There are a variety of schools for educating your children. How do you make a choice? What makes each school stand apart? If you are Jewish, it is likely that you are also asking yourself, how can I give my child a Jewish identity? Sending your child to a Jewish school to get a Jewish education is the answer.
There are so many choices when it comes to Jewish education. You can start in a Jewish preschool and continue to a Hebrew day school, (Jewish school for elementary, middle, and High School) or send your child to a public school, and supplement their Jewish education after school at a Hebrew school.
The preschool years are the best time to start your child’s Jewish education by attending a Jewish preschool. Their Jewish education will be a part of their everyday life. They will celebrate Shabbat with delicious challah and grape juice, and each holiday will be ushered in with the song, dance, and art. The Jewish preschool will become part of your entire family’s life, not just for your preschooler.
If you are lucky, some Jewish preschools, like Kadima Day School, have a Hebrew day school on the same campus! In this Jewish school, your child can go from the 2-year-old class all the way up to 8th grade, continuing their Jewish education with the same cohort of children, teachers, and families. A Hebrew day school education is a very unique opportunity for your children. They will get a full Jewish education and be surrounded by Jewish life.
The last option for Jewish education is choosing to send your child to a Hebrew school in the afternoons. Hebrew school is only a few hours a week, a much different choice than a Hebrew day school. But think of the benefits if your child was able to attend a Jewish school so that they did not need to spend their afternoons at a Hebrew school, and could instead spend that time doing all the other things they love.
With so many choices out there, giving your children the opportunity to learn about their heritage is priceless. Whether you choose a Jewish preschool, a Hebrew day school, or an afternoon Hebrew school, going to any Jewish school and getting a Jewish education will give meaning to their life and a foundation for their adult Jewish life.
