Developing independent, curious, and creative thinkers.
The Stanford Eisenberg Knoxville Jewish Day School (KJDS) is a vibrant community K-5 elementary school filled with joy, rooted in core Jewish values, and devoted to academic excellence. KJDS proudly serves the entire Knoxville community. Our families are diverse in their beliefs, affiliations and observances.
New website coming soon!
The Stanford Eisenberg Knoxville Jewish Day School was founded in 2006 to provide an educational environment balanced with strong academics, immersive arts experience, social development and strength of identity; where children of any background can flourish and Jewish children can have pride in their heritage. At KJDS, we foster creative independent learners and critical thinkers, tomorrow’s leaders, with strong moral character, who question and reason thoughtfully, problem-solve, collaborate, and are able to develop and expand their passions throughout their foundational years.
Children are naturally curious, driven to explore the world around them, and filled with uncontainable excitement with each new discovery. By nurturing these natural inclinations, our aim is to create individuals who will carry the joy of learning throughout their lifetime.
“When my spouse and I went on the school tour of KJDS last year, the first thing we noticed was how happy all of the students were. We had planned to send both of our daughters to our local public school, but after the tour we couldn’t stop thinking about how much KJDS seemed to be set up for our kids and our family. There were top notch academics, creative problem solving [taught within] the arts and STEAM, and an emphasis on ethical formation and community...Our daughter thrives as a learner because of the community that KJDS fosters.” Gina D.
KJDS Core Values
“We finally found a school for our child that we felt could offer him the opportunity and support to be successful, build confidence, and contribute to the larger community. Coming from a racially and religiously blended family, we wanted our son to be part of a school community that would welcome and embrace our family structure...We see KJDS as an agent of change that is fostering thoughtful and committed citizens. Our son is growing up not only developing a love for learning, with a focus on academic excellence, but also developing a passion for improving our community." - Deisha & Michael F.
joy
Joy is at the forefront of all that we do. Children are naturally curious and love to learn, so we nurture that love in joyful ways. At KJDS, we sing, celebrate our successes, and share what we’re learning. Through projects, special guests, and field trips we create authentic opportunities that our students eagerly embrace.
At KJDS, our students experience learning that is:
- authentic, purposeful and hands on
- child-centered
- small group
- immersive
Focus on each child as an individual is achieved by keeping a low student/teacher ratio.
We meet every child where they are academically, and in their own social and emotional growth.
Highlights of our curriculum include:
- integrated learning
- ethic of excellence
- STEAM mindset
- project based learning (PBL)
- responsive classroom
Cooperative learning, collaboration with peers and community-building are cornerstones of our approach to education.
KJDS is developing young people who possess the compassion to care for the world around them, the analytical abilities to understand the problems we face, and the creativity to work together toward the solutions of tomorrow. Above all, the success of the KJDS program is evident in how much our daughter loves learning. Even when she is stretched beyond her comfort zone, she has a strong sense of pride in the work she is doing and takes joy in both her successes and the achievements of her classmates. I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that she thinks of KJDS as a ‘home away from home’ and her teachers and classmates as her extended family.” - Erin D.
Community
Our KJDS community includes our students, staff, families, and community volunteers. We all come together in support of our students. We develop treasured relationships and lasting friendships. And, our safe and supportive environment lays the groundwork for students’ academic and social/emotional success. Everyone in our community has a voice, and all of our stakeholders are very intentional about listening and relationship-building. We nurture our students’ identity, giving them a confidence in their faith and values that stays with them as they grow.
Through citizenship education, KJDS students understand the value and importance of fulfilling their civic and social responsibilities as well as how their positive contributions impact the well-being of each of their communities, including the Jewish community, Knoxville community, United States, and world at large.
In 2019, KJDS brought Violins of Hope, Strings of the Holocaust to Knoxville. Holocaust education was brought to our community through an exhibit, two educational musical performances and visits to many of the local middle and high schools.
Violins of Hope, is a project which brings a private collection of restored violins, violas, and cellos, which survived the ghettos and concentration camps of World War II, to concert in front of audiences all over the world.
KJDS brought London based Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, step-sister of Anne Frank, to Knoxville in 2017. Interviewed by Knoxville's own talk radio host, Hallerin Hilton Hill, Schloss shared her story to an at-capacity Knoxville Civic Auditorium of 2500 attendees. The following day Schloss spoke to another filled auditorium, of 2500 high school students from East Tennessee schools.
She is excited to go to school each day, excited to learn, and excited to bring her lessons home to our dinner table. Rather than getting frustrated when learning something new, [she] now repeats the mantra, “Remember, I just can’t do this yet.” - Sarit & Matt O.
EXPLORATION
Students excel when they’re excited about learning and their interests are piqued. At KJDS, our focus is on the joy of discovery. Our exploratory classrooms succeed because students collaborate, problem-solve, and apply their knowledge to real world situations. Students find academic excellence through cultivating skills in inquisitiveness, thoughtful questioning, and constructive feedback.
“I owe much of who I am today to my time at KJDS. KJDS ignited my passion for the performing arts and that fire that they started in me is still burning today. You can find me performing in a local show almost all of the time! My love and deep appreciation for Judaism and some of my closest Jewish friends that I have kept up with throughout the years are some other gifts I’ve received from KJDS. KJDS also taught me to share my talents and encouraged me to be a leader." - Hallie B.
Music & performing arts Program
At KJDS, we understand the unique potential the arts bring in educating the whole-child. Each year, our entire student body takes part in the full-production of a Broadway Junior Musical, developing a wide range of academic, social and emotional skills. Experiencing the level of commitment and preparation needed for a live performance boosts a child's abilities of focus, memory retention, and perseverance. Through singing, acting and dance, students explore identity, self-expression and creative thinking while developing life-skills in responsibility, collaboration and teamwork.
“Children are our legacy and keeping the faith, traditions and commitment to being a Jew in Knoxville Tennessee can be challenging. Sending our children to the Knoxville Jewish Day School is one of the most important decisions [we] have made. KJDS fulfilled our expectations and so much more! [Our children] graduated reading and writing Hebrew and can confidently talk about their faith with integrity and pride. Through the years at KJDS, the kids truly experienced their Judaism each day. This is why our decision was so important and precious. Both children entered Webb School of Knoxville in 6th grade with ease, academically and socially." - Tamara S.
SPECIAL FRIENDS PROGRAM
Our Special Friend Program partners KJDS students with older members of the Jewish Community; together they share in holiday programming.
Through these community-building events, including holiday meals, games and Jewish traditions, our students bond with their Special Friend.
Through this multi-generational program a lasting connection is built, enriching both of their lives, and helping to shape the KJDS experience for our students.
“On reflection, three qualities of KJDS had the greatest impact on my [decision to enroll my children in KJDS]: its academic excellence, its Jewish ethics, and its caring community. The KJDS atmosphere is simultaneously scholarly and nurturing." - Lo P.
The Stanford Eisenberg KJDS Campus
- Five Beautiful Acres, Fully Fenced
- 18,000 sq. ft. School Building to Maintain our Best-In-Class Curriculum
- Natural Green & Wooded Areas For Outdoor Learning and Exploration
- Large Playgrounds & Multi-Purpose Sports Fields
- Regulation-Size Basketball & Tennis/Volleyball Court
- Integrated Advanced Technologies
REGULATION SIZE COURT • MULTI-SPORT OPTIONS
Basketball • Volleyball • Tennis
"We love that KJDS is focused on meeting the holistic needs of our child. Not only does KJDS have rigorous academic standards, but they do so through a curriculum that fosters both independent and cooperative learning skills, creativity, and problem solving. The work that our child does at KJDS is meaningful and carefully designed to help her develop her academic and social-emotional abilities. We love that KJDS has created a real community of learners where students get to know and interact with each other across the grade levels. They engage in many projects that promote taking the lead in caring about our greater Knoxville community and the world as a whole." - Virginia K.
A unique aspect of KJDS academics is that our students learn Hebrew as a second language (which has been linked to positive brain development). Our Hebrew curriculum is built using the Proficiency Approach for Hebrew, which places the learner at the center and sets the goal of enhancing the personal ability of every learner to function in the Hebrew language. Language learners listen, speak, read and write in Hebrew. Students communicate meaningfully, effectively and creatively for real-life purposes.
“KJDS offers more than just a quality education. [He] is encouraged to research and explore any and all subjects that are of interest to him. He comes home talking about anything from the Periodic table to Midrash to different music genres. He is learning to love learning and he is learning how to learn – how to ask questions, how to listen and interpret responses, and how to integrate information. He is learning how our world operates and how everything is related within our world. KJDS gives him this confidence to be who he is. He is learning to be a leader and a good friend. He is learning all of these things in the safest environment possible where he is treated with respect and love so that he learns to treat others with the same respect and love. Knoxville Jewish Day School has been the best investment into our children's futures and a wonderful family to be part of.” - Debbie & Jeff A.
"I love that my kids [could] thrive in their elementary, foundational years in a school that strengthen[ed] their Jewish identity. Growing up in Knoxville being the "token Jew" all my life felt lonely and isolating at times. I am so happy that my kids' association with Judaism was only wonderful and joyous. At KJDS my kids were grounded in a vibrant and warm Jewish community. In middle and high school they were confident and knowledgeable in their Judaism thanks to their amazing KJDS education and proudly shared with their friends all they knew!" - Gary S.
The Knoxville Jewish Day School fosters a sense of community both inside and outside of the classroom where students learn respect, responsibility, and real-world problem solving skills that make them not only successful students but also caring people who can empathize and cooperate with others. A well-rounded education is our highest priority as parents, and KJDS provides just that with Hebrew instruction, a focus on the arts and theater, and regular STEM activities. We have seen our son grow tremendously as he is challenged, uplifted, and supported at KJDS, and we are so proud to be part of this community.” - Staci & Jason M.
Large Playgrounds
“KJDS is an amazing, first-class school. We've watched it grow as Board members and as grandparents of two KJDS students. With outstanding secular studies supplemented by Hebrew and Jewish studies, KJDS emphasizes how to analyze and question and, importantly, how to treat others" - Jeff & Nancy B.
New website coming soon!
Photography & Design by Lev Gross-Comstock