Hebrew School

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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.

Our Vision

  • We believe Judaism is an ongoing search for meaning, and that this search begins in childhood.
  • We believe Jewish identity begins to develop early and that the family and the synagogue must work together to nourish it.
  • We believe the best way to convey the joy and beauty of being Jewish is to provide new and creative ways for children to explore Judaism at each stage of their development.

Contact Ivy Schreiber, Director of Education

Information for Prospective Parents

Information for Current Parents

BJHS Class Schedule

B’nai Jeshurun’s Hebrew School meets at the Heschel School at 270 West 89th Street, between Broadway and West End Avenue. BJHS office staff can be reached at (212) 873-4548 during school hours. At all other times, including during summer recess, please contact us at the BJ Office.

Please note that children in Gan, Aleph, and Bet attend school once a week. Students in Gimmel, Dalet, Hey and Vav attend both Mondays and Thursdays. Students in Zayin attend on Mondays only.

Hebrew School Advisory Committee

The Hebrew School Advisory Committee serves as the liaison between the parent body of Hebrew school and the staff of BJHS. There are numerous ways to get involved in the BJHS community. Please approach one of the advisory committee members or contact Katie Boyar, Chair of the Advisory Committee.

Members of the Advisory Committee:

  • Katie Boyar (Chair)
  • Galit Bordereau
  • Jennifer Hirsch
  • Vicky Kahn
  • Barbara Pyles
  • Marjorie Vandow

Reach for Shabbat: Family Shabbat Enrichment at Hebrew School

To add even more richness and depth to each family’s Jewish experience through BJ’s Hebrew School program, our 3rd-5th graders and their families participate each year in the annual Reach for Shabbat (RFS) retreat.  These families spend an exciting weekend away with BJ’s clergy and educators where they forge profound and lasting connections with each other, engage in tefilah (prayer) and study at a beautiful retreat center, and experience the wonder, joy and ritual of a full Shabbat from Kabbalat Shabbat through Havdalah.  The RFS retreat highlights the ways that family programming, such as this, can deepen relationships among families, with teachers, and with BJ. These connections bring a sense of community to the classroom and serve to deepen the learning that is possible at Hebrew School. This year’s retreat will be held on November 18-20, 2011.

BJ Homeless Shelter

Every month, students from a different grade 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 St. at 5:00PM 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.