State's first-ever Jewish primary school opens in Vermont
The school will teach Jewish values and culture as well as Judaic studies and Hebrew immersion.
By EVE YOUNGIsraeli kids wearing school bags ahead of the first day of school and kindergarten outside their home in Jerusalem on August 31, 2020, The Israeli secular state education system will open tomorrow. (photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
The first-ever Jewish primary school in Vermont opened recently in Burlington, wcax reported. Tamim academy currently has one class of 14 students from first grade and kindergarten, and the school plans to grow each year with this first class.The school will teach Jewish values and culture as well as Judaic studies and Hebrew immersion.Draizy Junik, the school's executive director, is confident in the school's growth saying “just this year a couple of families moved here specifically to be here for this school.”Junik was inspired to open the school by the lack of Jewish educational options in a place where she says she loves to live. There are 14 synagogues and four Jewish centers affiliated with Chabad in Vermont but until now, there were no Jewish educational institutions for children older than five-years-old.“It’s really incredible that we’re able to live here in Burlington, a place that’s so far from large Jewish communities, and for my son to be able to have that experience of high-quality Jewish education,” said Junik.The school's small class size may prove to be an advantage while concerns about the coronavirus persist. Junik says they plan to be "very very mindful about these practices and ensuring it’s a safe place for kids to be,” during the pandemic.Tamim academy is part of a network of Jewish schools and will draw on the Montessori and Reggio Emilia educational styles that make use of self-directed and experiential learning.“I think we are at a time in this country and in Vermont where parents are really, really valuing and looking for that small individual learning,” says Junik on the choice of holistic educational methods.Josefin Dolsten/JTA contributed to this report.
