About JUF Right Start

A gift to your family from Chicago’s Jewish community

Jewish Early Childhood Education… the gateway to Jewish Life

We believe that Jewish early childhood education is so important that we created JUF Right Start to make Jewish preschool and daycare more accessible and affordable for Jewish parents.

The program’s centerpiece is a gift voucher—the first of its kind nationally--that will substantially offset the cost of Jewish early childhood education. The voucher can be applied to the tuition of the first child in your immediate family to attend a participating Jewish preschool or day care. It is not based on need (please see eligibility information). Tuition reimbursement is based on the number of days a child is enrolled.

Voucher amounts are:

• $500 for a child who attends 3 days per week
• $750 for a child who attends 4 days per week
• $1,000 for a child who attends 5 days per week

Families with children age two and over, who are not eligible for the voucher, will receive the JUF Gift of Family Learning, a yearlong selection of Jewish books and music from the PJ Library.

Jewish Life Begins at Birth

Inspiring a lifelong love of Judaism in a child takes a loving Jewish home, Jewish schooling and Jewish experiences that transmit the richness, the joy and the beauty of our 3,000-year-old traditions. Jewish early childhood programs especially have a major impact on a child’s emerging Jewish identity and serve as an important gateway to other facets of Jewish life.

The warmth and creativity of these programs engage our youngest children as they teach them Jewish values, concepts and traditions. Children in Jewish preschools and daycare centers learn that there is a special meaning to Jewish community and continuity.

Through JUF Right Start, we hope to help Jewish families participate in the rich and rewarding experience of Jewish early childhood education, as well as to help connect them to Jewish life and community. Jewish life begins at birth, not when children enter their adolescent years.

JUF Right Start also aims to build a sense of community among families with young children. Throughout the year, JUF Right Start will sponsor family-oriented programming, featuring Jewish music, crafts and storytelling, as well as bring in speakers to talk about parenting issues. Programs are open to the entire community.

Family Activities at JUF Right Start Schools

• Musical Performance at North Shore Congregation Israel 
  Shira Kline, nationally known for her Jewish music for children, will be performing Sunday, March 1, at 4:30 p.m. at North Shore Congregation Israel. For more information, call Marsha Richman at (847) 835- 0724 x637.
  
• Events at Congregation Beth Shalom in Naperville
  • Pre-Purim Family Service
    Friday night, March 6 (the 1st Friday of March), there will be a Pre-Purim Family Service at Congregation Beth Shalom from 6:30 to 7:00, with a Dessert Oneg to follow from 7:00 to 8:00. Per usual, children of all ages are encouraged to attend and participate in this service, which is kept short and very accessible to young children.
  • Purim Carnival
    Sunday morning, March 8, from 10:00am to 12noon, everyone is invited to the Congregation Beth Shalom Purim Carnival. Not your average Purim Carnival, the CBS extravaganza will feature activities for kids of all ages plus a fantastic costume parade (with prizes for everyone under the age of 10 who comes in costume). You are encouraged to pre-register for this carnival (the price is only $5/family if you register by March 3) to ensure that there are plenty of treats and prizes for all who attend. Registration is being handled by the CBS Office at 630-961- 1818.
  • Purim Service
    There will be a Purim Service on Monday night, March 9, from 7pm to 8:15pm (come hear the Megillah!) with a wonderful hamentaschen-filled oneg to follow. As a new twist this year, in tandem with the more standard service, there will also be Crafts, Activities, and Snacks for little (and not so little) kids who can’t/won’t sit through the hour long service. No RSVPs are needed for this program , so come if you can (and come in costume – young or not-so- young – if you want to share in the special prizes).
  • Pre-Passover Pot-luck Party
    As if that isn’t enough – don’t forget that after Purim comes Passover but before Passover comes the Kibbutz Katan Pre-Passover Party on March 22 from 4 to 6:30. Mark your calendars and save the date!
  • Visit www.napershalom.org for more information about any of these events.

Time to Register at JUF Right Start Preschools

• Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago
  Visit www.att.org for more information about Torah education for children.
• Community Foundation for Jewish Education
  Visit www.cfje.org to see a list of the Community Foundation for Jewish Education's affiliated early childhood programs.
  • Gan Yeladim
    Families interested in Jewish pre-school and daycare are invited to consider Gan Yeladim, an educational program of the Ezra-Habonim, Niles Township Jewish Congregation, in Skokie. Visiting hours are from 10:00-11:30 daily, but you must call first to let them know you are coming. Call Betsy Rotberg at (847) 675-4152 to schedule an appointment or go online at www.ganskokie.org.
• Jewish Community Center
  Visit www.gojcc.org to learn about the childhood education programs offered by the JCC.
• Board of Jewish Education
  For more information, contact Janet Sear at (847) 634-0363 or view the list of programs at www.bjechicago.org.

Skokie Solomon Schechter Day School Activities for Young Families

• Parent-Tot Visual Arts Experience
  For toddlers 24 -30 months with an adult
  Wednesdays in March (March 4, 11, 18, 25), 9:45 am-10:45 am
  • Toddler-focused exploration of various visual art media, including collage, printing, and sculpture.
  • Hands-on encounters with museum masterpieces.
  • Shared parent-tot adventures into the art/museum world, with a focus on language, development and motor skills.
  • View and discuss art as a way to encourage language development.
  • Each session will culminate with a story and a healthy snack.
  • $36 for all four sessions.  Pre-registration required.

• Once Upon a Picture: Art and Illustration
  For children 3-4 years old
  Wednesdays in March (March 4, 11, 18, 25), 1:30 pm - 2:45pm
  • Introduce your child to book illustrators in an exploratory, hands-on way.
  • Create artwork in the same medium as the featured weekly book.
  • Inspire your child through illustration as part of literature.
  • Each week your child will receive a new book by a noted illustrator.
  • $45 for all 4 sessions. Pre-registration required.

• Class instructor for both workshops: Lauren Perlman
  Lauren holds an MA in Museum Education and is a former educator at the Abraham Joshua Heschel School and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  She is Founder/Director of Mummies and Masterpieces, a national program utilizing museum masterpieces to enhance learning.  Lauren is the mother of 3 children, two of whom attend Skokie Solomon Schechter Day School.
   
  For more information, go to www.schechter.org. To register please contact Leslie Rosen Stern, Associate Director of Enrollment, Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago at 847-412-5617 or leslie.rosenstern@schechter.org.