Secular Jewish Preschool Comes to Upper West Side

The City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism is bringing back their parent-child preschool classes on Sundays. The classes will focus on age-appropriate Jewish values and follows the Jewish calendar, introducing all major holidays, as well as art, music, food, and more.

The City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism is now offering an interactive parent-child program that focuses on Jewish culture, values, and symbols from a secular, humanistic perspective to introduce preschool children to their heritage.

“It’s a parent-child class. We encourage the parents to go along with the kids and enjoy the bonding time with their children. It’s also great for new parents in the congregation to get to know some of the other parents,” says Gillian Stauch, M.S. Ed., LMSW, who will teach the class.

The curriculum follows the Jewish calendar, introducing all major holidays as well as teaching art, music, movement, food, and inquiry-based play activities. The classes will meet every other Sunday for 18 sessions and introduce age-appropriate Jewish values such as family (mishpacha), friendship (khavenut), and peace in the home (shalom bayit).

The classes begin at 2:45pm with snacks, followed by singing and storytelling, and run until 5pm. Membership in the congregation is not required for enrollment.