The Emery/Weiner School
Experience the Difference

List of 20 news stories.

  • Emery's School Buzz Reporters 2025-2026

    This fall marks the 12th year of School Buzz. Each year, our student reporters write about their schools and share their perspectives with Buzz readers. Students join School Buzz for all sorts of reasons. But one of the answers that has become more popular – one that I love to see – is to engage more with their own school. To talk to strangers, to find new organizations, to dig for stories. This program opens a door; it gives students a reason to engage deeply with the world around them. Returning reporters often talk about how a story pushed them into something new – a class, a club, an event – that they ended up loving. 

    Read the full School Buzz 2025-2026 article HERE
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  • Josephine Lombardi '25 wins fourth straight TAPPS 5A State Championship

    SportzBuzz - August 2025
    In tennis, The Emery/Weiner School Jaguars captured a fourth straight TAPPS 5A State Championship behind a remarkable fourth consecutive state singles championship from ’25 graduate Josephine Lombardi. A national high school All-American who’ll play college tennis at Dartmouth, Lombardi went undefeated over the course of a dominating senior season. 

    “It’s just a reflection of her love and dedication to the game,” said Lombardi’s father and Jaguars tennis coach David Lombardi. “Josephine’s ranked among the nation’s top 60 players in her age group and as her dad and head coach I’m just really proud of her.”

    Click HERE to read the full article.

  • Emery Class of 2025 Embarks on Impactful Trip to Israel

    by Stuart J. Dow, Head of School
    It sounds like a bad joke from “South Park”: A political group whose official slogan, complete with decorative banner, is “G-d is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse be upon the Jews, Victory to Islam!” But this isn’t satirical TV, it’s the actual rallying cry of the Houthis in Yemen.

    Because they’re backed by Iran, these militant jihadists have ballistic missiles and explosive drones, which they’ve been firing regularly at international cargo ships in the Red Sea and into Israel for the past 18 months.

    In one of their most recent attacks, the Houthis had moderate “success” – a missile crashed near Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. The reaction was a slew of flight cancellations into and out of Israel – thus jeopardizing the long-planned, much-anticipated trip to Israel for The Emery/Weiner School’s 12th-grade students. As such, we started exploring options.

    Click HERE to read the full article.

  • Emery Senior Cindy Sun ’25 Named Top Ten Finalist in Congressional Art Competition

    Emery Senior Cindy Sun ’25 has been named a Top Ten Finalist in the 2025 Congressional Art Competition for Texas’ Seventh Congressional District. Her original piece, titled “Skyscrapers,” earned distinction among submissions from high school students throughout the district.

    Cindy’s artwork explores the intersection of her Chinese and American cultural identities, capturing the complexities and contrasts of growing up between two worlds.

    “How does the contrast between my experiences in both China and America affect my view on life in different ways?” Cindy writes in her artist statement. “Through my artwork, I explore how my two cultures interact with each other in different ways, and how the effects of the distinct identities manifest in my life. I aim to create visual juxtapositions to show how my two cultural identities contrast with each other. I depict unusual circumstances involving both Chinese and American elements to force the two cultures to collide into what represents my Asian-American identity, even if it is an awkward combination.”

    Click HERE to read the full press release.

  • Emery's Rabbi Laura Sheinkopf Selected for ADL's Walter Kase Educator Excellence Award

    ADL Southwest is honoring three outstanding Houston-area educators who fight hate and promote respect. They will receive the 2025 Walter Kase Educator Excellence Award on Thursday, May 8, at 11 a.m., at Holocaust Museum Houston.

    The honorees are Rabbi Laura Sheinkopf, Jewish Life and Upper School Judaic Studies director at The Emery/Weiner School; Michael J. Curl, principal of Kingwood Middle School in the Humble Independent School District; and Kim Jackson, counselor at Calder Road Elementary School in the Dickinson Independent School District.

    The award is presented annually to three educators for their outstanding efforts to create an atmosphere in their schools that rejects prejudice and regards diversity as a strength. The award was named in memory of beloved Holocaust survivor Walter Kase, who spent many years speaking to students about the horrors he experienced during the Holocaust, the dangers of hate and the value of love.

    Click HERE to read the full article.

  • RoboJags Invited to VEX IQ Robotics World Championship

    During the VEX IQ Robotics Competition Region Championship in March 2025, The Emery/Weiner School’s two Middle School Robotics Teams, EWS Robo-Jags (8th Grade) and EWS Robo-Jags 2 (6th/7th grades), placed 1st and 3rd, respectively, in their teamwork challenges. 

    Having won the Teamwork Award at the Event Region Championship (the equivalent to winning a State Championship), the 8th grade team qualifies for the VEXIQ Robotics World Championship in May, where they will travel to Dallas, TX to compete with over 800 other teams from around the world at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center.

    Click HERE to learn more about VEX IQ.

  • Emery's Jennifer Bauer-Conley to Be Honored as TUTS 2025 Arts Educator of the Year

    Led by four-time event chair June Deadrick, the 2025 Leading Ladies Luncheon will honor Jennifer Bauer-Conley (The Emery/Weiner School) as Arts Educator of the Year.

    The Leading Ladies, a dynamic group of women inspired by a shared belief in the transformative power of the arts, created this luncheon to support Theatre Under The Stars’ education and community programs. The Leading Ladies, a group founded by Amy Pierce and Marsha Taylor in 2006, support TUTS through fundraising and volunteer work, inspired by a shared belief in the transformative power of the arts. 

    Read the full article HERE.

  • Emery duo leads Israel 13U Softball to gold medal in Italy

    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.

  • Emery begins football title defense with big win

    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.

  • THE MAGIC OF MACCABI: Hosting Jewish competition, connection and fun

    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.

  • Resounding Resilience: Emery's Hailey Sutin '30 & Strake Jesuit's Alex Narcisse on embracing life in a hearing world

    The seventh grader at Emery/Weiner would love to write a book about her hearing loss for an eighth-grade passion project in the future. 

    She has a cochlear implant in each ear but struggles to keep up in group social environments. 

    “Sometimes I can’t hear them and then they say, ‘never mind’ if I ask what was being said,” Hailey says. “I don’t press them sometimes to see what the conversation was about. Talking to a person in a one-on-one setting is much better. Also, school group projects are harder for me.”

    CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
  • Josh Blum was drafted by the New York Mets on July 16, 20214

    Josh Blum (EWS '21) becomes first Emery grad to be drafted in MLB

    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.

  • The Return to Shearn: Growing the Program in its Second Year

    “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.
  • Jeremy Samuels, Josh Aruh, Barry Lewis and Stuart Dow help break ground at The Emery/Weiner School on June 6, 2024

    Planting the next seed: Emery/Weiner School breaks ground on $30 million expansion

    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.
  • JTPI graduation seniors: Lauren Miller, Leah Cororve, David Katz, Leeor Catran and Alex Leif

    Teen philanthropy students from Emery award 4 grants to fight antisemitism

    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.

  • Mandy Stein (EWS '09) Supports Uru Community in Tanzania

    Emery/Weiner alumna Mandy Stein was just a teenager when she first went to Africa and fell in love with the people in Tanzania. While in college, she had the bold idea to help the children there get an education, and more remarkably, with the help of many Houston-area neighbors, she started a school that now supports hundreds of students, even one of whom is now a doctor.

    "I believe in the power of one," Stein said. "I also know that I can't do everything, but I can do something."

    Mandy Stein lives in Tanzania, but she returns home to Meyerland to visit friends and family and also to garner donations from the community, which has supported her Tanzanian school for more than a decade. This time, she'll fill a container that will ship bikes, books, clothes, and more 8,800 miles away. 

    CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

  • Emery/Weiner girls win third TAPPS Tennis championship

    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.

  • EWS Alum Simon Gerst '19 Selected for Fulbright Program

    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.

  • Emery/Weiner students visit South Texas Jewish Archives

    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.

  • Emery football wins 9 straight, reaches TAPPS championship game

    Three months ago in their second game of the season, The Emery/Weiner School’s six-man football team was blown out by First Baptist 55-8. It was a low point for a young, but talented team that had state playoff expectations.

    Since that 45-point loss, the Jaguars have flipped the script.

    EWS has won nine straight football games, outscoring their opponents 601-252. Their latest victory – a 90-41 playoff triumph over Giddings State – has elevated the Jaguars into the TAPPS Division I championship game against Veritas Academy on Nov. 30 in Waco.

    CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
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The Emery/Weiner School

9825 Stella Link Road Houston, TX 77025
Phone: (832) 204-5900 Fax: (832) 204-5910 
A private, pluralistic Jewish, college-preparatory middle and high school serving grades 6-12. 
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