News Archive

Freshman Max Madof ('28) placed among the top 300 science students across the nation at the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge. This national STEM competition is a program of Society for Science and welcomed 2,000 competitors who were selected based on outstanding performance at science fairs at the local level. 

Read the full article HERE.

Sophie Kalmin has been named to American Jewish Committee’s Campus Global Board, which is dedicated to training and empowering Jewish student leaders as they confront increased antisemitic and anti-Zionist activity at their colleges and universities.

Read the full article HERE.

It’s been quite a year in softball for Natalie Lane and Sarah Levy, classmates at The Emery/Weiner School.

Both students represented Team Israel 13 and Under and played a key role in earning Israel’s first-ever gold medal in European competition.

Read the full article HERE.

Read the full article from The Times of Israel here.

The Emery/Weiner School came out strong on the ground and in the air to start the 2024 football season with a big 30-point win on Thursday, Aug. 29.

Read the full article HERE.

EWS Freshman, Savannah Radoff, describes her journey with spinal surgery and her exciting plans for the future. 

Congratulations, Savannah! Your Emery family is cheering you on! 🥳

Read her article here.

On Aug. 14 and 15, The Emery/Weiner School gathered 90 teachers and participants to learn from eight national instructors, four of which are in the Alexander JFS Behavioral and Mental Health Services department.

Alexander Jewish Family Service is a resource to schools, companies and organizations throughout the area for Mental Health First Aid training to help recognize the signs of mental health distress and provide an action plan. Mental Health First Aid is a public education course that teaches people how to recognize, identify and respond to signs of mental distress and substance misuse.

Click HERE to read the full article.

Emery alum Peter Berry '20 is one of these amazing athletes and is an alternate for the U.S. Paralympics Wheelchair Basketball Team! 

The Games, which were founded by the late German-Jewish doctor Ludwig Guttman, will feature over 4,000 athletes in 22 sports.

To read the full article about the 2024 Paris Paralympics, including a call out to Peter Berry, click here!

A rock band guitarist-turned instrumental music teacher reconnects with a former student-turned technology mogul to provide instruments for a nearby Title I school.

No, it’s not the plot of a yet-to-be released “School of Rock” sequel, but rather the true and heartwarming story of The Emery/Weiner School music educator Kelly Dean and his students.

Dean, who begins his 17th year as EWS’ Instrumental Music instructor on Aug. 20, has built an award-winning music program. It received the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation’s Support Music Merit Award for the seventh straight year, becoming one of only 15 American schools (and the only one in Texas) to receive that honor.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

The JCC Maccabi Games are all about creating Jewish connections and memories.

That excitement was on full display Sunday, Aug. 4, when more than 1,000 teens from all over the world spontaneously rushed the floor of Rice’s Tudor Fieldhouse to jump around, dance and celebrate in unison as Matisyahu’s song “One Day” was blared from the speakers.

A rockin’ Opening Ceremonies kicked off an amazing week for thousands of Jewish athletes, coaches and family as the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC and the Houston Jewish community hosted the JCC Maccabi Games & Access Aug. 4-9.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

Five years ago, a sophomore at The Emery/Weiner School was asked by the Jewish Herald-Voice what he wanted to do when he grew up.

On July 16, Josh Blum made it official.

Surrounded by family and friends, Blum celebrated as he was selected by the New York Mets in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

With their sixteenth-round selection in the 2024 draft, the 473rd overall pick, the Mets selected Josh Blum (EWS '21), a right-handed pitcher from the University of Southern California.

Bellaire, Texas native Josh Blum attended The Emery/Weiner School in Houston, where he lettered in both baseball and football all four years he attended. Over the course of his four years with Jaguars, he posted a cumulative 0.75 ERA with 166 strikeouts in 92.0 innings. A projectable right-handed pitcher from Texas, Blum was on the radar of scouts and evaluators but went undrafted and honored his commitment to the University of Southern California instead.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

With 850 kids excited for a fun week of summer camp – but no power at the J after Hurricane Beryl – Evelyn Rubenstein JCC officials had to come up with a quick, manageable solution.

Fortunately, this is Houston, where Jewish community organizations never hesitate to open their doors to help those in need.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

Incoming high school senior at The Emery/Weiner School, Juliette Hess, has been working alongside the Greater Houston Community Foundation’s Family Giving Circle, showcasing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for other teens.

Hess has been a part of the Family Giving Circle for two years and is part of the leadership team. She and her peers researched, selected and distributed $34,000 to Houston reVision, Angel Reach and the Coalition for the Homeless. Since hearing about this organization that allows teens to come together and share their love for philanthropy, Hess has been working alongside the Events and Engagement Coordinator, Elizabeth Gonzales, who has been her mentor.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

“More.”

That’s the word longtime Emery music teacher — and more recent afterschool program creator — Kelly Dean uses to sum up the Shearn Music Program’s transformation over the past year.

This year’s program boasts more students, more days, and more hours of musical exploration. With the incorporation of Shearn’s new grant for after-school programs, the music initiative at Shearn Elementary has flourished, presenting both exciting opportunities and new challenges.

Click HERE to read the full Kotarot article - on pages 24-25.

With the demand for a quality Jewish education continuing to rise, The Emery/Weiner School – with the help of dozens of community members – has answered the bell.

Already the largest school of its kind in the United States per capita, EWS will be growing in both square feet and students in the very near future.

On June 6, EWS held a groundbreaking to kick off a $30 million, 75,000-square-feet expansion of the Jewish day school that currently serves more than 600 students from sixth through 12th grade.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

The J-Teen Philanthropy Initiative celebrated its sixth annual Check Granting Ceremony on April 28 at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston.

Eight months of consensus building, research, exploring social justice issues, learning about the nonprofit world and fundraising culminated with more than $18,000 in total grants awarded to four Houston nonprofits. The Anti-Defamation League Southwest, Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, Israeli-American Council Houston and Houston Hillel received grants supporting programs that focus on combatting antisemitism and providing Israel education.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

EWS eighth graders Max M. '28 and Levi L. '28 took third place in Embedded Systems at the Texas Science and Engineering Fair (TXSEF) state-level science fair. Each year, Emery/Weiner has a middle-school science fair competition, and all honors-level science students are asked to participate.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

The Emery/Weiner School’s girls tennis team captured its third-straight TAPPS 5A state championship on April 18.

Leading the way was three-time girls singles state champion, Josephine Lombardi. Also adding big points was the state runners-up doubles team of Sabrina Blinderman and Ella Totz.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

Simon Gerst (EWS '19), a senior triple-major in Jewish Studies, German, and Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, has been selected for a Fulbright award to study in Kyrgyzstan for the 2024-2025 academic year.

While in Kyrgyzstan, Simon will undertake research on a project entitled “No One is Forgotten: Rediscovering Kyrgyzstan’s Lost Jewish Émigrés.” He will be a visiting scholar at the Central Asian Studies Institute at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

Recently, the Joan and Stanford Alexander South Texas Jewish Archives had the pleasure of hosting students from The Emery/Weiner School. They were accompanied by their teachers Rabbi Laura Sheinkopf and Judaic studies teacher Rachel Silton. It was delightful to witness the students’ curiosity as they explored our historical treasures and gained firsthand knowledge of the research process.

A highlight of their visit was the hands-on activity we organized. I prepared mock archival boxes containing copies of real historical materials, offering the students a tangible connection to the past. This interactive experience allowed them to engage with primary source documents, deepening their appreciation for the importance of preservation efforts.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.