Education

Beatrice Fox Auerbach Childhood Center
at the Mandell Jewish Community Center

Zachs Campus
335 Bloomfield Avenue
West Hartford, CT 06117

Phone:          (860) 231-6344
Website:       www.mandelljcc.org

Contact:        Rhonda Wirth, Co-Director
                      rwirth@mandelljcc.org
                      Pamela Powell, Co-Director
                      ppowell@mandelljcc.org

The Beatrice Fox Auerbach Early Childhood Center at the Mandell Jewish Community Center of Greater Hartford provides the opportunity for children in preschool and daycare, four-months to five-years old, to grow and develop in all areas of their lives – social, emotional, physical and intellectual.

Our goal is to provide a climate conducive to learning, in which children develop positive attitudes toward themselves, their peers and their environment. Each child is encouraged and challenged to explore his/her surroundings and to express ideas in an atmosphere that encourages creativity and accepts differences. Children are introduced to Jewish heritage through holidays, weekly Shabbat celebrations and traditions.

Part-time and full-time hours available. Jewish curriculum, summer preschool program, Campareenah, Vacation Program for three and four year olds. Satellite preschools in Glastonbury and Farmington Valley.

Trinity College | Jewish Studies Department

300 Summit Street
Hartford, CT 06106

Phone:     (860) 297-2424
Fax:         (860) 297-5358

Contact:  Ronald Kiener, Director

Jewish studies is a multidisciplinary, college-wide investigation of Jewish civilization in its many historical and geographical manifestations. The scope of the Jewish studies curriculum covers Jewish civilization from its ancient Near Eastern origins through its contemporary history and culture in Israel and the diaspora communities around the world. It is a secular, academic program with diverse, cross-cultural emphases.

Hebrew High School of New England

Konover-Grinspoon Building on the Pava Educational Campus
300 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT

Phone:           (860) 231-0317
Fax:               (860) 236-7623
Website:        www.hhne.org

Contact:        Rabbi Daniel Loew, Principal
                      loew@hhne.org

The Hebrew High School of New England is the only co-educational Jewish day school located between New York and Boston. Students benefit from a dual curriculum – college preparatory courses and Judaic studies. The Hebrew High School of New England is an intellectually stimulating Jewish environment encouraging students to enter adulthood as knowledgeable, committed Jews.

The Hebrew High School of New England is built on three fundamental pillars: moral education, an excellent dual curriculum, and commitment to the community. The role of moral education in schools is still the subject of debate in many communities. Not so at HHNE, we follow the famous dictum of the rabbis in Pirke Avot: "Derekh Eretz Kadmah La'Torah": basic ethical behavior comes even before Torah study. Morality, therefore, cannot be considered separate from education. It is the very cornerstone upon which any truly successful educational program must be built.

Moral education calls upon us not just to be teachers, but to be role models as well. Both in and out of class, our students are able to look to the faculty for leadership, guidance, and inspiration. Perhaps Abraham Joshua Heschel said it best, "Education is not just for the mind; it is the cultivation of the soul." At HHNE, our strong academic and community service components reflect this sentiment.

Bess and Paul Sigel Hebrew Academy
of Greater Hartford

53 Gabb Road
Bloomfield, CT 06002

Phone:          (860) 243-8333
Fax:              (860) 243-3986

Contact:        Rabbi Mordechai Weiss, Principal

We at the Hebrew Academy will endeavor to teach each child to think, to question, and to analyze.  The goal is to instill a sense of self worth in every child and to encourage everyone to believe that his/her life has purpose and meaning.  The total education program attempts to influence the character, shape the values, fashion the intellect, inculcate wisdom and understanding, and make our students responsible people who will perform good works.

The Hebrew Academy strives to integrate the ideals of the home, school, and total environment so that the child can take his/her place as a productive, cultured, educated American citizen of the Jewish faith – an individual who is aware of both his/her heritage and fully prepared for higher education and responsible adulthood.

Solomon Schechter Day School

26 Buena Vista Road
West Hartford, CT 06107

Phone:       (860) 561-0700
Fax:           (860) 561-2329
Website:    www.ssds-hartford.org

The Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford is committed to excellence in dual-curriculum education. It provides its students with outstanding, integrated instruction in both Judaic and general studies. The objective of our school is to create a model egalitarian community of Jewish religious expression and ethical thought and action.

Our school welcomes Jewish students of diverse backgrounds. It is guided by the tenets of Conservative Judaism in matters of religious observance, in the interpretive approach to classic Jewish texts and in the embrace of both tradition and modernity in all of its enterprises.

We are dedicated to providing individualized attention to each student and educating the whole child – intellectually, spiritually and physically. The faculty works in close partnership with parents by promoting regular communication, classroom involvement and family learning experiences.

University of Connecticut Hillel Foundation

54 North Eagleville Road
Storrs, CT 06268

Phone:     (860) 429-9007
Fax:         (860) 429-2344
Email:      info@uconnhillel.org
Website:  www.uconnhillel.org

Contact: Gary Wolff, Executive Director

UConn is a great place for Jewish students! Hillel at UConn provides students multiple entry points to participate in the campus Jewish community.From Jewish Rap-Reggae stars like Matisyahu to Shabbat and Holiday celebrations, Hillel fosters open and pluralistic communities where students can explore the full spectrum of what it means to be Jewish in todays society. Hillel at UConn serves as a warm and welcoming 'home-away-from-home' for Jewish students on campus.

Commission on Jewish Education & Leadership

Zachs Campus
333 Bloomfield Avenue, Suite C
West Hartford, CT 06117

Phone:     (860) 233-2288
Fax:         (860) 232-5221

Contact:   Anna Elfenbaum, Associate Vice President, Jewish Education & Leadership

The Commission on Jewish Education & Leadership (CJEL) of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford provides Jewish and educational support services and resources, training and consultation for all providers and consumers of Jewish education in the Greater Hartford Jewish community.

CJEL’s mission is to assure the continuity of a vibrant Jewish people in Greater Hartford’s Jewish community by working to assure quality Jewish education for learners of all ages. Major initiatives at present focus on synagogue and school change, and professional and leadership development.

For more information, visit CJEL’s home page.

Hartford Hillel Foundation
University of Hartford

200 Bloomfield Avenue, GSU 153
West Hartford, CT 06117

Phone: (860) 768-4987
Fax: (860) 768-5008
Email: hillel@hartford.edu

Contact: Katie Roy, Director

Hartford Hillel encourages and fosters, in both traditional and creative ways, Jewish campus life on both the University of Hartford and Central Connecticut State University campuses. While we provide Jewish services, we also sponsor a large variety of events, acknowledging Jewish students have a large variety of interests.

We offer both Reform and Conservative services on Friday evenings, but most of our programs are social or educational. Some examples of social programs include: Promakkah (annual semi-formal Chanukah party), lounge nights, going to see shows, baseball games and bowling.

Our informal Jewish learning programs include: Taste of Israel and Torah on Tap. (Torah on Tap is an informal discussion on a student-suggested topic with a local rabbi at the Wood N’ Tap Restaurant in West Hartford. We use all denominations of rabbis, with a different rabbi each month.)

We believe there are many different ways in which students can make Judaism part of their lives – Hartford Hillel’s goal is to create a pluralistic and welcoming atmosphere in which all students feel comfortable expressing their Jewish identity in a way that suits their individual needs.