Makom Community nourishes and supports our families on this wild ride!
What makes families choose Makom Community for their children’s Jewish education and their support on the journey of raising Jewish kids in this wacky world? I want to share a few of the elements that have drawn families to Makom Community since 2014.
Kids getting a Jewish Education they love
At Makom Community, the greatest challenge for parents is often getting their kids to leave at the end of the day! When you arrive and let yourself into our new space at 2401 Washington Avenue, using an app on your phone, you’ll be greeted in the hallway by me or another educator. You’ll find your child asking big questions, immersed in play, and in deep connection with peers and teachers. It can be hard getting them to close that activity and go home! Our classrooms each have two teachers and a maximum of 15 kids, so there is a great deal of support available for where kids are in the after school hours. Our learners in 4th grade and younger also have supported homework time or free time from 5:30-6 pm.
Jewish Education driven by questions and a willingness to be challenged
Kids who grow up at Makom Community know that all the learning we do at Makom can help us understand ourselves and our world better, and we are welcome to question and challenge it! We frequently encounter parts of our ancient traditions that are very much rooted in the time and place where they originated. That means giving our learners opportunities to encounter those things so that they can question them. For instance, why were folks with physical disabilities not invited to serve in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem? Why were gender roles so prescribed in certain ways? We invite them to question ideas that don’t match either their experience at Makom Community or their day-to-day lives.
Logistics built for working parents
Our educators pick up from a variety of schools, as long as there are at least 4 children coming from that school. Students walk to Makom from schools within a mile of our Lab School, and take SEPTA buses from schools that are outside that radius. We know how precious your time with your kids is on evenings and weekends! We fit Jewish Education into the time between the end of the school day and the end of the work day so you can have your evenings and weekends to connect with your family, play sports, and enjoy the amazing city we live in. We also have School’s Out Camp days when school is closed and Extended Enrichment for noon dismissals, all following the School District of Philadelphia schedule. And our schedule is flexible– choose the 2-5 days per week that work best for your family. And if you need to change your schedule mid-year, we’re happy to accommodate those needs as space permits.
Parents supported on the challenging journey of parenting
With holiday and learning celebrations throughout the year, we offer parents from an array of backgrounds the support they need to parent with intention and in community. We frequently put families in touch with each other when one family has already figured out how to navigate a particular parenting challenge and another family is newer to that challenge. We love seeing all the ways we can show up for each other as a community. At our learning celebrations, we carefully craft moments where parents get to turn to their children and say, “In our family, we see it like this…” and offer their own understanding of the learning their children have been immersed in at Makom Community.
We are very excited to welcome families to our new home on Washington Avenue. Enroll today! Our classrooms will fill up, and we would love to learn and grow with your family this year. For more information or to arrange a private tour, contact Beverly Socher-Lerner, Executive Director & Founder.