Pardes Jewish Day School is a partnership of six Reform congregations in metro Phoenix.

Congregation Beth Israel
Temple Chai
Temple Emanuel
Temple Gan Elohim
Temple Kol Ami
Tempel Solel

The Pardes Jewish Day School is a constituent agency of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix

Message from Head of School

Jill Kessler

B.A. New York University
M.A. Sarah Lawrence College
M.A. University of Phoenix
jkessler@pardesschool.org

It is my pleasure to welcome you to Pardes Jewish Day School (PJDS).

In June of 2006, our School relocated to a home of its own with a 30,000 square foot facility on 5 acres with spacious classrooms and outdoor patios, beautiful playgrounds, a kosher kitchen, a swimming pool, and a large athletic field. We recently installed a fabulous new basketball court and new manicured football and soccer field. We could not be more delighted to have you come visit us.

On campus you can expect to see a dedicated and experienced faculty who truly enjoy teaching. In partnership with parents, we seek to provide our students with a rigorous and relevant secular curriculum, enhanced by Jewish Studies and learning the Hebrew language. Art, music, physical education, technology, and Spanish further enrich our curriculum. Emphasis is placed on helping each child develop a life-long love of learning and the desire to work to one's potential. At PJDS our focus is on the child as an individual, each with his/her own strengths and uniqueness.

For Jewish Studies, students learn about Tanakh, about our history, culture, holidays and Israel, and engage in meaningful dialogue with our school's rabbi. T'fillah (prayer) takes place in our sanctuary and is a special time when our kehilla (community) joins together. Visiting rabbis and cantors teach the weekly Torah portion, giving our students greater insight and depth to their Jewish studies. We are particularly proud that our School is guided by the core values of Kavod (respect), Tikkun Olam (responsibility for repairing the world), L'dor V'dor (responsibility for passing traditions and values from generation to generation), Avodat Halev (Service of the Heart) and Ivrit (responsibility for maintaining Hebrew as a living language). These values play important roles in shaping the character of our students. We also take pride in the fact that we graduate wonderfully ethical and kind student "mensches" who go on to succeed in outstanding high schools.

After reading the various sections of our Admissions Packet, I encourage you to visit our web site at www.pardesschool.org. The information you find there will give you a feel for the excitement and enthusiasm our students and faculty have for learning. I encourage you to call and arrange to visit us so that you can experience, first-hand, our vibrant learning environment.

Sincerely,

Jill Kessler

Head of School