Sharon Sherry has dedicated her entire career to Jewish education, from New Orleans to Arizona — and now northern Virginia, which she calls home.
The longtime Fairfax resident and mom of three knew she wanted to be a teacher since third grade.
Sherry is living out her childhood dream as senior director of outreach and engagement at Gesher Jewish Day School, a role she began in December 2025. Her work primarily encompasses relationship-building with young families, synagogues and organizations in the community.
Before that, Sherry spent decades serving families with young children across the Greater Washington area through various roles within the local Jewish Federation. She also served as preschool director at Congregation Olam Tikvah in Fairfax, where she’s currently a member.
“It was just such an amazing experience to be able to give back to the community that gave back so much to me, and I think that carries through to my new passion of working at Gesher,” Sherry said.
She focuses on the needs of local families with young children, often meeting prospective Gesher parents visiting the school for a tour or meeting. Sherry plans and deepens relationships through community programs, such as PJ Library events for children ages 0 to 5. She meets regularly with religious school directors, shlichut and community leaders around northern Virginia.
“I love meeting with the families who come to learn more about Gesher and determine if it’s the right fit for their family and their child,” Sherry said. “I love hearing their thoughts, their dreams, their hopes for their children.”
That’s only one part of her job. The other part is internal: visiting Gesher classrooms to understand what’s going on — which she communicates to parents — and participating in grade-wide meetings.
“I woke up the Monday after winter break before my alarm went off, so excited to get to work because it’s just all so exciting,” she said.
The onboarding process has largely been “seamless,” according to Sherry, due to her eight-year stint with the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.
“It’s been a really amazing experience,” she said of the past month. “I had been working with Gesher through my role at [the] Federation, so I had still been connected, but coming back in this professional capacity has broadened my understanding of what the school is doing.”
To Sherry, her role is more than work.
“I do what I do because I know firsthand how it can enrich your life to be connected to the Jewish community, how it helps you know who you are as a person and as a Jew to participate in these kinds of experiences,” Sherry said.
She is hardly new to the community, having sent her three kids to Gesher.
“I see it with my children. The knowledge they gained at Gesher and religious school and Camp Ramah helped them after Oct. 7 to stand firm in their beliefs and know who they are at a very difficult and challenging time,” Sherry said.
She particularly loves the Gan — Gesher’s kindergarten program. “I always used to joke with my husband that [if] we had a fourth child, we could do Gan again.”
“You have this idea in your head that nothing could be as good as the experience that your children have, and now that I’ve been spending time in the classrooms and getting to know the teachers, they’re creating amazing learning experiences and growth experiences for the children, … the same — and maybe even some cases better — than what my children had.”
Sherry herself attended Jewish day school from kindergarten through third grade and a communal after-school Hebrew program. She was raised in an observant Conservative Jewish family in New Orleans.
Long passionate about education, Sherry studied English literature and Judaic studies at George Washington University, then earned her master’s degree from Brandeis University in Jewish communal service with a concentration in education.
After completing a teacher certification program at Arizona State University, Sherry stayed in Phoenix to work at a synagogue, then a Solomon Schechter day school. She and her young family moved to Fairfax and enrolled their daughters at the Olam Tikvah preschool.
“It really became our community,” Sherry said of northern Virginia.
“If there’s a death in the family and you have a shiva call, it’s overwhelming to me to see the number of people who come to support our family in these times of need,” she said. “It lifts you up.”
Sherry’s father died when she was young, and she learned the value of being connected to the Jewish community.
“I saw firsthand how you really need to be part of a community before you need it, so it’s there to support you in times of need,” Sherry said. “I think it motivates me to try to help other individuals, and primarily families with young children, create that community for themselves.”
