Why I Send My Children to a Jewish Day School
by Evelyn J. Meltzer
Growing up, my parents instilled in me and my two sisters a love of Judaism. We ate candy red apples for Simchat Torah, dressed up in costumes for Purim and opened presents for eight nights of Hanukkah. At Passover, we sang and danced to my dad’s collection of different renditions of Dayenu (my favorite remains the doo-wop rendition) and on Friday nights we lit the candles and said the blessings. We cooked Grandma Julie’s fruit kugel, Great Aunt Tillie’s sweet and sour meatballs and Grandpa Rubie’s potato pancakes and gathered around the family dinner table for holiday meals. There were summers spent at the JCC, teen tours to Israel and Shabbat dinners in college with Hillel.
And yet, I never imagined I would send my kids to a Jewish day school. Jewish day schools were for very religious families and my husband and I have always considered ourselves more culturally Jewish than religious. The things I loved about being Jewish were the foods, the traditions and being with family. I had no interest in becoming more religious. Years of Hebrew school had left me able to say the prayers but without any real understanding of what they meant. The last thing I wanted was for my kids to spend all day praying. So why then did my husband and I decide to send our kids to Albert Einstein Academy, a Jewish day school in Wilmington, Delaware? The answer is simple - we found a school that offered us everything (and more) that we wanted.
Most importantly, Albert Einstein provides top notch academics, small classes and an individualized education where kids are moved up or given extra assistance as needed. The school’s focus is on developing students into inquisitive learners, critical thinkers and dynamic leaders.
Additionally, the school places a strong emphasis on the arts. Throughout the year, there are art exhibitions, talent shows and school productions, all of which allow children to gain confidence with public speaking and shine on stage. Even COVID could not stop this year’s school wide production of Charlotte’s Web (we did it with masks and held the production outdoors).
We also like that Jewish heritage, customs and practices are woven into everyday learning and are made to be fun. They are learning what it means to be Jewish and to take pride in their Jewish identity, lessons that hopefully they will pass onto their own children.
And, they are learning to read, write and speak in Hebrew. Research has shown the benefits of a dual language program. But they are learning more than just another language. They are gaining a connection to a religion and its people thousands of years old.
It is also important to us that Albert Einstein is a warm and welcoming school to everyone - those who are not Jewish, those who are Jewish but do not actively practice their faith and those from all branches and movements within Judaism. Learning to respect other people’s points of view is an important life lesson they are gaining at school.
In a few weeks, my kids will start third grade at Albert Einstein Academy and the busy Jewish fall holiday season will begin. They will engage in science experiments and gather with classmates around the table for apples and honey. They will do math equations and learn the importance of saying sorry to those they have wronged. They will recount stories of their adventures this summer at sleepaway camp (their first time) while they make decorations for the Sukkah. I am so thankful that my children attend a school where they can be both American and Jewish and where these two worlds merge every day seamlessly. Simply put, we can’t imagine our kids being at any other school.
My family and I wish you and your family a healthy and happy new year. May we all be inscribed in the Book of Life.