to watch 8th-grade students demonstrating potential and kinetic energy by constructing roller coasters!

Last Thursday, more than 100 Bernard Zell families tuned in for a live webinar in which Head of School, Gary Weisserman, and members of the school's administrative leadership addressed questions about the transition to distance learning and ongoing planning for the 2020-2021 school year.

In 7th grade, students are pursuing two concurrent tracks in American history. All students just wrapped up their unit about the Founding Era, including the writing of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Congratulations to the newly elected members of the 2020-2021 PTC Executive Board! Each parent brings a unique skill set to this incredible leadership team, and we look forward to supporting their efforts to enhance our Bernard Zell community next year! Also, a big thank you to our Nominating Committee for their thoughtful participation in slating the 2020-2021 Executive team.

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, we’d like to take a moment to say thank you to all our teachers who continue to elevate our Distance Learning Program and amaze our community with their dedication and hard work.

Help shape the future of distance learning at Bernard Zell! Join Gary Weisserman and divisional leaders for small group conversations about online learning successes and further opportunities for growth. 

The BZ Hope Tree, located on Grace Street, will be a place where students and families can create, draw and paint their messages of hope on rocks, sticks, ribbons, signs or any other creative ways they can think of to add to the tree. Click read more below to learn more and watch and listen as EC teachers express their messages of hope and inspiration!

Head of School and resident gamer, Gary Weisserman, is back with his fourth installment of "Gary's Games," a weekly game recommendation and review from his vast catalog of favorites.

Wow! What a wonderful morning I experienced yesterday at school! I had an inspirational zoomorning, and all from the comfort of my apartment. I was honored to join the Tuesday morning celebrations with Early Childhood and their grandparents. To see the happiness and joy on the faces of both the students and their beloved grandmothers and grandfathers, was uplifting.

On Wednesday, JK teachers held their second Zoom pop-up play date. This class focused on using recycled materials to make something new. Teachers first read the story Not a Box by Antoinette Portis. Take a look at some of the creations our Junior Kindergarteners produced!

4th graders will be challenged to create advertisements, write business plans, and conduct in-depth financial calculations in order to prepare for their pitches for a Shark Tank simulation!

Students had the opportunity to express their creative ideas through costume designs, set designs and poster designs. Several of these projects enabled them to learn how to be resourceful and use materials they had around their house to create props and creative hairstyles!

Head of School and resident gamer, Gary Weisserman, is back with his third installment of "Gary's Games," a weekly game recommendation and review from his vast catalog of favorites.

The PTC is thrilled to announce the proposed slate for the 2020-2021 PTC Executive Board. This slate is to be voted on at our Be Connected: PTC Happy Hour and Meeting via Zoom on Thursday, April 30 at 4:00 p.m.

In a tag-team effort to collect personal protective equipment for those fighting on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, several members of the Bernard Zell community wanted to ensure the PPE reached those in need. 

In their first three weeks of remote learning, Bernard Zell students tapped into their creativity as they assembled portraits of themselves and of famous people using ordinary household objects.

Distance learning was a newcomer to the field of Early Childhood and Bernard Zell Senior Kindergarten (SK) students were ready for the challenge! Since the beginning of distance learning, SK students have shown great resilience and adaptability to this new form of learning. They continue to be fully engaged and successful in the curriculum.

Rather than an in-person gathering on May 8, Special Friends’ Day will now begin on Monday, May 4 with a variety of virtual experiences throughout the week, including opportunities to engage with students, teachers and Bernard Zell leadership, concluding on Friday, May 8. 

Once again, we'll join together this Friday evening at 6 p.m. via a Zoom video call to say the Sabbath blessings. This week, we'll do so by commemorating Holocaust survivors in honor of Yom HaShoah.

Your Bernard Zell family is here to support you, offer you guidance, hope and a little bit of fun through our first-ever virtual haggadah.

Bernard Zell faculty, staff and PTC leaders are here to help with a variety of online activities, live streaming events and screen-less alternatives that will help to reduce stress and infuse some fun and productivity into this time away from our distance learning curriculum.

Head of School and resident gamer, Gary Weisserman, is back with his second installment of "Gary's Games," a weekly game recommendation and review from his vast catalog of favorites.

We asked, and you listened! We loved getting to virtually meet every single one of your lovable new classmates and co-workers. Click here to meet our community's extra family members!

We will be constantly refining distance learning to ensure the best possible educational outcomes while maintaining the health and safety of our community. For distance learning resources and an online community calendar, click here.

Shabbat is a reminder of the purposefulness of the world and the role that all of us play in it. Never has this sentiment felt more important than at this particular moment, and for the last two weeks, it's been incredibly uplifting to experience the role that Bernard Zell families have played in creating community and developing the joy of Shabbat.

They say that boredom activates creativity in the brain. In order to be able to create something, our brains have to slow down and be allowed to daydream. With this in mind, I am launching the middle-school-wide #distancelearningchallenge from Monday, March 30 - Tuesday, April 7

While social distancing this Passover, Bernard Zell is helping to facilitate a connection between families, even if only virtually. Sign-up below to either host a Passover seder (allowing another BZ family to join your festive meal via a live video call); or sign-up to be the virtual guest at another family's home.

One of Camille Dominguez’s earliest and most enduring memories of Bernard Zell comes from her job interview. Often a setting rife with formalities and pleasantries, to this day, Camille remembers a heated conversation with her future employer that quickly departed with decorum and instead delved deep into educational philosophies and pedagogy.

Every Wednesday, our Head of School Mr. Weisserman invites you to participate in a virtual Family Game Night. This week, Mr. Weisserman has selected Set, a game of visual perception. Listen as Mr. Weisserman explains his love of games and instructions on how to play. 

I love reading, learning Torah and preparing quality lessons, which are hopefully meaningful and transformative for my students. The last few weeks our Torah readings have been focused on organizing and then building the Mishkan—the Tabernacle or sanctuary in which God’s presence was to be felt the strongest. 

Take a moment to listen to a message from Dana Hirt, Founder and Principal of Dana Hirt Parenting and Bernard Zell Alumni Parent for tips and best practices on how to navigate social distancing while also sharing activities and experiences with our collective community.

Distance learning is off to a great start in the Ludwig advisory! Learning and exploring content-specific subjects is a vital part of each student's day, but so is emotional and social learning.

It has been a busy week of distance learning in Junior Kindergarten. The teachers have sent home many exploration ideas for families to engage in, and have received wonderful pictures from the students engaged in learning at home! 

Remote learning is no easy task, no matter which subject you teach. The Lower School Jewish Studies team has set very high standards to allow our students to continue learning while at home.

During week two of distance learning, 5th-grade students dissected chicken eggs and learned about all of the parts! This dissection connects to their study of animal evolution.

The Bernard Zell community is invited to join together for a live challah baking class this Thursday evening, hosted by Early Childhood Jewish Studies Leader, Hagit Lewis, and led by Bernard Zell parent and chef pâtissier, Sharon Shay.