Kadima@BJ is BJ’s Hebrew school for Kindergarten through 7th grade. As a division of the Family Life and Learning Department, Kadima focuses on community and builds Jewish identity, ensuring that our children feel ownership and excitement over who they are as Jews. Through our program, students engage, connect, and become active participants in our community.

For Kindergarten through 6th grade, Kadima is open to students who attend public or private secular schools. Our 7th-grade program, Haverim, integrates both secular and Jewish day-school students to explore topics that affect all teenagers, regardless of background, and prepares students for their B-Mitzvah and beyond.

For questions about Kadima@BJ, please contact us.

 

Kadima@BJ Program Details

Which days of the week does my child attend Kadima@BJ?

  • Gan and Aleph (Kindergarten and 1st grade) attend Kadima on Tuesday afternoons from 4:00-5:30 PM.
  • Bet, Gimmel, Dalet, Hey, and Vav (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades) attend Kadima on Tuesday afternoons from 4:00-6:00 PM, participate in 30-minute weekly sessions of Hebrew Homepage, and also participate in our Shabbat program.
  • Haverim (7th grade) and teens meet on Wednesday evenings from 6:00-7:30 PM.

What will my child learn at Kadima@BJ?

  • Gan/Aleph (two-year cycle)
    • Year 1: Tales of our Past
    • Year 2: Let’s Celebrate!
  • Bet: An Exploration of Torah and Biblical Characters
  • Gimmel: What Does This Have to Do With Me? Review, Preview, Personal Connection
  • Dalet: Passport to Peoplehood
  • Hey: Mitzvot and Our Responsibility 
  • Vav: Journeying Toward Responsibility: An Exploration of Torah, Mitzvot, and Hesed
  • Zayin: Haverim—Becoming a B’nai Mitzvah, Teen Talk, Stories of the Shoah

What will my child learn about Shabbat?

“Yism’hu v’malhut’kha shomrei Shabbat v’korei oneg / Those who observe Shabbat and call it a delight shall rejoice in Your sovereignty.” 

Shabbat Model

BJ’s core values are reflected every Shabbat, bringing families and our whole community together. Our services, full of music and spirituality, show the essence of our community as we strive to share approachable and accessible Judaism and ensure that everyone feels included and welcome.

In addition to regular Tuesday Kadima classes and participation in the Hebrew Homepage, Kadima families are required to attend Shabbat services at BJ twice a month, as part of our Shabbat Model. This time together, which includes a Shabbat meal, provides students and their families with authentic experiences of Jewish life and will foster learning and connection.

Learn more about the Shabbat Model.

My child needs additional support. How does Kadima@BJ meet their needs?

Our inclusion work ensures that all children and families feel connected and welcome at BJ. To this end, we encourage professional development for Kadima@BJ faculty so that our students have positive, meaningful experiences and that their learning needs are met. To facilitate this, we offer trainings led by Family Life and Learning staff and guest presenters to both our Family Life and Learning team and our Kadima@BJ faculty.

We fully support families whose children experience learning or social-emotional challenges. Accommodations in an IEP, such as strategies to help students focus or provide more individual support, are implemented in all of our classrooms. We are open to discussing different learning opportunities, to make sure that each student feels a part of our community. 

We provide:

  • Support for sensory processing challenges, ADHD, speech and language disorders, specific learning disabilities, and ASD  
  • Assistance and guidance to families through the Committee on Special Education process
  • Review of evaluations and IEPs
  • Information on special education rights under school closure 
  • Remedial strategies for reading, writing, and math 
  • Strategies for organization, note-taking, studying, and test-taking 
  • Strategies to minimize homework struggles
  • Strategies to decrease avoidance behaviors
  • Support for other parenting challenges
  • Strategies to build competence and self esteem in your child
  • Parent coaching on collaborative problem solving
  • Referrals for outside professionals
  • Recommendations for self care 
  • Resources for COVID-19

Are there opportunities to be engaged with BJ outside of Kadima@BJ?

Yes! We encourage our Kadima families to participate in as much of BJ’s programming as possible. We have extensive youth group programming for kids of all ages, family Shabbat services and dinners, holiday programming, volunteer opportunities, trips and retreats, and more!

When does my child learn Hebrew?

An introduction to Hebrew letters and vowels is integrated into our Gan, Aleph, and Bet classes (Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades). Beginning in 3rd grade, all of our students are additionally enrolled in Hebrew Homepage, a highly successful online Hebrew learning platform. Participants study one-on-one with a tutor from the convenience of their own homes, using a webinar platform for weekly 30-minute sessions.

Is my child done with Kadima@BJ after their B-Mitzvah?

The B-Mitzvah is just one step along the way for your child’s Jewish journey. 

We offer robust teen programming for our post B-Mitzvah students filled with learning, travel, prayer, community and so much more.

What is the COVID-19 policy for Kadima@BJ?

Kadima@BJ follows the guidelines of BJ’s COVID-19 Re-Entry Task Force, which monitors guidance from the New York City Department of Education and the CDC. Any COVID-19 specific policies, such as masking, will be announced closer to the start of Kadima@BJ in the fall. 

If in-person programming is closed for any reason, classes will be moved online as needed.

Register Now

Registration is open now! Please contact us with any questions.

Related Events