Mission Statement 

Philosophy & Goals - The goal of The Stuart Stone Hebrew School of the Jewish Heritage Center is to stimulate awareness among our participant families that Judaism is relevant, vibrant, enjoyable and meaningful. This is done through imaginative and thought provoking teaching methods and hands-on experience. Our approach is to encourage the entire family to join in the learning process. This makes the student’s education much more meaningful to them. We hope our students will view Hebrew School as a milestone in their life and not as a dead-end Jewish experience.

The secret of our success is twofold. First of all, the Jewish education our children receive is enjoyable, exciting, and low-pressure. We gauge success not by how well, or how many Torah Verses, he/she can recite at the bar/bat mitzvah celebration. Rather, our desire is that every week, every child actually looks forward to learning more about Judaism, thus making Judaism a lifelong endeavor.

Family Education - The second component to our much talked about success rate is the all too oftenunder-rated element of parent involvement. Remember when you asked why you had to go to Hebrew school? Because “I had to go” was the answer you usually got from your folks. But imagine if years back, your folks didn’t just drop you off at school and pick you up two or three hours later. Imagine that just once, they stayed with you, grew with you, studied Torah with you, and actually showed an interest in your Hebrew School experience. We want our Hebrew School students to see everyone in their family is participating. To implement this we have provided many family and adult programs designed to enrich the total Hebrew School experience for your child. Offerings will include Hebrew reading crash course, Jewish life cycle, Holidays, Adult bar/bat mitzvah program, etc. Free baby-sitting services are available. What is truly amazing and most gratifying is that we have found that virtually all of the parents who attend our Sunday programs find them to be stimulating, informative and actually enjoyable. Their enthusiasm then carries over to the children. There is no better way to motivate your children than for them to see you joining him/her in a Jewish education!

Parent Program - The highlight of the adult education is the Parents classes that are held on Sunday mornings. Its benefits are numerous. You have an opportunity to study the same topic your children are studying. You can also discuss Jewish issues in an open forum. Let’s face it, even if you attended Hebrew School as a child, Judaism is more sophisticated to a forty-year old than it is to a  thirteen-year-old. Most important is the profound effect your child will receive knowing that Mom or Dad isn’t just dropping them off at Hebrew School. They are active participants in their growth in Judaism. It’s our secret to success!