06/06/2025
Families Describe Jewish Preschool Experience as ‘Priceless’
Morgan Jacobs, her sons Eli, 6, and Sammy, 7, and Michael Jacobs attend a first grade superhero-themed program program at Mandel Jewish Day School. Submitted photo
Article reprinted with permission from Cleveland Jewish News
by Casey Couch
Morgan Jacobs watched proudly as her youngest son tore apart his closet, tossing his clothes into a big pile. She didn’t mind the mess, as her son was simply doing his homework – choosing unwanted clothing items from his closet to be donated to children in need.
This homework assignment came in conjunction with her son’s trip to Lake Metroparks Farmpark in Kirtland, where he learned about sheep shearing, wool and the foundation of where clothing comes from.
Her son, 3 at the time, was attending a preschool program at the Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School in Beachwood. There, her son wasn’t only learning shapes and colors, but he was also learning life lessons that introduced Jewish morals and values.
“Even at 3 years old, I know it sounds crazy, he got really into the idea of sharing his clothing or understanding where it came from,” Jacobs, a mother of two, told the Cleveland Jewish News. “The kids feel such a sense of ownership when they’re so invested.”
Jacobs is one of many Jewish parents who were faced with the decision of where to send their child to school, and chose to start their budding student’s academic journey in a Jewish preschool program.
Dessler
According to the Jewish Federation of Cleveland in Beachwood, 83% of Jewish adults in Cleveland who attended day school are highly engaged in all or most aspects of Jewish life. For Jacobs, the choice to start her kids in a Jewish schooling program was never a difficult decision, she said.
“For me, I only ever looked at Jewish preschools,” Jacobs said. “In general, which I know is a theme across every Jewish preschool, I think it’s important to instill the traditions at a very early age to have a strong tie and be a proud Jewish person in America and in the world right now."
Rabbi Simcha Dessler, menahel and educational director of the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland in Cleveland Heights, said that for many Jewish parents, choosing how to structure a child’s early education represents one of their “first big decisions” in parenting and can raise a lot of questions about what their child’s future can look like.
“Once they do their research and talk with parents who have chosen this path they will likely find that a Jewish preschool sets the stage for a successful Jewish future,” Dessler told the CJN. “There, children gain a social sense of belonging with likeminded play dates. They learn songs and prayers, gain a deeper understanding of Jewish holidays and rituals and imbibe an appreciation for Jewish law and customs.”
Perhaps one of the more important customs to Jewish families is preparing their children to understand Hebrew readings, and according to Dessler, Jewish preschools can help get students ready to tackle that skill by the time they reach kindergarten – a skill that wouldn’t be taught in a public preschool program.
Jewish preschool programs help prepare students to learn Hebrew by slowly introducing the words and the concepts in modes that are easy for young students to understand, such as singing, which Dessler shared is a fond memory for one parent.
“One of my favorite examples of what a child can learn and adapt came from a parent who reported that her 3-year-old was singing the song ‘Thank You, Hashem,’ which he had learned in school,” Dessler said. “One day, when his mother struggled with some challenge at home, the 3-year-old pointed out that there was so much to be grateful for. He proceeded to sing the song and taught the entire family a lesson.”
Regardless of which school a parent chooses, a Jewish preschool can set the stage for children to have a successful education that blends the common core curriculum with traditional Jewish values, which Dessler summed up in a simple word, calling it “priceless.”
