|
TORONTO'S SECULAR JEWISH COMMUNITY SCHOOL 585 Cranbrooke Avenue, Toronto, ON M6A 2X9
|
||||
|
Shule News Check here for articles by Shule students, parents,and staff. Only 80 Years Old and Taking Her First Steps -- The Morris Winchevsky School Adapts to Changing Times By David R. Lipovitch, PhD (Education Director) The year 2008 marks the Morris Winchevsky School's eightieth birthday. Our secular humanistic Jewish Sunday school has adjusted to meet the needs of the Jewish community for eight decades – from its earliest incarnation serving a Yiddish speaking, working class, immigrant community to a school which welcomes inter-married, single parent and same-sex families, Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews, and numerous other flavours of Jewishness. Times change. So do communities; and so must schools. In an attempt to address the needs of Toronto’s 21st century Jewish community, beginning in September 2008, the Morris Winchevsky School will become part of a larger secular Jewish educational program called Toronto's Secular Jewish Community School (TSJCS). This umbrella organization operating from The Winchevsky Centre (Bathurst and Lawrence, near the 401 and Allen Road) hosts four programs that in combination, provide a comprehensive secular humanistic Jewish education covering preschool through teenage years. Kinder Kapers, the school’s preschool program, was launched in 2007. It offers toddlers (ages 18 months to 4 years) and their families an opportunity to socialize and learn a little bit of Yiddish and Hebrew in the process. Sessions include music and movement, arts and crafts, puppets and stories, circle time, and play time – all with a Jewish flavour. The Morris Winchevsky School, the core program of TSJCS, is adopting a new approach to Senior Kindergarten through Fifth Grade, offering four independent 5-week long modules, each with a different theme. This allows families to tailor the program to suit their busy lifestyles. This year’s modules include: Israel In Detail (offered in cooperation with Hashomer Hatzair); Making A Scene (a fun-filled drama and improvisation workshop inspired by the rich works of Sholem Aleichem); The Jewish Tradition of Social Action (stressing the importance of Tikkun Olam); and Judaism and Environmental Justice (addressing environmentalism from a Jewish perspective). The school also offers the Youth Theatre Ensemble, our creative answer to a youth group, where teens aged 13-17 can learn theatre in a fun and social environment. Held once a week, sessions are designed to encourage self-confidence, creativity, trust, and group dynamics through the exploration of improvisation, character development, storytelling, method acting and physical theatre. Each gathering includes socializing over food, to encourage friendships to grow. On Sunday September 28th, TSJCS will hold its opening day at the Winchevsky Centre, 585 Cranbrooke Avenue, from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM. This event will include interactive family education activities for all ages with a Rosh Hashonah theme. Parents interested in their children experiencing TSJCS before enrolling should call the school office to RSVP. For more information, to receive a registration package, or to RSVP for TSJCS’s opening day, call (416) 789-5502 or email us at info@tsjcs.com. |
|
|||
Toronto's Secular Jewish Community
School and its programs are affiliated with The Centre for Enhancement of Jewish Education of the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. |
|||||
