Frequently Asked Questions

What are the basics about Hebrew School - the who, what, where, when, why and how?

The B'nai Jeshurun Hebrew School (BJHS) is for students in kindergarten through seventh grade. If your child is in kindergarten or first grade AND it's your first year in the Hebrew School, you do not need to be a member of BJ to enroll. However, if your child is in second grade or older OR your family has been in the school for more than one year, you must join BJ to enroll.

The Hebrew School strives to create a rich, vibrant learning environment in which we can nourish our children's growing Jewish identities, create a community of peers that is part of the larger community at BJ and the global Jewish community, and build the skills that children will need to be participatory members of their community. The Hebrew School is a place where our children can learn new skills and ideas, struggle with questions of theology, meaning, and connection at an age-appropriate level, and test what they have learned through prayer, discussion, and interaction with BJ's clergy and staff. Family synagogue participation in services, Hebrew School events, and social action projects will further enrich children's Jewish education.

Hebrew School meets in the Abraham Joshua Heschel School, at 270 West 89th Street between Broadway and West End Avenue.

School meets on Monday and Thursday afternoons beginning at 4pm. The first day of school for the 2007-2008 school year will be Monday, September 17.

Students in kindergarten and first grade attend school from 4 to 5:30pm on EITHER Monday or Thursday afternoon (families indicate their day preference on their application, and we do our best to accommodate requests).
Students in third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade attend school on BOTH Monday and Thursday afternoons from 4 to 6pm.
Students in seventh grade attend school on Monday afternoon from 4 to 6pm.

Families choose Hebrew School as a way to provide their children with a Jewish education that enable them to participate comfortably and competently in their community at B'nai Jeshurun.

You can enroll online at www.bj.org starting May 1 - either submit the online application or download and print a paper application. You can also request a hard copy of the application by calling (212) 787-7600 x260. Registration closes August 15. Register early and avoid paying the late registration surcharge.

Questions about what happens in the classrooms - about books, homework, behavior expectations, and what makes it different from any other school.

Will my child learn to speak Hebrew?

Nope! Linguistics research shows that 4 hours a week is not sufficient time to learn a new language. However, your child WILL learn to read Hebrew, to become familiar with the liturgy of Shabbat and the holidays, to recognize key Hebrew root words from the liturgy, and to understand the major themes of the prayers. All of these skills will enable your child to be an active and informed participant in our community. Please refer to the Hebrew and Judaics curricula for a full description of what else your child will learn.

Will my child learn about tzedakah?

As Jews, we are commanded to do tzedakah (making contributions of money or material items) to sustain our community - both the Jewish community and the community of humankind. This fundamental value is one of the most precious lessons we can teach our children, both in the home and at Hebrew School. Each week, tzedakah will be collected in every classroom, and will be distributed to funds determined by the students twice during the school year. As part of their Judaics curriculum, our seventh graders will research different charitable funds, both at BJ and in the wider community, that support the sacred work of sustaining community. The seventh graders will make a presentation to the younger students who will then vote on how to allocate our tzedakah money. Look in the February and June issues of the Kol Hadash to find out where we give our tzedakah!

Are there textbooks?

We are excited to use textbooks as one of our classroom resources this year. The textbook is a wonderful tool that children and parents can use for gauging progress and reviewing material, as well as a way to communicate what is being learned to parents, and also lends a seriousness to the endeavor of Jewish learning. At the beginning of the school year, your child will receive the book(s) that will be used in his or her classroom. We ask that you be our partners in making sure the books are brought to school each day, as they will be used both for in-class learning and for homework. Should you child lose his or her textbook(s), replacements will be ordered, and your family will be expected to pay for the new book(s).

Is there homework?

Homework is a valuable tool for extending Jewish learning throughout the week, and not limiting it to the days when school is in session. It can help students review and retain what they learn each day, and can serve as a springboard for family discussions about what your child is learning. Teachers will assign homework depending on the day and the lesson, and will check the students' work when it is due. Some examples of homework include: reading practice, writing letters, asking parents about the origin of the family name, lighting candles at home on Hanukkah, or clipping a newspaper article that pertains to the Jewish community or to Israel. Homework is meant to be a learning aid, and will be both age-appropriate and reasonable. If you have questions about your child's homework, please contact Director of Education Hollis Gauss or your child's teacher.

Is there a Hebrew School behavior policy?

Every student and teacher at BJ's Hebrew School is responsible for creating an environment where meaningful learning can take place. This kind of environment depends on students showing kavod, respect, for their teachers, their classmates, their classrooms, and themselves. Hebrew School time is limited and precious, and the teachers will take the disciplinary steps necessary to avoid interrupting a lesson, including warnings, making eye contact and standing near a student who is disruptive and separating students who are disruptive. If a student's or students' presence in the classroom continues to disrupt the learning, the teacher will issue one more warning. If the behavior continues, the student or students will be sent to the Director of Education and the parents will be called.

Any behavior that compromises the safety of other students, including physical violence, will result in the student being sent to the Director of Education and the parents or caretaker being called to take the student home. Ongoing serious behavior problems will be evaluated with parents and staff.

Must my child wear a kippah at Hebrew School??

At the end of a long day, it can be a challenge to all of us, both adults and children, to aim our hearts with kavanah (intention) to any activity. Our tradition teaches us that the study of Torah is every bit as important as prayer, giving tzedakah, or doing gemilut hasadim (acts of loving-kindness). To help us remember how holy our learning at Hebrew School can be, we require boys and encourage girls to cover their heads while at school. Covering our heads reminds us that what we do at Hebrew School is different and sacred.

We encourage every Hebrew School family to find their own kippot for school. There are beautiful crocheted kippot available at West Side Judaica, or perhaps you have a special kippah from a wedding or bar or bat mitzvah you attended recently. Some families may wish to purchase plain kippot and decorate them together. We will have a limited supply of kippot available at the school for children who forget to bring their own.

Questions about how to be connected to Hebrew School and how to connect Hebrew School to the larger BJ community

How will I learn about what's happening at Hebrew School?

We have found that email is the most efficient and effective way to communicate with parents. We have also heard from many of you that we could be more efficient and effective by sending fewer emails each week! We've listened - there will be one Hebrew School email each week, which will be sent on Monday mornings and will include information on upcoming events, schedule changes, and other items families need to know about. If you did not list an email address on your child's registration, please contact our office at bjhs@bj.org

Each month, your child's teacher will send an email update to the entire class. You will be provided with your child's teacher's email and phone contact information should you wish to contact him or her directly.

How can my family become more connected to the BJ Community?

Shabbat is the center piece of the Jewish week and where we gather as a community. We encourage all Hebrew School families to make a commitment to attend services on Shabbat and holy days. We think of services as a learning laboratory for Hebrew School students. They will have the opportunity to experiment and experience the concepts and prayers they have learned in the classroom "in action". Regular attendance will help familiarize you and your child with our services, help your family develop a relationship with our Rabbis, and help connect and reinforce what your children are learning at Hebrew school with your family's Jewish life.

Family Kabbalat Shabbat Services
Each Friday, BJ's Rabbis lead a family-friendly Kabbalat Shabbat service at 6:00 PM at the 88th Street synagogue. There is a specially designated Family Service on the first Friday of each month from October to June each year at 6:00 PM at 88th Street. When we celebrate as a community, we heighten the joy of Shabbat and create a spiritual experience for both children and families. We encourage you to join us.
Shabbat Morning Children's Services
Every Shabbat morning at 10:45 AM there is a special children's service in the Chapel at SPSA (86th Street and West End Avenue). This is a warm, interactive Shabbat service that includes singing, dancing, and reading part of the weekly Torah portion. After the service, the children form four separate minyanim according to age and later regroup for kiddush. From the last Shabbat in June through Labor Day weekend, Children's Services are held in Frankel Hall, downstairs at BJ's synagogue on 88th Street.
Junior Congregation
This year, we are excited to once again have a Junior Congregation that will be led by the Rabbis along with students in kindergarten through seventh grade. Building on the model of the High Holy Day Family Service, Junior Congregation will be an interactive, participatory service that will include stories and meaningful English readings accompanied by a group of youth musicians. Junior Congregation will be held on the first and third Saturday of every month, from September 15, 2007 through May 17, 2008 . Your family's attendance is strongly encouraged at each of these services, as all children will have a chance to lead part of the service as well as support their peers who are leading. We will meet at the 86th Street Social Hall downstairs in the Church, where services are held for the community, from 10:30-12:00.
Class Shabbat Dinners
Each class comes together during the year for a Shabbat dinner following services. These meals are a wonderful opportunity for each class to experience and celebrate Shabbat with their community. Meals are catered, and your entire family is invited to attend, including parents and siblings. There is a per-person fee to attend these meals. You will receive registration materials approximately one month before your class dinner.

How can my family become more connected to what my child is learning in Hebrew School?

We believe that parents are our most powerful co-educators in creating a meaningful Jewish experience for children. We also believe that a child's education can be a unique opportunity for parents to begin or continue their own Jewish exploration and study. To meet the needs of parents and children who are both learners and teachers, we have made some changes to the Mishpahah program for this year.

Grades Gan through Hey and their families will participate in Mishpaha classes, which will take place during regularly-scheduled Hebrew School hours. Parents are asked to attend classes with their children.
If you cannot attend with your child, please arrange for another family in your child's grade to learn with your child for the afternoon.

How can my family become connected to the social action projects happening at BJ?

Every month, a different grade of students and their families are invited to prepare a simple meal for the guests of BJ's homeless shelter. We gather in Frankel Hall, downstairs at BJ's synagogue on 88th Street, at 5pm to cook, set and decorate the table, and engage in age-appropriate study and discussion about the Jewish value of feeding the hungry. We wrap up by 6:30pm. Each month, a parent volunteer coordinates the menu and the volunteer families. A contact for each month will be listed in the Kol Jeshurun and the weekly Hebrew School email. The program dates for this year are the following Tuesdays:

How can I become connected to what happens in my child's classroom?

Parent volunteers play an important role at BJHS. By giving of your time and energy, you will be helping to enrich the experience of all our children. Volunteering is also an excellent way to get more involved in and connected to the greater B'nai Jeshurun community. Some examples of how you might volunteer include:

Be a class parent
Help plan a Shabbat dinner or lunch
Help coordinate a class Hanukkah party
Volunteer for the Purim pizza dinner
Make phone calls to Hebrew School parents
Offer administrative support (graphic design, helping with mailings, photocopying, etc.)

In addition, this year we are working on a new channel for parents to become involved as educators in their children's classrooms. Please contact us at the office if you would like to share your knowledge in any of the following areas with Hebrew School students:

Do you play a "Jewish" instrument, like the shofar? Do you play Jewish music on any other instrument?
Do you have a special talent like art, cooking, dancing, writing or drama that you would like to teach once or twice during the school year?
Do you speak a Jewish language, whether Hebrew, Yiddish, or Ladino?

Is there a parent committee at the Hebrew School?

The Hebrew School Advisory Committee is a group of parents who provide guidance and assistance in fulfilling our goal of creating a kehilla kedosha (holy community) among the school's families and fulfilling the mitzvah of Talmud Torah (Jewish education) for its students.

Will my child interact with BJ's clergy at Hebrew School?

As in years past, our Rabbis Roly Matalon, Marcelo Bronstein, Felicia Sol, Dara Frimmer and Lauren Thomas, as well as our Cantor Ari Priven. will spend time in the Hebrew School teaching and getting to know our students. Over the course of the year, each grade will play host to our Rabbis and Cantor.

Gan, Aleph, and Bet classrooms will each have two sessions of "Ask the Rabbi," for which the children will prepare a list of questions in anticipation of the visit. In the past, these questions have ranged from a particular rabbi's favorite dinosaur to whether said dinosaur was created by God and present in the Garden of Eden. Gimmel, Dalet, and Hay classrooms will each have two sessions about Jewish holidays. Vav and Zayin classrooms will have a series of sessions about mitzvot related to bar and bat mitzvah. Vav classes will focus on the mitzvot of tallit and tefillin. Zayin classes will focus on the mitzvot that sustain our community, including visiting the sick, helping to make minyan, and feeding the hungry.

In addition, Rabbi Felicia Sol is our Rabbinic Liaison to the Hebrew School. In addition to being present in the Hebrew School for classroom visits, Felicia will attend Hebrew School Advisory Committee meetings, teacher staff meetings, Ozrim teachers' aides training, and meet regularly in the office with our staff.

Questions about learning - special needs, interfaith families, and staying accountable

What about children with special learning needs?

We have a Special Needs teacher on staff to work directly with students who have special learning needs. Each day, this teacher will work with small groups of children in twenty-minute blocks while Hebrew is being taught in the classrooms. We have found that keeping the children in groups will allow the communal experience of Hebrew School to continue while each child's learning needs are met.

We are also pleased to continue our partnership with MATAN: The Gift of Jewish Learning for Every Child. Our consultant from MATAN is Barbara Stern. Barbara is the Education Director at MATAN, and has many, many years of special education teaching experience. She will make monthly visits to the school to observe in classrooms and help teachers adapt their lesson plans to create an environment where all of our students can learn. Barbara will also serve as our learning consultant during the year, and will be available for consultation with parents, teachers and staff. If you would like to learn more about MATAN, please visit their website at matankids.org

If your child has a learning challenge and you have not already contacted us, please call so that we can better meet your child's needs.

How does the Hebrew School welome interfaith families?

Like B'nai Jeshurun, BJ's Hebrew School warmly welcomes all students who wish to pursue a Jewish education. As a community, we maintain the standard of matrilineal descent, which means that to be halakhically (according to Jewish law) Jewish, one must be born to a Jewish mother. If one is not born to a Jewish mother, one must undergo a conversion process prior to becoming bar or bat mitzvah. We understand this is a delicate subject, and strive to work sensitively with families in the months and years preceding a child's 13th birthday. If you have any questions about conversion, please contact Rabbis Roly Matalon, Marcelo Bronstein or Felicia Sol at (212) 787-7600 x234.

How do I know my child is learning?

At the end of each semester, in January and in May, the teachers will write evaluations for each student based on his or her learning during the semester. These evaluations will be mailed to you. We encourage you to take the time to discuss the evaluation with your child. You are also welcome to visit your child's classroom at any time, and are encouraged to be in contact with the teacher.