Jewish Life

OUR FAMILIES

LGA Schechter is a lively, social community of families that come to the school with a wide range of experience and engagement with Judaism. Classroom and all-school activities, holiday celebrations, Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) and tzedakah (charity) projects provide students and families with multiple opportunities to explore and participate in Jewish life and culture. LGA Schechter is strong in its ability to engage and nurture students, and families, wherever they are on the spectrum of Jewish engagement.

HOLIDAY CELEBRATION

At LGA Schechter, we communally acknowledge and celebrate all Jewish Holidays through a combination of performance, social activities, learning experiences, special visitors, and family events. For example, Hanukkah is celebrated with a school-wide assembly, the highlight of which is a play about Hannukah performed in Hebrew by the fifth grade. For Purim, the 6th grade conceives and composes a Purim Shpiel, a Purim comedy in English; for L'ag B'Omer, we celebrate by having a field day with Sinai Academy of Pittsfield, MA.

Shabbat is celebrated each week with song, prayer, stories, and discussions. Once each month, the entire school community, including parents and guests, gathers together for Kabbalat Shabbat during which we also celebrate the beginning of the new month.

TIKKUN OLAM

Tikkun Olam is the cornerstone of LGA Schecter's Educational philosophy and is put into action in many ways. Each year, all grades select a tikkun olam topic of study and undertake related projects to better the world. In November, tied to the season of giving thanks, classes present their projects at a community assembly and listen to a guest speaker and alumnus talk about their own community service efforts. Current and past projects include Kindergarten visiting and socializing with the elderly at Ruth's House, 2nd grade selling hand-made cards to raise money for the homeless, and 6th grade checking air pressure in tires to improve gas consumption.

As a whole, the school also collects tzedakah, recycles paper and plastic, and promotes email communication and 2-sided copies to cut back on paper. The school is also committed to non-toxic ground care services provided by Safelawn.

ISRAEL

The creation of the State of Israel is one of the seminal events in Jewish history. Recognizing the significance of the State and its national institutions, we seek to instill in our students an attachment to the State of Israel and its people as well as a sense of responsibility for their welfare.