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FAMILY EDUCATION
Empower Yourself as a Parent!
At the Morris Winchevsky School, we encourage our parents to share in their children's Jewish learning experiences through intergenerational programming that is educational and fun.
The goals of Family Education, as set out by the Toronto Board of Jewish Education, are:
- To emphasize the importance of families learning together.
- To enhance the students' Jewish learning experience by providing opportunities for parents to be involved.
- To build a greater sense of community among the school's families.
- To foster a respect and appreciation of Jewish traditions that is shared in an inter-generational environment.
- To strengthen the connection between home and a sense of belonging within a Jewish community.
When you learn how to make latkes, share your family's stories, or learn a Yiddish folk song, you strengthen the connection between school and home, you meet like-minded people, and you make a valuable and lasting contribution to your child's education.
Our intergenerational community holiday celebrations also enhance our Family Education program.
A sampling of some of our Family Education programs:
Es, Es Mayn Kind - a Jewish cooking extravaganza!
Learning about, making and tasting such traditional Jewish foods as latkes, homentashn, bagels and challahs. People of all ages gather in our kitchen to create these mouth-watering treats.
A Hole in One
Bagel Making Workshop
Martin Luther King Day - anti-racism education
This annual experiential learning day encourages students and parents to challenge racism and anti-Semitism in non-violent ways. Past activities have included creating rap peace poetry, writing "I Have a Dream" essays and painting peace murals.
Family Stories – Sharing Family Histories
Parents, grandparents or other 'keepers of family stories' are invited to the classroom to share information about their family tree and history. As many of our students are children of inter-cultural marriages, this is a wonderful opportunity to learn about diverse family backgrounds and traditions.
Testimonials from Parents and Students
"Having found The Winchevsky Centre, we are more focused on Jewish culture and we have reinstated lost habits. We both feel very comfortable with the notion that Jewishness can be taught properly, with the religious aspect being one of personal preference. We appreciate the lessons taught also, in respecting all people, and their ways of life and spirit. We know that we are giving our son Aaron a solid foundation, and will look forward to his Bar Mitzvah too. Thanks for a job well done."
Martha and Don Hale, parents of current student Aaron Hale
"Being at the Shule meant thinking about being Jewish, and caring about social justice. I'm proud of these things, and I'll be carrying them with me."
Daniel McCormack, Bar Mitzvah student 2002
"Perhaps the most important thing that I've learned (or begun to learn) is how to connect my being Jewish with different social and political struggles in Canada and around the world."
Nora Rochman, Bat Mitzvah student 2002
"Our kids have benefitted from going to Shule. They are better people for having been there.
David Spaner, parent of 3 graduates
"[The school] is part of the experience growing up in the community that made Yiddish a living language and emphasized the importance of social justice... For the school to have survived is truly remarkable. There is less and less Yiddish out there, and there is a lot of regret for not passing it on."
Sharon Hampson, of Sharon Lois and Bram fame
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