Shaare Zedek Beit Midrash for Children
About Our School
The Shaare Zedek Beit Midrash for Children aims to instill students with a love of Judaism and a thirst for Jewish learning by providing them with the tools needed to meaningfully and critically engage with the textual sources of the Jewish tradition. Our program will provide students with intensive training in Hebrew of the Torah and Siddur. This will enable our students to participate fully in tefillah, Jewish text study, and Jewish rituals. Through our creative and innovative approach to education, students at the BMC will develop a love of Judaism that is deeply rooted in the textual heritage of the Jewish tradition.
Limud—Learning. Our small class sizes create an intimate environment in which students receive personal attention and lessons tailored to their specific needs and interests. With an innovative and highly participatory teaching style, our program offers training in Hebrew of the Torah and Siddur as a means to access Jewish texts. This will enable our students to participate in tefillah (prayer), text study, and Jewish rituals. Our thematic units use Jewish text as a springboard to study Jewish values, history, and traditions.
Masoret—Tradition. At Shaare Zedek we understand the importance of Jewish tradition. For centuries Jews have been reading, reciting, and grappling with the Torah and Siddur as a way of connecting with their tradition, celebrating Jewish holidays, and learning Jewish values. Our curriculum focuses on Jewish literacy, competence in Hebrew language and familiarity with Jewish texts, as a way of connecting to the various elements of our rich Jewish tradition.
Kehillah—Community. The BMC is more than just a place of learning; it is a Jewish home to all our students. Through in-class activities we foster a warm community and promote friendship among the children. Through our special Shabbat and holiday programs, we strive to build a warm and caring community for all family members.
If you are interested in learning more about the Shaare Zedek Beit Midrash for Children or enrolling your child in our program, contact Elisheva Cohen, Director of Family Learning, at 212-874-7005, x 16 or by email at ecohen@sznyc.org.
About Our Teachers
The BMC Teachers
Naomi Gold is a Master’s student in the Teaching of English program at Teachers College. Before beginning her graduate degree, Naomi learned at the Drisha Institute of New York. Prior to teaching at the Beit Midrash for Children, she spent two years teaching Hebrew school at Congregation Knesseth Israel in Bound Brook, NJ. She loves teaching and is thrilled to be a part of the Shaare Zedek community.
Ilana Weltman, a Master’s student at NYU’s Education and Jewish Studies program, grew up in metropolitan Detroit, where she began teaching in a Hebrew School during her first year of high school. She continued to cultivate her passion for Jewish education as an undergraduate student at Michigan State University by teaching sixth grade at the religious school of Shaarey Zedek. After college, Ilana taught sixth grade Critical Thinking and eighth grade U.S. History at a middle school in Florida. Ilana is excited to be a part of the Shaare Zedek Beit Midrash for Children!