These are exciting times at the Bais Menachem Hebrew Academy! The new calendar years starts with several big changes, including expanding the programs for the youngsters to improvements in the play facilities.

BMHA will be teaching developmental Hebrew to the pre-school. Of course with 3 Israeli pre-school teachers, the students already hear and see a lot of Hebrew throughout their day. Hebrew teacher Liora Gurwitz will now be working with the pre-school with the Chalav u’Dvash program from the Jewish Agency. This ground-breaking curriculum is founded on auditory and sight-word learning and allows students to use and recognize Hebrew vocabulary through age-appropriate multi-sensory activities such as songs, games, and dramatic play.

Of course, our integrated secular and religious education at BMHA means that students hear and use Hebrew in a variety of contexts throughout their school day, whether it be in classroom commands, playground games or lunch requests. We are proud to have created a program in which students experience and utilize Hebrew as a living daily language as well as a subject of study.

Finally, we want to thank Xanadu Landscaping for donating a new playscape for Bais Menachem Hebrew Academy. With generous contributions of time and materials from Xanadu Landscaping, BMHA is developing a multi-age playground and recreation area. The new area will include room for sports, play equipment, playscape, and pre-school sensory exploration. Plans for the spring include student-led planting and decoration of the new spaces.

Academic excellence and a Jewish identity are not mutually exclusive.

To succeed in school and in life, Jewish students must be deeply rooted in a culture and tradition where values, pride, positive identity, and learning are at the core. At Bais Menachem Hebrew Academy, we nurture the children from preschool to eighth grade with Jewish identity, respect for the individual, passion for learning, and dedication to the Jewish community. Our academic core curriculum in mathematics, English, Modern Hebrew, history, science, composition, and critical thinking skills are enhanced by the essential tenets of Judaism and the Jewish people. This powerful combination propels our students to act independently, think critically, live ethically, and grow spiritually.