Jewish Life at Bernard Zell
Jewish heritage and the spirit of Jewish community come together at Bernard Zell. Jewish learning begins in Early Childhood, and invites the student’s entire family to take part, welcoming everyone with a “come as you are” attitude. We create a nurturing Jewish cultural environment in which students engage in a comprehensive program that includes Hebrew language, Israel studies, classic texts, and Jewish history, along with appreciation for Jewish values, prayer, and Shabbat.
Children in our Early Childhood program are introduced to spoken Hebrew in a natural, organic way, through games and songs, laying the foundation for daily Hebrew classes in later years. Learning about Jewish holidays is an immersive experience, including the long-standing tradition of Fridays' Likrat Shabbat lunch, and, for fifth- and eighth-grade students, a Shabbaton—an off-site, camp-like experience where they celebrate Shabbat from start to finish.
From the youngest ages, students learn the Shema and blessings for meal times as well as those that are specific to Shabbat and holidays. Lower School students begin to build a repertoire of core prayers that are integral to all denominations of Judaism. Torah study begins in fourth grade. In Middle School, students conduct their own prayer services each Friday, and begin to learn new melodies to add to familiar prayers, as well as to help prepare them for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Students engage in learning Hebrew in fresh ways with online Hebrew language programs, while innovative experiences such as “Break Out” Escape Rooms add to the fun of Jewish learning.
Israel education incorporates a combination of experiential and academic learning. Our Israel Independence Day celebration includes a reenactment of Ben Gurion's reading of the Declaration of the State of Israel; singing Hatikva, the Israeli national anthem; sampling Israeli foods, and even visiting a model of the Western Wall where students can place notes.
The invitation to explore their Jewish identity that begins in Early Childhood culminates in eighth grade with the Tiyul (journey), a two-week experience in Israel that one student described as “making aliyah for two weeks!” Students further expand their connection with Israel through the annual mifgash (encounter), when our 8th-grade students host Israeli 8th-grade students for a unique week of shared learning and activities. This connection is strengthened when our 8th grade class reconnects with their 8th-grade peers during Tiyul.
With every step they take throughout their education at Bernard Zell, students come to recognize essential Mitzvot, the guidelines that shape a Jewish life, as they learn to take care of the earth, honor their parents, observe Shabbat, and maintain an honest and just community.
Rachel Jury, Director of Jewish Studies
Bernard Zell, in collaboration with The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) and The iCenter, is thrilled to welcome Eitam and Lihi, two talented 18-year-old Israelis to Chicago for the 2022-23 academic year. We’re so pleased to announce that two of them have joined the Bernard Zell community!
Rena Grosser, Early Childhood Jewish Studies Teacher
Each morning, the students and I pause and reflect on how we welcome the special Modeh Ani prayer to show gratitude and to wake up our bodies. We first find our calm and focus to be present in the prayer with a Modeh Ani meditation.
Dr. Fish Covers "Hadassah" Magazine, Register for the Creation of the State of Israel on December 14
Gary Weisserman, Head of School
Throughout this school year, Dr. Rachel Fish, a celebrated academic with 20 years of experience in the fields of Israeli history, Zionist thought and Middle Eastern studies is helping to guide the Bernard Zell community in a deeper exploration of these challenging topics.
As a friend and colleague of Bernard Zell, we’re excited to celebrate Dr. Fish who appears on the cover of the November/December issue of Hadassah Magazine honoring “The Power of Purpose: Women Effecting Change.”