Sherith Israel Preschool is a community-based Jewish program that welcomes all families.
We embrace the richness and diversity that our unique city has to offer and encourage adult family members to participate and become active community members ensuring that all perspectives are considered. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, religion or national or ethnic origin. We encourage families of every background to apply, making our community richer for its diversity.
We spend the majority of our day outdoors. We have a beautiful historical building with natural classrooms, urban gardens, and classroom pets where we spend our mornings and take shelter during extreme weather conditions.
What we do
We welcomed our inaugural class on August 14, 2023....but we have been here since 1849.
At Sherith Israel Preschool we spend much of our day outdoors (rain or shine) at local parks and other neighborhood locations fully immersed in the community around us. We have a large historic building where we can take shelter during extreme weather conditions. We also take family field trips and walking trips around the neighborhood. Families are invited and encouraged to participate in weekly Shabbat services in the sanctuary, monthly Tot Shabbat dinners, holiday parties and other community events. We see parents as partners who add to our program.
We think of our preschool students as stewards of the planet, and citizens of our city.
We hope our little citizens will sustain lifelong engagement in education and learning, environmental stewardship, and social conscientiousness through a Jewish lens.
Curriculum
Our highly trained professional educators develop curriculum using the Jewish calendar to examine the connection between humans and nature.
Our curriculum embraces children’s natural curiosity and innate affinity for the environment.
We believe that children flourish when their natural sense of wonder, awe and curiosity is encouraged through play and experimentation. We are an innovative nature based preschool with an earth based approach to early childhood education. Being outside, and forming an awareness of the earth's rhythms are an integral part of our philosophy that we are all keepers of the earth.
Parent testimonial:
"SIP’s program creates an incredible framework for instilling values that are important to our family - Gratitude, Movement (for keeping us regulated) and Respect-- for nature, teachers, classmates and our neighbors. The daily gratitude circle, time in nature, plus day to day interactions with people in the community are giving our daughter key social skills and confidence in new environments, critical to her readiness for kindergarten as well as preparing her to be a good citizen of the world. An unexpected bonus has been the amount of communication we receive throughout the day from the teachers. Each teacher is an amazingly qualified educator, and we often lean on them for parenting advice as specialists in children’s behavior who know our daughter so well and genuinely care. We couldn’t be happier with our choice!" -- Jessica W. (3yo mom)
Rituals and Cycles of life
Rituals are powerful tools used in both Judaism and outdoor classrooms. They create distinction as a school culture and give children a sense of belonging and community. We celebrate both Jewish and secular holidays and traditions that embrace the rhythms of life and changing of the seasons.
We celebrate the following Jewish holidays and routines:
- Shabbat (weekly on Fridays, parents welcome)
- Rosh Hashanah (the new year)
- Sukkot (the fall harvest festival)
- Hanukkah (festival of lights)
- Tu b’Shvat (new year of trees/ecological awareness day)
- Purim (Spring festival of the joy in Jewish identity)
- Passover (spring harvest)
- Shavuot (first fruits)
