Together, we’ve raised over $410,000 through 260 donations, advancing our mission to provide academic excellence, nurture Jewish identity, and foster meaningful connection to Israel.
✨ And you still have time to be counted in the Annual Benefit total!
Head to the smithja.org/page/annual-benefit to make your donation to support academic excellence, Jewish learning, and affordability for families across the Twin Cities.
As Annual Campaign & Benefit co-chairs Sharon and Mark Rosenblum wrote, “A strong Jewish school is the heart of a strong Jewish community.”
Fifth grade took on the challenge of life beyond Earth, researching what it would take to live on Mars and bringing their ideas to life through collaborative design.
Working in teams, students explored science, engineering, architecture, and community wellness to imagine sustainable life on Mars. They then translated their learning into detailed 3D colony models, constructed from recycled materials, demonstrating creativity, problem-solving, and a deep understanding of what it means to build not just structures but thriving communities.
Thank you for helping us SURPASS our Smith Annual Benefit fundraising goal of $400,000! Together, our community has raised $401,481 from 230 generous donors, an incredible reflection of shared commitment, purpose, and belief in the power of a Smith education.
There’s still time to take part. Your support helps make a Smith education accessible to all through $1.5 million in need-based scholarships while strengthening the kind of experiential learning that brings knowledge and values to life across every discipline.
No gift is too small, and a donation of any size is your ticket in to our fundraising celebration: The Smith Annual Benefit THIS SUNDAY, April 19.
🎉 Learn more and give today at smithja.org/page/annual-benefit
Our sixth grade students led a meaningful multimedia and interpretive tekes (ceremony), weaving together poetry, dance, song, and prayer. Students also learned through discussions and activities in their classrooms to remember our history and collective responsibility to build a world of chesed (loving kindness) and g'vurah (strength).
And tonight, SJA families will light memorial candles bearing the names of individuals whose lives were lost during the Shoah, ensuring these individuals’ memories continue to burn brightly.
May the memories of the righteous be a blessing, and may our students carry them forward with purpose, compassion, and strength.
As we welcome students back from Pesach break, we're looking back at our holiday preparations, when Smith students got to make their own matzah with Chabad Minneapolis’ Model Matzah Bakery!
From sorting grains and milling flour to rolling out the dough and punching holes into it, students got to engage in the step-by-step process of making matzah. This hands-on experience allowed the students to connect deeply with the process, the purpose, and the story of Passover.
We welcomed Good Shepherd fifth graders to join ours for a mini seder to experience and learn about Passover and Judaism and to learn from one another about our different faiths and shared values.
Good Shepherd said it best: "Experiences like this help our students build empathy, curiosity, and a greater sense of connection with others — what a wonderful day of learning beyond the classroom!"
Thank you, Good Shepherd, for being a part of our diverse learning community. We look forward to continuing the connection when we visit Good Shepherd next month.
Happy belated Easter to those who celebrated, and happy Passover!
Kindergarten is ready for Passover!
Through our dual curriculum, students brought together Jewish studies and the arts to design and create their own matzah covers, blending tradition with creativity. As they explored the meaning of the holiday, they also learned artistic techniques, resulting in practical pieces they’ll be proud to use at their seders!
Chag Pesach kasher v'sameach! Happy and kosher Passover!
From hands-on workshops to powerful study visits at landmarks like the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery, our students experienced civics not as a textbook subject, but as a living, breathing responsibility. They examined how individual voices shape government, grappled with the complexity of creating just laws, and reflected on the values that sustain a democratic society. This kind of immersive, values-driven learning empowers students to think deeply, engage thoughtfully, and see themselves as active participants in something larger — grounded in identity, guided by purpose, and prepared to lead with integrity.
Thank you to Senator Amy Klobuchar for taking the time to meet with us!
All month long, multiplication is moving beyond the page and into the gym, where third grade is learning through kinesthetic math games that combine movement, teamwork, and repetition to help cement their multiplication facts through joyful learning experiences. When students are fully engaged, knowledge truly sticks!
(head to smithja.org/page/annual-benefit)
Join us in celebration of the community that makes this school possible and of the Smith Annual Campaign, which helps sustain everything that makes a Smith education possible — from academic excellence and Jewish learning to tuition assistance that keeps our community accessible to families across the Twin Cities.
Your support helps ensure that the next generation of Jewish children grows up with the knowledge, confidence, and sense of belonging our community depends on. Make your gift, and join us on April 19 as Smith transforms into a lively, after-hours school day for adults — complete with trivia, music, hands-on experiences, and plenty of ruach.
For the seventh year in a row, Smith Jewish Academy third graders earned top honors in the Minnesota Zoo’s ZOOMS STEM Design Challenge!
Students researched about sea lions and the importance of enrichment in animal care, then designed, engineered, and presented their own enrichment ideas for the wellness of the zoo’s sea lions. Out of the 30 teams from across the state that advanced to the exhibition round in the elementary enrichment design category, our two finalist teams brought home two of the eight awards!
Mazal tov to Amira B., Arne D., and Eli W. for earning first place overall, and to Isaiah G., Rowan K., Eitan S., and Matan S. for receiving the Innovation Award.
Kol hakavod to Ms. Vlodaver and all of our third grade engineers! What an accomplishment, with curiosity, creativity, teamwork and hard work leading to great success!
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We are honored to serve as co-chairs of The Smith Annual Benefit. Together, we are leading a fundraising team of 46 passionate friends of the school who, like us, believe that a strong day school is the foundation of a strong Jewish community. This year’s benefit will transform Smith Jewish Academy into a playful, grown-up take on the classroom experience — celebrating curiosity, creativity, and community through hands-on “lessons” designed to inspire connection and support.
For our families, Smith Jewish Academy has become more than a school — it has become a second home. While we come to this work from different experiences, we share the same goal: a strong, thriving school. As new Smith parents, we did not fully understand the importance of supporting the Annual Fund at first. We are grateful now to see how critical this support is in ensuring that every family who wants a Smith education for their child is able to access one.
We are proud to take on this work together, guided by the belief that a strong Jewish school is at the heart of a strong Jewish community. Supporting Smith Jewish Academy is our way of investing not only in our own children, but in the future of the entire Twin Cities Jewish community.
We believe deeply in Smith’s mission to provide academic excellence, nurture Jewish identity, and foster a meaningful connection to Israel — pillars that prepare our children to become leaders and mensches in the world. We invite you to join us on Sunday, April 19, for an evening filled with joy, purpose, and impact, and to stand with Smith Jewish Academy as we strengthen our school and our community for generations to come.
An invitation will be coming soon, and you can start registering now! Your sponsorship at any level is your ticket in. Head to smithja.org/page/annual-benefit for more information and to make your contribution.
