Generations Join at Hillel Yeshiva

Each year, at Hillel Yeshiva Early Learning Center grandparents, parents and guests have the unique opportunity to enjoy a meaningful day with the children they love. The letter “G,” the children are taught, stands for grandparents and guests.

The PreK Grandparent Day program began with an amazing musical production by the Pre-Kindergarten students and culminated with hands-on crafts and activities with the Pre-Kindergarten students and their grandparents, the generations of Hillel Yeshiva.

The PreK’s Grandparent Day is a wonderful example of an educational unit that not only integrates Judaic and secular themes, fine motor skills and social and emotional development, but also incorporates emergent literacy in both English and Hebrew in a fun-filled learning climate. Educators at Hillel Yeshiva know that teachers can drill, test, teach and review the letters of the alphabet and lists of words but in reality, only facts connected to real life experiences remain ingrained in childrens’ minds.

The lesson began in the classroom with a dramatization of Parashat Vayera, which teaches the children to emulate the ways of Abraham by focusing on the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim (welcoming guests). Classroom discussions revolved around how the children could make their grandparents and guests feel welcome. Learning about the letter “G” was reinforced, as many of the “G” sounds: guests, grandparents, green, gold and gifts were repeated many times and in different ways throughout the lesson.

The Grandparent Day Program is an example of Hillel Yeshiva’s commitment to provide all of its students with a well-rounded and meaningful educational experience while maintaining the highest standards possible, employing the newest educational philosophies and the latest technology.

As one grandmother exclaimed, “I want to personally express my admiration for your program. After 30 years as an educator, I feel that Hillel Yeshiva definitely serves as a model of excellence.”