The school known for decades as the JCFS Therapeutic Day School and Yeshiva is now called the Knapp School and Yeshiva. The name honors the Knapp family, whose consistent involvement with JCFS Chicago has enabled the agency to provide services to many students.

“We’re very glad to have a name attached to the school for the first time,” said Rabbi David Rosenberg, the school’s coordinator of Jewish educational services and Orthodox community liaison. The Knapp family has been active in philanthropy and foundational support of JCFS Chicago, including the Esther Knapp campus and the Joy Faith Knapp Children’s Center.

The Knapp School is an option for students who struggle in public or private school. With a staff of 80, including teachers with LBS-1 certifications, social workers, speech and occupational therapists, a reading specialist, a special education gym teacher, and a therapeutic dog, students are supported in their journey towards reintegration in their original schools.

“Our goal is for our students to gain skills necessary to be successful outside of our walls,” said Rachel London, the school’s admissions marketing coordinator. In the process of gaining these skills, students gradually transition back to their original schools, with plenty of support from staff.

Knapp School students achieve their goals in small mixed-year classrooms with integrated opportunities to learn valuable life skills as well as an age-appropriate curriculum. The school’s 17 classrooms have no more than 10 students each, which ensures each student receives substantial attention from teachers and other support staff.

Beyond the classroom, the Knapp School also features a life skills classroom with kitchen and laundry equipment, a sensory gym, and time-away spaces for kids to regroup. There is also a state-of-the-art Snoezelen room, a multisensory room designed to help students receive the sensory input they need to become calm and focus in the classroom.

Another key part of the Knapp School is the yeshiva, the only facility of its type in the Midwest. In the yeshiva program, students learn Hebrew, Bible, Talmud, and Mishnah, and pray daily in the Beit Midrash, which includes an aron kodesh (Ark for the Torah).

The students receive the same supports as the main school students, and students in both programs follow an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to ensure the greatest success in their social, emotional, academic, speech, and therapeutic goals.

Each student’s path at the Knapp School is unique, and “the child is a big part of the process” to determine what this path looks like, Rosenberg said.

The staff takes a team approach to help the students, which includes the involvement of family members and other JCFS staff with specific expertise. Data collecting and record keeping are important at the Knapp School, where the “very collaborative interdisciplinary work” helps each child meet their goals, London said.

During the 1.7 years an average student spends at the Knapp School, they receive a wonderful education as well as the life skills they will need to succeed beyond the school. After their time in the school is over, they may continue to receive relevant services from JCFS Chicago.

For more information, visit jcfs.org/tds or contact Rabbi David Rosenberg at [email protected] or (773) 467-3926.