Vision for Conservative Early Childhood Programs: A Journey Guide

Low-impact strategies:
• Suggest that the director of the religious school become a visible and familiar
presence in the preschool, even acting as another resource person for the families.
• Invite children ready to enter the religious school (perhaps the Sunday
programming) to visit it, along with their families, so they all understand what
this next level of education offers.
• Establish a stronger curricular link with the religious school, so its curriculum can
be built on that of the preschool. Share this curriculum with the parents in writing
and when they visit the preschool.
• Provide parents with links to the websites of the religious school and local day
schools, so parents can see what these institutions do.
• Meet with day school directors and offer parents ways to learn about day school
education.
• Post information about both the religious school and day schools on a bulletin
board in the preschool.
High-impact strategies:
• Set up coffees with parents of the religious school so your preschool parents can
have a better idea of what to expect next year.
• Invite the children into actual classes, perhaps even accompanied by someone
from the preschool staff, so that they are comfortable with the transition.
• If at all possible, have a teacher from the early childhood program teach
kindergarten in the religious school, so the preschool children, frequently the bulk
of the class population, have a continuation of curriculum.
Jewish Living
The impact of Jewish preschool on the families of its students has been reported in many
studies. In many instances, the reported changes include increased Jewish observance,
identity, and education.
Nearly 70 percent of the interviewed families were “doing something different” as
a result of their child’s Jewish preschool experience. Jewish ritual and lifestyle
changes included lighting Shabbat candles, joining a synagogue and deciding to
send a child to a Jewish day school.
(Beck 2002)
One of the goals of Jewish family education is to attract families to Jewish life, its
commitments, and its values, not just to joining a synagogue. Each family’s progress
toward this goal must be continually addressed and nurtured since each family is unique
and affected by different things.
Vision for Conservative Early Childhood Programs: A Journey Guide
USCJ Department of Education
Maxine Handelman
Handelman@uscj.org
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