The Bialystoker Synagogue

This past spring, we at the Bialystoker Synagogue perceived an unaddressed need in our community. At one time, the Lower East Side had been home to numerous flourishing supplementary Jewish schools, providing a solid education in the Jewish culture and heritage to children enrolled full-time in public schools. In 2004 there were none, forcing parents who desired a supplementary Jewish education to look outside the neighborhood, or, worse, to abandon it altogether.

Responding to this need, the Downtown School for Judaism opened its doors in September 2004. Under the expert guidance of the Educational Alliance’s own Esther Price, a group of committed kindergarteners gathered for two hours each Sunday morning to explore their heritage in a fun and enjoyable setting. The results surpassed even our own greatest expectations. After a year, the children have soaked up a ton of information about the Jewish holidays, Bible stories, the basics of the prayer service, and beginning Hebrew reading. Perhaps even more significantly, they love it! More than one parent has told me that their children look forward to Sunday school even more than regular school.

Encouraged by our success, we have decided to expand the school significantly for the 2005-2006 academic year:

• We have opened admissions to children until the age of thirteen. (Children graduating the “threes” class at the Educational Alliance are eligible for admission.) The children will be divided into age-appropriate groups with professionally-trained teachers.

• We have affiliated with the ToTal network, a national coalition of Sunday Schools. This affiliation enables us to access the professional curricula which are being developed by ToTal for use in Sunday schools across the country. It also allows us access to a host of supplementary teaching materials, as well as fun educational trips which ToTal coordinates among various local schools. (A lesson about Noah’s Ark, for instance, is coupled with a trip to meet “Noah” and his live animals.) This past year, ToTal helped coordinate a national campaign to sent Purim gifts to Jewish soldiers stationed in Iraq.

• We have hired Naomi Sandel as principal of our growing school. Naomi brings years of experience in both Jewish and public school education to her position. We are confident that under her direction the school will grow as a positive addition to our Lower East Side community.

We invite you, as parents who are committed to both Jewish values and educational excellence, to check out what the Downtown School for Judaism has to offer. As a growing school, we encourage our parent body to be proactive in helping us educate your children in their Jewish heritage. Please feel free to contact me at the Bialystoker Synagogue (212-475-0165) or via email (rav@bialystoker.org) to discuss the school further, enroll your child for September, or recommend like-minded parents whom you feel might benefit from our program.

May we all enjoy many years of joy and satisfaction from all our children.

Downtown School For Judaism

Application for Admission

Date of Application ___________________________

Applicant’s Name ____________________________

Full Hebrew Name __________________________________________

Date of Birth ________________________________

Place of Birth _____________________________________________

Home Address ________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone & Cell Phone # __________________________________________________________________________________

Child’s Physician & Phone # _____________________________________________________________________________

Father’s Name & Hebrew Name __________________________________________________________________________

Mother’s Name & Hebrew Name _________________________________________________________________________

Grandparents

Name __________________________________ Address __________________________ Phone # ____________________

OTHER CHILDREN IN THE FAMILY

NAME AGE SCHOOL PRESENTLY ATTENDING

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Contact in case of Emergency __________________________________________

Signature of Parent __________________________________________________