Hebrew School
Park Slope Jewish Center (PSJC) is a Conservative, egalitarian synagogue in Brooklyn’s Park Slope. We have a strong commitment to Jewish learning and social justice and pride ourselves on diversity and inclusiveness by welcoming Jews of all backgrounds and family structures. Our Hebrew School similarly provides a warm, welcoming, and inclusive learning environment for students in Kindergarten through Bar/Bat Mitzvah. We also strive to maintain an excellent teacher-student ratio.
Our mission is to instill in our children a positive Jewish identity, a connection to the PSJC community and to k’lal Yisrael (the Jewish people), and to provide our children with a strong grounding in Jewish literacy through knowledge of bible, holidays, prayer, history, values and the Hebrew language. It is our hope that once the children have become B’nai Mitzvah they will continue with their Jewish education and their involvement in PSJC. Not only is a Hebrew High School in the planning stages, but these students also have the opportunity to return as Teachers’ Assistants in the Hebrew School’s Madrichim program.
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Schedule
Our curriculum
When your child should begin
Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation
Who’s who at the school
Who can attend
The facility
How you can get more information
Registration Information
Schedule
For students in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade, the school operates on Tuesday afternoons from 4:00-6:00 PM. For students in 3rd-7th grade, the school operates on Sunday mornings from 9:30 AM-12:30 PM and additionally on Wednesday afternoons from 4:00-6:00 PM.
Click here to download this year’s school calendar:
Hebrew School Calendar 2011-2012
Please contact the Hebrew School office for more information on various special classes and programs for students in 8th-12th grade.
Our curriculum focuses on:
- Hebrew language, primarily Modern Hebrew, but also prayer book Hebrew
- sacred texts, such as Torah, Prophets, and Writings (Tanach)
- traditions, including holidays, Shabbat, and life cycle events
- ethics and values, including Tzedakah and other Mitzvot
- history and current events
Our teachers make learning come alive through creative use of drama, arts and music, as well as through the group celebration of the holidays. We also engage our children and their families in Mitzvah projects, such as visiting local senior centers and soup kitchens and participating in PSJC’s biennial Tzedakah Fair.
The program involves the whole family in the learning experience. We invite families to participate in school programs and also encourage children, with their families, to participate in PSJC-wide programming. Hebrew School children and their families also have a special role in designated children’s Shabbat programs–Mini-Minyan, Junior Congregation, and a “Hebrew School Shabbat.” The Hebrew School also provides parents with ideas for incorporating Judaism into life at home.
PSJC began a new curriculum in 2004-05 with expressed goals for each year. For example, Kindergartners learn to recognize most Hebrew block letters. First graders will learn to read and write all Hebrew letters in block print and sight-read certain words. Fluency with reading and writing increases yearly so that by the time students are the seventh grade, they will have achieved the competency and confidence required for Bar/Bat Mitzvah and participation in community services.
Beginning in third grade, each grade’s curriculum has a theme, or lens, through which most subjects are studied. For example, the third grade theme is “family,” which means that holiday study focuses on home ritual and personalization of celebrations as well as life-cycle events, and Torah study focuses on the major families’ stories in the Torah. The theme for fifth graders is “strangers in a strange land.” History lessons, therefore, center on the exile and Diaspora experience, and biblical study focuses on the experience of being a stranger (e.g., Joseph in Egypt). Through this theme-oriented approach, teachers can revisit central subjects, such as recurring holidays, without repeating the same lesson from year to year.
The PSJC curriculum presents a course of study which engages our students and equips them with the skills they need to become thoughtful, socially conscious and Jewishly literate members of the greater Jewish community. In addition to teaching Prayer Book Hebrew, PSJC’s Hebrew School has also added Modern Hebrew to its curriculum. Students will learn common Hebrew vocabulary, learn to understand basic commands and learn how to hold a simple conversation.
When your child should begin Hebrew school
PSJC encourages families to enroll their children at Kindergarten age, but generally admits children in subsequent grades. Parents may need to provide supplemental instruction, however, if students enroll in later years without the necessary background. Our goal is to work with parents to help their newcomer children obtain the necessary skills to keep up with the class without hindering the growth of those students previously enrolled.
Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation
Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation begins in fifth grade when the bar/bat mitzvah coordinator meets with children and their parents to discuss expectations for the children and the steps parents will need to take prepare for this significant event.
A year before the actual Bar/Bat Mitzvah, students begin preparing their Torah and Haftorah portions. The coordinator works to match up students with appropriate tutors. In addition, a separate pre-B’nai Mitzvah class (which also includes children attending Hebrew day schools) meets approximately six times during the seventh grade year to cover topics such as the B’nai Mitzvah tzedakah project and how to write a D’var Torah (Torah lesson).
Who’s who at the school
Our principal, rabbi, faculty, and parent volunteers work together to make our school a stimulating and enriching environment.
- Our Principal, Elisabeth Albert, joined PSJC in 2005 after spending many years in Jewish education both as a student and as an educator. She ran a private Jewish day camp in her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, for four years and has taught in various Hebrew Schools in New York City. She holds a B. A. in Jewish history from the Jewish Theological Seminary as well as a B. A. in Anthropology from Columbia University. Last year she completed a fellowship with the Leadership Institute for Congregational School Educators. Elisabeth is thrilled to be a part of the PSJC community. Stop by and introduce yourself or feel free to email her
- PSJC’s Hebrew School’s outstanding teaching staff includes experienced teachers who are day school and yeshiva graduates, students and graduates of the Jewish Theological Seminary, and Jewish studies majors from some of the finest universities in the United States and Israel.
- Hebrew School Committee: PSJC is largely a member-run institution, as we have very little paid staff. Our Hebrew School is no different. Its administration depends hugely on parent volunteers who comprise the “Hebrew School Committee.” All parents are encouraged to become involved. It is precisely this active community involvement that gives PSJC — and its school — its vibrant, participatory flavor.
- Rabbi Carie Carter: Although she does not teach a particular class, Rabbi Carter’s presence during class hours has been an invaluable asset. She assists the teachers and principal with her insight and knowledge, and she also attends Hebrew School Committee meetings to lend her experience.
Who can attend
PSJC’s Hebrew School is open to all children of PSJC members, including interfaith families. In Conservative Jewish practice, children are considered Jewish if their birth mother is Jewish or if they have had a valid conversion. PSJC’s Hebrew School welcomes children who do not meet these criteria, although such families will need to consult with our rabbi by the time their children enter fifth grade in order to discuss their children’s eligibility for Bar/Bat mitzvah.
We try to accommodate children with special needs whenever possible. Because we are a relatively small school, however, we urge families with children who have special needs to discuss their children’s particular situation with our principal before enrolling.
The facility
The school meets at PSJC’s historic building on 8th Avenue and 14th Street. Children enjoy a short outdoor recess in PSJC’s spacious playground.
How you can get more information
E-mail the principal or contact the synagogue office at 718.768.1453. For a more detailed curriculum, ask for the Hebrew School Handbook. Ask to speak to the principal or someone on the Hebrew School committee. We hope you and your children will join us for a meaningful, engaging Jewish education.
Registration Contract 2012-2013
Tuition and Fees Invoice 2012-2013