A Response to The Redemption of Hebrew School
Source: eJewish Philanthropy
Ana Fuchs of Jewish Kids Groups of Atlanta announces the launching of JKG Afterschool Community – a marriage of their experiential Hebrew school and a robust after school care program. This five-day-a-week Jewish afterschool program joins high-quality afterschool care with first class Jewish supplemental education infused with the ruach of summer camp.
The JKG effort is one of a number of week-long after-school supplemental Hebrew school programs being established across the US. Recently, The Covenant Foundation assembled a think-tank of the leaders of pioneering five-day a week Jewish afterschool programs to explore the model.
Fuchs writes:
"Like camp, JKG Afterschool Community is designed to be an immersive experience in which children attend up to five days a week to grow, learn, and play in a supportive atmosphere with their Jewish friends.
As a result of this level of immersion, JKG Afterschool Community is able to strike a balance between teaching content and building community. We have many families who participate Monday through Friday, which means their children learn and play with us for 15 hours a week (and hence, in finding the balance, we have a huge advantage over the 3 hours a week most children spend in traditional Sunday schools).
On any given day children in JKG Afterschool Community can be seen playing outside, creating crafts in the art shack, eating snack with friends, praying, learning about holidays, Israel, Tefilah or Torah using Hebrew Wizards curriculum, speaking Hebrew, reading in the library and playing games with friends. Mostly, you will see them happy.
Additionally, because of this nearly-full-time set up, we are able to attract, train, retain and fairly compensate high quality educators…"
Read her entire article at eJewish Philanthropy.