With the number of Jewish young families choosing to live in downtown Toronto steadily increasing, Makom's Downtown Jewish Playschool is a welcome community resource for GTA parents of young children.

Registration for the Fall 2012 session is now open for this innovative after-school Jewish education program, geared toward children attending JK through Grade 1.  The program, hosted in a local public school near the intersection of Spadina and College, runs Monday through Friday from 3:30 to 5:30 pm during the school year. 

Jewish children in the downtown core can attend their neighbourhood public (or other) school and also gain a daily, substantive Jewish education in a warm and positive, after-school environment.  Daily instruction provides real continuity and growth opportunities for the students, while also filling an important childcare need for working parents.

Our creative and substantive Jewish learning model is play-based, aimed at teaching Jewish traditions in a pluralistic and inclusive fashion, fostering creativity and independent thinking, spirituality, an appreciation for nature and outdoors (including lots of physical activity), and Jewish ethics and values (including social and environmental issues). 

Our Hebrew language learning is immersive and consists of arts and crafts, music, playing outdoors, drama and sports, etc., all in Hebrew.  Children can attend Hebrew immersion play (3 days per week), Jewish learning (2 days per week), or both (5 days per week).

The class size is intentionally small, limited to eight children, and there are only four spots left for the Fall 2012 session!
For more info, including location, cost, etc., please email Sharry Aiken at sharryaiken@gmail.com

Makom: Creative Downtown Judaism is a joyous, grassroots, downtown community, building traditional and progressive Jewish life in Toronto since 2009.  Makom creates an inclusive and diverse space, committed to Jewish questioning and learning, arts and culture, spirited prayer and ritual, and social and environmental activism.