Social Action & Tikkun Olam
At Community Day School, social action and the Jewish obligation of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) are core to our educational mission. We are committed to empowering our students to become compassionate, proactive changemakers in their communities and beyond. Through a range of hands-on experiences and purposeful initiatives, we foster a culture of empathy, courage, and activism, inspiring our young upstanders to create a brighter, more inclusive future for all.
Better Together Program
CDS teens and older adults at the Jewish Association on Aging enjoy meals, activities, and learning projects together. The visits enhance quality of life for the JAA residents, while providing our students with the opportunity to fulfill the Jewish mitzvah to honor the elders in our community.
Student Council
Middle School Student Council engages the entire school in charitable projects, such as Food Drives, an all-school "Pink-Out" to support cancer research, and a Read-A-Thon to raise money for tzedakah.
Jr. STUCO also holds an annual Intermediate School Service Learning Project.
Community Service
6th graders complete a minimum of five hours of community service, 7th graders complete 10 hours, and 8th graders give 20 hours of time. Most happily exceed these requirements, and students often carry out individual community service projects for their B'nai Mitzvot.
CAFE Programs
Through the Community and Family Engagement Program, CDS students families participate in service learning projects with community partners such as Repair the World, Hebrew Free Loan Association, National Council of Jewish Women, Family House, and Challah Back Girls.
MLK Day at CDS
Instead of taking the day off, Community Day School takes on the essential themes of Martin Luther King Jr. Day together with the broader Pittsburgh community in a day of learning, service, and reflection. Through an original social justice curriculum and community service projects, students engage with the essential question of what it means to be an "upstander" and how to live out Dr. King’s dream today.
