PJA Proud: Our Students and Graduates
Accomplished.
Confident.
Committed.
These are just a few of the words that describe our students and graduates. PJA is proud to develop kids with character who become tomorrow's leaders. Here are a few of the reasons why we're "PJA Proud"!
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY STUDENT AND ALUMNI ACCOMPLISHMENTS in 2010
PJA PROUD GRADUATES
Congratulations to PJA's class of 2010 who have moved on to an array of the area's best High Schools:
- ACMA
- Catlin Gabel School
- Franklin High School
- Grant High School
- Lake Oswego High School
- Lincoln High School
- Oregon Episcopal School
- Riverdale High School
- St. Mary's Academy
- Wilson High School
Graduation this past June was a great time for our graduates to have another opportunity to show their more creative sides. Click here to view some of the wonderful work from our 2010 graduates.
Congratulations to our students from PJA's
class of 2006 who have been accepted to the
following colleges and universities (the list so far):
- Boston University
- Colorado College
- Haverford
- New York University
- University of Colorado
- University of Denver
- University of Southern California, Film School
- University of Washington, with honors
We have also learned about our Alums moving on to Graduate school. Thus far, we have learned about acceptances to the following:
- Oxford
- University College, London
Break A Leg, Avital! - PJA Alum Avital Rutenberg-Schoenberg is directing the Neil Simon play "I Ought to be in Pictures" at the Headwaters Theater here in Portland. Avital is a 2001 PJA graduate, a Yale graduate, and she has spent time studying in Israel. Some of her previous directorial work was in a recent Shakespeare festival in California.
Mazel Tov to PJA Alum, Laura Eckstein, who is on the Lincoln High School Constitution team that competed in Washington DC in the national competition "We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution" Simulated Congressional Hearings. She and her Lincoln HS teammates came in fourth in the nation! Congratulations Laura! We are PJA PROUD!
CONGRATULATIONS AMIEL - INTEL NW SCIENCE EXPO AWARD WINNER
"Optimizing Auto Energy Efficiency by
Understanding What Drives the Resisting EMF” is the title of Amiel’s science project
that won multiple awards at the Intel Northwest Science Expo held at Portland
State University on Friday, April 2, 2010. Amiel worked for months on her
project, primarily after her school day at PJA. Her hard
work was rewarded with four citations at the fair: She won first in her
category (Energy and Transportation) and special awards from the Association of
Energy Engineers Award, the IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers) Award for best in electromagnetic compatibility engineering, and an
award for Outstanding Use of the International System of Units sponsored by
U.S. Metric Association.
Amiel’s project was an original concept of hers and has
multiple detailed parts, but the main focus is to use a magnetic axle on an
electric or hybrid motor vehicle to induce an electric current in coils
surrounding the axle. This electricity would be used to charge the vehicle’s battery, thus
improving energy efficiency and reducing pollution and greenhouse gases.
CONGRATULATIONS PJA CHESS PLAYERS!
Gabi C. took second place at the Girls Play Chess
Tournament recently.
Congratulations Gabi! In just two short years with a lot of
practice and tournament play, Gabi has become one of the top rated players in the
state!
Seth T. of the MJCC/PJA Chess Club took
5th place in the Oregon State Championship for Rated Players in Seaside! Gabi C. and Everett C. also represented the club in the
competition and won awards for effort and sportsmanship. Congratulations!
On March 12, 2010, the PJA players that make up the MJCC Chess Team came in 3rd in the Oregon State Cup
Chess Tournament at the Oregon Convention Center. The next day at the Oregon State individual Chess Championships, 3rd grader, Seth
T. came in 2nd in the state, and 5th grader Gabi C. and 3rd grader Zevi A. came in 4th in the
state. There were approximately 80 teams (500 kids) participating! Big thanks to Coach Henry Carstens, a former PJA parent. Congratulations! You make us PJA PROUD!
In 2009 we were named BEST
PRESCHOOL IN PORTLAND by our parents, faculty, and community of
PJA fans through the Nickelodeon
Parents Connect web site in their Parents' Picks 2009 poll of local
preschools. Thanks to all of you who voted!
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY STUDENT AND ALUMNI ACCOMPLISHMENTS in 2009
Portland Jewish Academy is an
excellent academic institution graduating talented 8th graders to the
High Schools of their choice each year. These students move on into
public and private institutions all over the area and are active in
continued academic achievement, sports, community service, and the arts.
It
is with great pride that Portland Jewish Academy announces that 1/4 of
PJA's class of 2005 is graduating from their respective High Schools as
Valedictorians this year, primarily from Lincoln and Wilson High
Schools. Almost 8% of the total Portland Public School Valedictorian
pool are PJA Graduates and former students.
Congratulations to our Alums!
Ian Alevy
Dana Bacharach
Katherine Dobscha
H. Samuel Ewan
Talia Goldberg
Hadas Horenstein
Morriah Kaplan
Na'ama Schweitzer
Benjamin Silberberg
You make us all PJA PROUD!
PJA Class of 2002 Alum, Jodi Meyerowitz, who is now a junior at the University of Oregon, was awarded the Jim Buch Award last week at the University in recognition of strong academic achievement, and service that has helped the University build relationships with prospective and/or newly admitted students. Go Jodi! Congratulations!
And if that weren't enough, check out what Jodi's been doing in Israel. She's in the June 1 issue of the Jewish Review with a story about her work with Shomer Achi, an organization of which she is the co-director.
We heard that the PJA class of 2005 is having a little reunion get-together this weekend before they all graduate from High School. And there's much to talk about! At least four are high school valedictorians (Dana Bacharach, Katie Dobscha, Morriah Kaplan, and Naama Schweitzer). At least four are also planning on going to Israel for a year before college (Max Barenberg, Max Specter, Morriah Kaplan, and Benji Silberberg). Here's a sampling of the excellent colleges and universities the Class of '05 are attending - Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, Washington University in St. Louis, Scripps, and Bryn Mawr. Quite an accomplished representation of PJA. We have more than enough reason to be PJA Proud of all of you! Do you know other PJA Alums? Tell them to let us know how they're doing! Just email alumni@portlandjewishacademy.org or fill out our Alumni Update Form.
Did You Know? More than half of the students involved in the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation are PJA grads? Not too shabby!
And check out PJA Alum Boaz Frankel on KGW News from May 25, 2009, updating us on his "un-road trip". Have you heard about this? He's traveling across the country in just about everything but a fuel powered car. You can learn more about this adventure from his web site. He's also on Twitter if you want to follow him there.
In addition, Boaz was on the Today Show on NBC Thursday, May 28, with Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford! Check out the motorized cooler he rode! Congratulations Boaz! You're too cool!
MJCC Gymnastics Team member and PJA Student Sophie R. won the Double Mini event for her level and age group at the Regional Tumble and Trampoline (TnT) gymnastics competition recently. She competed against 12 other gymnasts from the 7 states competing - Go Sophie! She has also qualified for three events at the TnT National competition level. WooHoo!
In addition, all of the Level 5 and above TnT gymnasts from the MJCC Team are qualified for Nationals - WOW! Congratulations are in order for Sophie R. and Caitlyn G. in Tumbling, PJA Alum Linoy G. and PJA Students Melissa D. and Sophie R. for Double Mini trampoline, and Sophie R. for Trampoline.
We are so PJA PROUD of all of you and wish you well on your jouney to TnT Nationals. GO TEAM!
Mazel Tov to PJA Graduates Max S. and Hadas H. who were honored by the Youth Recognition Program of the Rabbi Joshua Stampfer Community Enrichment Award which recognizes Jewish youth who have demonstrated exceptional devotion to the following causes: advancing Jewish learning, creating a stronger Jewish and overall community, and a more ethical and peaceful world. Hadas was selected by the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation and Max was selected by the Portland Jewish Student Union.
PJA Seventh Grader, Rachel R.'s bat mitzvah project was fundraising for DoveLewis (not a typo), the not-for-profit emergency animal and pet hospital here in Portland. Rachel's work so impressed DoveLewis that they have invited her to throw out the first pitch at the Beavers minor league baseball game Friday, May 8, in PGE Park! Congratulations Rachel!
Taliana G-K, Joshua N. and Karly W. won Earthshare Washington's Postcards for the Environment Contest. Their art and writing is now featured on Earthshare's website. Congratulations and Mazel Tov Second Graders!
Portland M.U.S.E. Band participants had a competition recently and our PJA students did very well. Congratulations to Leira F. who won second place in the Intermediate SOLO competition and to Dane S., Owen R, and Daniel H. who won second place in the Intermediate ENSEMBLE competition!
PJA gymnasts qualified for Tumble and Trampoline Nationals in their competition recently! Congratulations to Melissa D. and Caitlyn G. and PJA Alum Linoy G. Winning State Championships were: Cassie G. - Level 2 Champion Double Mini, Trampoline and Tumbling; Melissa D. - Level 5 Trampoline and Double Mini Champion; Sophie R. - Level 6 Trampoline and Double Mini Champion; Caitlyn G. - Level 5 Tumbling Champion; Linoy G. - Level 6 Double Mini and Tumbling Champion
Zoe D-D and Rachel R. are winners in the Oregon State Poetry Association contest! In Division 2 out of 267 poems, Zoe won first place, and out of 303 poems submitted for Division 3, Rachel received Honorable Mention. They were honored at the Salem Public Library on May 9 and their poems will be included in the OSPA anthology. Congratulations Zoe and Rachel and kudos as well to their writing teacher, Harriet Wingard. Both Zoe and Rachel are in Harriet's ‘Living as a Writer' class, which meets once a week after school.
Congratulations to Alex R. for qualifying for the state level geography bee!
Four members of the MJCC/PJA Chess Club, Everett C., Seth T., Jackson B. and Alayna M., qualified for the Oregon Scholastic Chess Federation State Championship held in Seaside on April 19. In addition, MJCC/PJA Chess Club Kids played their 1000th game this semester - that brings their school year total to over 2000 games played!
Kudos to Ilana W., PJA seventh grader, for her accomplishments at the recent Valley Catholic Speech Tournament. Ilana competed against 150 other 7th graders from the Portland area. This is her 3rd year in a row to compete and she has won a trophy all 3 years including placing 1st as a 5th grader and again 1st place this year as a 7th grader.
Congratulations to Francie S-K. who was cast in the chorus of Lincoln High School's production of the musical Annie.
PJA Branding partner RAIN AGENCY welcomed our own Dragon logo creator Matan A. for a morning at the agency. Matan got to ask questions of the agency staff and learn about agency life and work. Kudos to Matan for drawing our logo inspiring Dragon on display now in the PJA lobby!
Sydney R. is headed off to the State Gymnastics championships - she placed 1st all-around in her Spring meets - we wish her luck!
Eliana B. made the Oregon Olympic Development Team in Soccer!
NOTEWORTHY STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2008
PJA student takes top honors at MathCounts competition!
Mazel tov (congratulations) to PJA 8th grader (now graduate) Devin E., who placed first individually in the Portland metro area MathCounts competition, and to MathCounts team coach and PJA Proud teacher Tracey Wygant.
PJA Students commended by science fair judges!
PJA Middle School scientists participated in the 2008 Northwest Science Expo. Gilad L., Rachel R. and Maya R. were commended for their work by the scientists who judged the event, and Maya received a special award from the national Office of Naval Research for Excellence in Science and Engineering! We know that they will enjoy our new Science Project Room!
PJA students rock at state and local chess tournaments!
As members of the MJCC chess team, six PJA students participated in the K-5 Chess for Success Regional Tournament. Special congratulations to Phillip W, who competed in the state tournament.
PJA PROUD GRADUATES
"Great preparation."
"Strong friendships, great teachers."
"At PJA, I learned that I could do anything and be anything."
Our graduates' words say it best. PJA prepares students to take control and craft their own futures. PJA graduates attend the high schools and colleges of their choice.
Congratulations to our students from PJA's class of 2005 who are learning about their acceptances to the following colleges and universities:
- Barnard
- Berkeley
- Bryn Mawr
- Columbia
- Dickinson
- Scripps
- Skidmore
- Tulane
- University of Maryland
- University of Oregon
- University of Pennsylvania
- Washington University in St. Louis
And as they graduate from High School this spring, 7 students of this class of 30 were valedictorians in their High Schools.
Congratulations to the 27 students in PJA's class of 2004, who graduated from 12 high schools throughout the Portland area, with honors that included:
National Merit Scholar
National Honor Society
Academic All-Star and finalists
Lincoln High Outstanding Math Student
Wilson High Golden W Award
MAC Scholar-Athlete Award
Valedictorians of three high schools
Wilson High Coach's Choice Award
And more than a dozen merit scholarships to colleges through the U.S.!
Several students from the Class of 2004 were accepted to prominent programs abroad, including MASA in Israel, Young Judaea Year Course, B'nai Akiva Tafnit program and a gap semester in Peru and Bolivia. Others started at the college of their choice. The range of college acceptances is impressive and includes everything from American University to Yale:
American University
Arizona State University
Boston University
Brandeis University
Brown University
California State University, Chico
California State University, Fresno
Chapman University
Colorado College
Denver University - Honor's College
Georgetown University
Humboldt State University
Ithaca College
Lake Forest College
Lawrence University
Northwestern University
Occidental College
Oregon State Univ.
Pomona College
San Diego State University
Santa Clara University
Scripps College
Stern College/Yeshiva University
Syracuse University
University of Arizona
University of British Columbia
University of Maryland at College Park
University of Massachusetts
University of Michigan
University of Missouri
University of North Dakota
University of Northern Arizona
University of Oregon/ Honor's College
University of Pennsylvania/ Wharton School of Business
University of Puget Sound
University of San Diego
University of Southern California
University of Vermont
University of Victoria
University of Washington
Vassar College
Wellesley College
Western Washington University
Whitman College
Willamette University
Yale
