Kol hakavod to SJA siblings Mila (Grade 6) and Ezra (Class of '25), who each received Honorable Mention in the inaugural L’Dor V’Dor Essay Prize.
This recognition is a powerful example of what Smith students do so well: think critically, write thoughtfully, and engage meaningfully with Jewish tradition, family history, and lived experience.
Read their essays and more news from Smith Jewish Academy in the December Inside the Pride! Go to smithja.org/page/inside-the-pride
A graduate of SJA, Abby brings both professional expertise and lived understanding of what makes this community so meaningful — an education that pairs academic excellence with meaningful Jewish life, and a place where every child is truly known.
“I am looking forward to sharing with the community why SJA is such a special place and welcoming families into our community.”
If you’re exploring a Smith education for your child or simply want to connect, Abby would love to hear from you. Head to our website to read about Abby and to reach out.
Before break, third grade made its annual trip to the Minnesota Zoo to gather firsthand insights for their own engineering project: a competition to make an enrichment for the zoo's sea lions.
Through this work, students see themselves as scientists and problem-solvers — and learn that their ideas can support real animal needs.
Come see our seventh and eighth grade Stars to Be in Annie, Jr. on Thursday, January 22, and Sunday, January 25.
🎟️ Get your tickets at smithja.org/page/annie 🎟️
🦁 A. After celebrating 40 years as a school and community, we became Harold and Mickey Smith Jewish Academy!
🥇B. Our students won in both local and international STEM competitions — first place in the Cosmic Leap Foundation Space Colony Competition and third place in the Minnesota Zoo ZOOMS STEM Design Challenge!
🇮🇱 C. SJA sent its inaugural eighth grade trip to Israel: Aliyah Chet!
🎉 D. We celebrated many holidays, from Purim to Yom ha-Atzmaut and Simchat Torah!
There are so many moments to choose from we couldn’t list them all. Happy New Year, and here's to more successes in 2026!
They and other kids in Grades 1-8 across Minnesota submitted artwork expressing the meaning of the Festival of Lights, and we're especially proud that Elliot's and Haddie's representations appear in the December issue of the American Jewish World.
At Smith, we encourage students to share their voices — academically, creatively, and as joyful Jews in the world. Congratulations to all the young artists at SJA and in the community who entered, and happy Chanukah!
Happy Chanukah! Let’s spread the light with one more week of fifth grade’s food drive for PRISM Golden Valley, MN Marketplace Food Shelf.
If you are able, please bring non-expired, non-perishable food items to the Smith Jewish Academy main office by Thursday to help support our community members in need. This week’s suggested foods are dinner and dessert.
And if we meet or exceed our goal of 500 donated items, the entire school will earn a pajama day!
Third grade gifted first grade crowns to decorate. Why? Because today is the 6️⃣7️⃣th day of school, and our first graders are ages 6️⃣ and 7️⃣!
Leave it to our amazing teachers to make a trend educational — the first graders rolled dice and practiced their addition skills to get to 6️⃣7️⃣.
🤷 Happy 6️⃣7️⃣ Day, and happy Chanukah 🕎!
A perfect example of how Smith Jewish Academy empowers individuals to embrace their heritage and lead with purpose.
📣 SAVE THE DATE!!! 5 P.M. SUNDAY, APRIL 19 📣
The Smith Annual Benefit is going back to school! Join us for an all new benefit, a fun evening of "school activities" for adults. Be there or be square! ⬛
Let's keep the momentum going — this week's focus is lunch and snack food. If you are able, please bring non-expired, non-perishable food items to the Smith Jewish Academy main office to help support our community members in need.
First grade has been studying animals and animal adaptations in science, so Alfa the security dog stopped by! They are also learning about one-syllable words that end with a double letter, so they decided to BLESS Alfa!
Students got to ask about Alfa's training, how she's taken care of, and how to treat a working dog respectfully. We're grateful to Alfa and her handler for coming by and to the security team that helps keep our campus safe.
The food drive will run through December 18 with a special focus each week:
🐶 Week 1 (December 1-5): Breakfast Food and Pet Food
🥫 Week 2 (December 8-12): Lunch Food and Snack Food
🍝 Week 3 (December 15-18): Dinner Food and Dessert Food
📰 Check out Issue 4 right here on our website: smithja.org/page/inside-the-pride
