The Jewish Day School

*Sad News:  We want to let you know that JDS alum Corey Erlitz (JDS class of '87) passed away on April 22nd.  Corey's mother and the JDS Head of School, Maria, said that anyone who knew Corey, knows he truly wanted to make the world a better place.  So, the family requests that if you would like to make a donation in Corey's memory, you select an organization that you truly feel will have a positive impact on the world.

JDS is proud of the hundreds of former students who have been a part of our school community since our first class graduated in 1987. Whether you are a graduate or attended for a year or two, we would love to hear from you and to help you stay connected with your JDS friends! Email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Want to network? Join the JDS Group in LinkedIn.

Looking for 2013-2014 fellowships, internships or scholarships?  Click here for some resources for you.

NEW!  Click here to read our Spring 2013 Alumni Newsletter - Journeys.  To see last spring's newsletter, click here.  Be sure to email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with your updates and mailing address so you'll receive printed issues.

Alumni Updates

• Madeline Weinstein is quoted on Q13 talking about Mt. Si's "hot or not" contest.
• Megan Brumer has been elected as an intern for Hillel at the UW as the Jewish Life Programming Coordinator.
• Talia Etsekson (and her parents Don and Deanne) are this year's honorees at the Friendship Circle Annual Appreciastion Dinner on May 19th in Seattle.  Info. at ww.fcdinner.com. 
• Jesse Salomon is a Shoreline City Councilman who recently sponsored an ordinance, which was passed by the council, banning plastic bags and encouraging the use of resuable, eco-friendly bags.
• Halen Baker has been awarded an internship at Harvard Medical School's neuroimaging laboratory.
• Bess Lovejoy launched her new book Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses in March 2013 - published by Simon & Schuster.
• Lila Kitaeff is co-managing RadioActive, KUOW's youth radio program.

• Hannah Robin and Zach Robin were featured in a King5 Special on December 27th talking about the nonprofit organization they formed called the 2th Fairy.
• Ariel Vardy had an article called "Chalil's Prayer" published on the Everyday Ambassador website in November.
• Ariela Migdal is in the news - she's quoted in a BBC article - click here to read it.
• Halen Baker is pursuing a neuroscience degree at Boston University. 
• Jake Baker is completing his BA in Business and Aviation Management at the University of North Dakota and will enter the Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Operation (UAS) program in the fall. 
• Ben Bergman left NPR this fall after being named Orange County reporter for Southern California Public Radio station KPCC. 
• Naomi Fine is working at JDS in our preschool and assisting in 2nd grade. 
• Davey Friedman is currently teaching Hebrew at JDS and delivered a wonderful address at our Annual Fund Kick Off Breakfast in October. Click here to see it.  
• Jenna Levin plays Jessica in the movie "All I Want is Christmas" now available on iTunes, Amazon and On Demand. 
• Alayna Maduell is participating in the Teaching Academy at Newport High School and will go into Bellevue classrooms as a teaching assistant next semester. She also teaches and tutors students at Herzl ner Tamid. 
• Daniel Novick is leaving television news and joining GolinHarris PR Firm in Texas as a creator/writer.
• Jane Rutstein Shay has returned to teaching in the JDS Middle School after her maternity leave and welcoming son Jonah.  
• Dr. Sarah Toner is a member of the JDS Board of Trustees and heads up the school's alumni outreach. 
• Jacob Valk is in his senior year at Occidental College in Los Angeles where he is studying for the MCAT in preparation for attending medical school. Jacob is also preparing to present his own biological research in the spring to secure an honors degree in biology.
• Ariel Vardy is spending his gap-year volunteering in a remote village (without electricity or plumbing) in Pelele Senegal working with Global Citizen Year. 
• Coby Vardy holds an Architecture degree and is now studying Construction Management at UW. 
• Micha Vardy is a Mechanical Engineering student at Tel Aviv University. 
• Nina Garkovi was featured in a recent King5 Healthlink segment - click here to see her story.
• Harrison Reines ('11) became an Eagle Scout in June 2012 and has moved to San Diego where he attends La Jolla Country Day School.
• Thanks to Chloe Etsekson ('01), Nicki Etsekson ('06), Megan Brumer ('08) and Jessica Brumer for volunteering to help with the JDS Annual Meeting last spring. Chloe is working in New York, Nicki is a student at Tulane University, Megan is a student at UW and Jessica is at Interlake High School.
• Zack & Hannah Robin are featured in the June 22nd issue of the JTNews (Page 24) for launching their nonprofit www.2thfairy.org.
• Michaela Calderon attends Washington State University where she is majoring in Hospitality Business Management, is on the President's Honor Roll and is President of Hillel. She previously competed with Action Athletics Cheerleading where her team earned numerous titles before she retired from competitions.
• David Bayley graduated from UNLV in Resort & Hotel Management.
• Miriam Stiefel ('04) graduated from Pitzer College in May of 2012 with honors in political studies and sociology. She has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to teach English in the Czech Republic for 2012-2013.
• Gillian Friedman ('08) received the American Jewish Committee's Deborah Rosen Scholarship award for dedication to human relations.
• Maya Zwang's prom dress giveaway (She's a chapter head for the project Becca's Closet) at JDS was featured in the Seattle Times on 5/6/12.
• Talya Gillman is one of 120 young Jewish leaders from around the world selected to attend the four day ROI Summit in Israel in June. ROI connects Jewish leaders "enabling them to turn their passion into action by creating transformative work for the Jewish world and beyond."
• Kasey Feinstein ('08) will attend Seattle University next fall where she earned a spot on the cheerleading team.
• Becky Constantine ('05) is the Hillel President at the University of Oregon.
• Benjamin Avner ('95) and his wife Elissa Cahn are living in Chicago and is receiving a combined MD/PhD from the University of Illinois - Chicago. He looks forward to his residency in Internal Medicine.
• Ben Gown (’96) and Josh Niehaus (’97) formed the Sababas, a Jewish education musical duo. Visit www.thesababas.com
• Zach Saul, a student at Hendrix College, is the co-president of Hillel and teaches Sunday School at a Little Rock synagogue.
• Josh Kahn ('96) is profiled in Orthodox Union's Jewish Action Magazine article on young Jewish political leaders - available here.
• Joey Mosholder is a cardiac exercise physiologist at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Boston.
• Joshua Sloan was interviewed on NPR's All Things Considered.
• Marina Garkavi ('05) is at Brandeis University studying pre-health. Marina's sister and JDS alum Nina Garkavi ('02) is living in Seattle - see our Spring 2012 Alumni Newsletter above for her update.
• Ben Gown is the Early Childhood Education music specialist at the Stroum Jewish Community Center.
• Drew, Dea and Dalya Lovy visited campus last year. Drew graduated from Albert Einstein Univ. in NY, Dea is studying engineering at Johns Hopkins and Dalya is a nursing student at the University of Michigan.

Alumni Profiles - click on the image to read their stories.

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