Learning about Judaism builds foundation for life

Gordon

Green

A Jewish preschool education helps set the foundation of Judaism in a young child’s life and will likely serve them as they grow into adulthood.

Jackie Gordon, co-director of early childhood services at the Mandel Jewish Community Center, and Holly Green, early childhood program director at Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple, both in Beachwood, gave insight into why sending a child to a Jewish preschool helps in their faith formation.

“Often, Jewish preschools are foundationally grounded in Jewish values,” Gordon said.

This means Jewish preschools have a framework for helping children and their families gain clear understandings of who they are in the world and in their communities, regardless of religious affiliation, she explained.

To teach Judaism in a way that young children will understand, they approach topics using the five senses, she pointed out. If children can see, feel, smell, taste or hear something, they are more likely to further explore it.

“We often say, ‘First in the hands, and then in the heart,’” Gordon said.

When searching for a Jewish preschool to send one’s child to, parents should ask a school questions about their philosophy, student-teacher ratio and staff turnover, she suggested.

“It is most important to find a school that parents are confident in for their family,” she said. “Children will respond to the energy of their parents and feel less apprehensive if confidence and safety are communicated to them.”

Something people may not know about Jewish preschools is that the Jewish values they are grounded in are also universal values that are easily applied to all people, regardless of their religious affiliations, Gordon noted.

“I believe it is important to understand the culture of the preschool you are considering, Jewish or non-Jewish,” Gordon said. “Take note of how invested the school community is in the work of facilitating environments for young children that are engaging, safe, healthy – mentally and physically – and filled with wonder and discovery in addition to continued professional development for their team.”

Something that makes Jewish preschools unique from other schools is they may have an opportunity to celebrate Shabbat each week, sometimes with rabbis or cantors, Green said. The schools teach Jewish holidays, Hebrew prayers, and have clergy members visit their classrooms periodically.

Jewish topics can be taught in ways that young children understand by doing things like saying Hebrew prayers before snack time and incorporating special events that celebrate Jewish holidays into curriculums, Green advised.

“We use special holiday songs, videos, puzzles and toys to teach the kids all about the holidays,” she said. “Every Friday, we do the blessings with candles, juice and challah for Shabbat, and it is the highlight of our week.”

When searching for a Jewish preschool to send a child to, the most important question parents should ask is how Judaism is incorporated into the curriculum, Green suggested. They may also want to ask about the level of observance regarding kosher rules and dress codes.

Something people might not know about Jewish preschools is they often have several students who aren’t Jewish, so staff members can find creative ways to incorporate different beliefs and cultures into the classroom while still maintaining the school’s Jewish identity, she pointed out.

Jewish preschools may also open their doors to the community to give them a medium of celebrating various Jewish traditions and holidays, she added.

“We host community events open to all families, not just our own preschool community,” Green said. “Once a month, we have simchat Shabbat on Saturdays. We also have holiday events to decorate the sukkah, a Chanukah party and more.”

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