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The Learning Center
The Learning Center is an integral part of the life of the Pelham Jewish Center. In addition to teaching our children skills, we try to imbue in them a love for Judaism and yiddishkeit, helping them form a strong Jewish identity and a lifelong commitment to the study of Torah and mitzvot.
We encourage parents to partner with us in educating their children and connecting them to our sacred traditions. The Learning Center starts with pre-school (the youngest students are four) and continues through high school. 
The Learning Center's curriculum centers on the study of Bible and prayer Hebrew (with some modern spoken Hebrew). Students celebrate the Jewish holidays; learn about Israel; experience prayer in their classrooms and in junior congregation services; and learn the importance of mitzvot in Jewish life. They read Jewish literature, listen to Jewish music and learn to appreciate Jewish arts as creative expressions of their heritage. They commit themselves to tzedakah (charity) and gemilut  hasadim (acts of lovingkindness). The congregation’s Social Action committee has a member dedicated to organizing the tzedakah projects in the school. The sixth graders’ service in the Mount Vernon Soup Kitchen counts as part of their curriculum. The seventh-grade program emphasizes Bar or Bat Mitzvah preparation. Click here to learn more about Becoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
Hours: The younger grades meet once a week for one and a half to two hours. From the third grade to the seventh grade, students meet twice a week for a total of four hours. There are no classes on Sundays but the students participate in family programs several times a year on Sunday.
Faculty: Our teachers are deeply committed to the children and to the curriculum of our school. Learning Center teachers come from all denominations of Judaism and are all certified or in the process of acquiring a teaching certificate. They understand and respect the uniqueness of each individual learner and work to integrate the curriculum into the lives’ of the students. Our faculty understands that as Jewish teachers, they must be positive role models and skilled communicators of Jewish knowledge and values.
Zayin Class, PJC's 7th Graders Learn About Ethics: Winter 2007
Open the attached PdF file at the end of this paragraph, and you will see a wonderful project that Micah Liben, a teacher in our Learning Center, worked on with his Zayin Class, the 7th graders. We are so proud of the work of our b'nei mitzvah kids! Please take a look! Mishnah Selections from Pirkei Avot - Ethics of the Fathers.
Please Click on the blue text titles right below to review and/or download any of the following 4 documents:
2008 -2009 Parent's Manual
Learning Center Curriculum
Ashrei Schedule for 2007
Junior Congregation Chaperone Schedule.
 Contact the PJC Education Director, Ana Turkienicz, at edudir@thepjc.org or 914-738-6008, ext. 2, for more information.
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