At the heart of our learning at NCECE is our commitment to cultivating a joyful sense of Jewish identity. We continually seek meaningful and positive ways to integrate Judaism into our daily routines, growing and developing an authentic connection to their Jewish identity. From birth to PreK, we create opportunities for our children to learn and explore Jewish values through music, hands-on experiences, art and storytelling – moments that bring our Jewish values and traditions to life for the children and foster meaningful connections.
As a school community, we begin the week by gathering for Havdalah on Monday mornings. Together, we sing the prayers and light a candle and we extinguish the flame in grape juice. The children love listening for the sizzle – the longer and louder it is, the better the week will be.
We also come together every Friday to celebrate Shabbat. Each week, a child from each class is selected to be Ima or Abba and their families are invited to join us for Breakfast with the Clergy and then, Shabbat. We sing the prayers and take a moment to reflect on the importance and meaning of Shabbat.