Families in the District who want their children to attend a Jewish preschool that immerses students in Hebrew could see that option materialize in 2024.
American friends of Lubavitch (Chabad) announced its plans to open a Hebrew immersion preschool, according to Rabbi Levi Shemtov, executive vice president of the Chasidic movement’s Washington branch.
“If we can get it all together quick enough, it could open in January,” he said.
Chabad is exploring several sites for the preschool and could lock in the location in the next month, Shemtov said. It will be convenient to Kalorama, Dupont Circle, Georgetown and the West End, he added.
The goal of the curriculum is for children “to gain Jewish knowledge and the ability to read Hebrew,” according to Shemtov.
And while the focus will be on Hebrew found in religious texts as well as modern Hebrew, “basically the reading skills are the same for both.”
“The goal is not to be able to order a felafel in Israel, but to go to the Western Wall and say the prayers, appreciating where they came from and why they are being said there.”
Esti Hecht will be head of school. Hecht has led another local Chabad program, Hebrew School to You, for school-age children. She is also director of education and marketing at Chabad AU at American University.
The preschool will offer a full-day program and extended hours, Shemtov said. The age range of students will depend on need, he added.
Chabad is holding an informational meeting on Aug. 23. To register for the meeting, visit jewishwashington.com/preschool/
The only other Hebrew immersion school in the District is not a Jewish school. Sela Public Charter School was founded as a Hebrew immersion school in 2013. ■
