B’nai Israel Congregation in Rockville takes its preschool program seriously, with a program at the Schilit Nursery School that spans decades and multiple generations of B’nai Israel members.
The nursery school offers programs for children ages two through five with full or half-day options that can be tailored to fit the individual needs of parents and an educational structure that introduces children to text and parents to the synagogue community.
The preschool program focuses on kindergarten readiness through a child-centered approach with purposeful activities that provide an immersive Jewish foundation, according to Rabbi Michael Safra, the senior rabbi at B’nai Israel.
“Children are able to be children, but that nothing they do in the classroom is just an activity. All of it has a purpose, and all of it has growth and educational opportunities,” Safra said.
Safra added that the program allows the young children to build early relationships with clergy and other synagogue staff because an important component of their education is building a child’s sense of Jewish identity and belonging in the synagogue community.
Safra also spoke highly of the B’nai Israel teachers and educational directors that keep the program running every day while adjusting their approach to meet the needs of individual children in a constantly shifting educational landscape.
“One of the things that we’ve valued ourselves on since before I was part of the congregation was that our teachers feel valued in our community. Our teachers tend to stay for a long time. They love these children,” Safra said.
Safra highlighted the work of Early Childhood Director Rebeca Ravski, Nursery School Assistant Director Esme Jacobson and Chief Educational Officer Rabbi Cheryl Stone as integral parts of the educational system within the preschool and beyond.
Safra said that bringing all those staff members together creates a system where early childhood education doesn’t occur in a vacuum and brings the program into the fold of the larger community.
“Many of our preschool families end up finding their synagogue community at B’nai Israel,” Safra said.
