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Now accepting registrations: Downtown Jewish Play School

Now Accepting Registrations for the Fall

Downtown Jewish Play School is an innovative after-school Jewish cultural education program geared toward children attending JK through Grade 1.  It is hosted in Lord Lansdowne Public School Monday through Friday from 3:30 to 5:30pm during the school year.  This model allows children to attend their public (or other) school and also gain a daily, substantive Jewish education in a warm and positive environment.  Our daily instruction provides real continuity and growth opportunities for our students, while also filling an after-school childcare need for working parents.

Our creative and substantive Jewish learning model is play-based, aimed at teaching Jewish traditions in a pluralistic and inclusive fashion, fostering creativity and independent thinking, spirituality, an appreciation for nature and outdoors (including lots of physical activity), and Jewish ethics and values (including social and environmental issues).  Our Hebrew language learning is immersive—akin to ulpan—and consists of arts and crafts, playing outdoors, drama and sports, etc., all in Hebrew.  Children can attend Hebrew immersion play (3 days/week), Jewish learning (2 days/week), or both (5 days/week).

The class size is intentionally small, limited to eight children. Special pick-up arrangements will be available for DaVinci students whose school day ends earlier than Lord Lansdowne. We are already half full for next year, so if you’re interested, contact us soon.  For more info, including location, cost, etc., please email Sharry Aiken.

Downtown Jewish Play School is a project of Makom: Creative Downtown Judaism.

 Sharry J. Aiken
Associate Dean (Graduate Studies
& Research) and
Associate Professor
Faculty of Law
Queen’s University
Kingston, Ontario
Canada K7L 3N6