Dear Davis Friends,

Our Davis story began in the summer of 2017 when we made the decision to enroll our oldest daughter, Isabelle, in Kindergarten at Davis. Mark and I were fortunate to have met Davis’ beloved Rabbi Micah years prior, after his wife, Rabbi Loren, officiated our wedding but also my conversion to Judaism. Rabbi Micah always spoke passionately about Davis as a school rich in academic tradition and Jewish values. When it came time to choose a school for Isabelle, he encouraged us to visit Davis. Rabbi Micah knew that Mark and I came from different religious backgrounds but that we had chosen to raise our children in the Jewish tradition. He felt that Davis would be a good fit for our family. We were a little hesitant at first, as attending Davis would mean a long commute from Suwanee. “How long would you be willing to drive to make sure that your kids get to the right school?” Rabbi Micah challenged us to consider. And so, we took the tour and like many others before us, we have never looked back.

We now have three children enrolled at Davis, Isabelle in fifth grade, Sarah in second, and Nathan in Kindergarten. Despite being the first stop on the North Bus route, our children are always eager to go to school and the occasional grumbling about the early morning commute is drowned out by their enthusiasm for another day spent amongst close friends and wonderful teachers. During these past six years, we have seen our children thrive academically and grow to be responsible and proud members of the Jewish community. Indeed, Davis has offered them the right balance of structure and nurture. Every day our three children are challenged by a diverse academic curriculum preparing them for high school and beyond. However, they are always surrounded by a warm, dynamic, and enthusiastic faculty who guide them with a firm but gentle hand. Our family indeed counts the Davis faculty as one of our blessings. We are thankful for the patience, encouragement, and guidance that the many wonderful teachers at Davis have given our children to help them overcome their challenges, find their confidence, and thrive in the classroom.

When we chose Davis, we had hoped that attending a Jewish day school would help our children develop a sense of Jewish identity and prepare them to lead a life guided by Jewish values. What we did not know is that Davis would strengthen our entire family’s sense of belonging to the greater Jewish community. Over the past six years, we have shared shabbat mornings invigorated by the song of our Davis Kehilah, we have shared lunches under the sukkah, we have built chanukiahs in the classroom and shed tears at emotional Kabbalat HaSiddur ceremonies.

Sharing holidays, and life-cycle events together have made us feel connected to something greater than ourselves, the Jewish community around us. Davis has been more than a school for our children, it has become our Kehilah, an extension of our family. Our family is proud to be a part of Davis’ thirty-year celebration. We are grateful to Davis for providing our children with a strong academic foundation and for giving them the moral compass that will help guide them into the future. As parents, we have developed many lasting friendships during our journey at Davis and are thankful to be a small part of the Davis family.
 

Christina & Mark Kats
Davis Parents