Temple Beth Hillel Early Childhood Center

When your child’s school feels like you are home, you know you are in the right place! Both my children have gone through the mommy and me classes, transition and preschool at Temple Beth Hillel, in fact my daughter is still there! We are so happy with the schools philosophy, director, teachers, warmth and knowledge of child development. This is truly a wonderful school and temple. I am grateful for the beginning Judaic foundation, love of learning and community they have provided for my children and family.

I’ve taken a lot of mommy and me classes and going to a lot of preschools in the last five years both in Chicago and Los Angeles. I can honestly say this is the most amazing early childhood program I have ever seen. We have done mommy and me, transition, preschool and now pre-​K with our two toddlers. Every single teacher they have had has been amazing and has treated each child as truly unique in their learning style. Every project the kids bring home (which is almost daily) looks like a Pinterest. They incorporate Jewish learning and values as well as math, reading and science concepts into a play based learning style. The first day of school last year, my son came home explaining the difference between the trachea and esophagus because a little girl apparently had her water go down the wrong way during snack and the teacher used it as a learning experience. The parent and me classes are a great way to meet other families in the community. We joined as soon as we moved here from Chicago and I instantly made a huge group of friends, and my husband is friends with all of the other dads. When we had a family emergency if you months ago, all of the teachers and director emailed me to make sure we were OK and that the children didn’t need extra help. The community is truly amazing and made us feel so welcome instantly. The transition program is extremely unique, and really prepared my daughter for preschool. Even the camp is amazing, combining learning and summer fun. The pre-​k program is unbelievable, the concepts my son is coming home with from his Hebrew classes, stretch and grow, music and English and Hebrew learning are at a very high-​level. All of the teachers have truly understood my children and their styles of learning and likes and dislikes, and have been able to develop empathy, a love of learning and a love of our Jewish heritage in our kids. We are staying for the day school and already feel welcomed into that community.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about the Early Childhood Education program at Temple Beth Hillel (TBH). I have two boys, one who has completed the program and is now in Kinder and one who is still in the program. The teachers are incredibly involved and loving and send emails each day/​week with photos and updates of what is happening with your child. Both boys had Teacher Shannon as their first preschool teacher. She is amazing! Her warm and caring demeanor not only made them excited to come to school everyday but it also helped ease my transition into sending them to school. From then on, every year has continued to be great. TBH has not only become their school, but also a community for our family. We love TBH. It is a great place learn, love and play.

My children have benefited in so many ways from the ECE program at Temple Beth Hillel. My daughter graduated from the ECE last year and is thriving in the Beth Hillel Elementary School. My son is in his second year of preschool and loves coming to school. One of my favorite things about the ECE is that all of the teachers, staff and Director know my child; his personality, his interests and how to help him succeed. Last year my son was having trouble learning his colors, his teacher worked with him while playing, during circle time and with explicit modeling. In a few months he learned all of the colors! I love that my child is proud to be Jewish. He sings songs all the time, uses some Hebrew words and enjoys Friday Shabbat at home and school. The ECE is a very welcoming, nurturing and warm environment where both children and families love to be!

I’m so impressed with the teachers & staff at Temple Beth Hillel. My child loves going to school everyday. They send me photos and email updates each week about my daughter’s preschool class — which are priceless. And the older children I see at every TBH event are so impressive and well mannered. I cannot recommend TBH highly enough.

The kids learn through play, which is the best way to discover the world, grow, build relationships and find learning fun! I love the community at the school, everyone knows my son, he is so at home at the school and the temple. It’s wonderful to see him so connected so naturally. The temple experience is integral to my kid’s lives. It’s very enjoyable, and effortless!

noticed an improvement in the new vocabulary words she was learning, the beautiful Jewish songs she was singing. By the time she was three the teachers further continued with building vocabulary, patterns, shapes and colors, in addition to all the enrichment classes my daughter was introduced to stretch and grow, music, and art projects. Now that she is four, TBH is really preparing her for Kindergarten next year. There is a sign in station to get the children practicing writing their name, science projects, art activities, story time, Hebrew class, music class. I’m confidant that my child will have an easy transition from pre-​school to kindergarten because she had such an amazing start at TBH. The teachers were all loving, caring, nurturing, friendly and inspiring. We have met and made long last friendships with other families and teachers.

TBH is a wonderful school and I am so happy to be a member of the school. My son has grown so much surrounded with the wonderful schooling and teachers on the staff. We don’t have enough good things to say, except that we LOVE TBH!!!

Our daughter went to the parent and Me class for a year, then transition class and is now in Nursery school and we could not be happier! She LOVES it so much she never wants to go home. She learns so much and I love how much outdoor play and creative free play they have with so many learning tools. They have movement classes, music, hebrew and shabbat on Fridays. As a mixed faith couple, it is the perfect environment to learn about judaism in an open inclusive environment. Joining the temple has brought us further into the TBH community and everyone reaches out to make sure we are always included and in the know. We love it so much that we want to make sure when we move, we don’t get too far from TBH. She is making friends for a lifetime, and so are we.

Wonderful, warm and caring school! Gave my children a wonderful and positive introduction to their Jewish education and community. The teachers are so nurturing and the entire school teaches important values. They really get to know your children and the get to know the parents too. I am so thrilled with our decision to send our kids here.

Small classes and good kids
However now that my son is middle school I wish there was more homework and more pressure in 5 th grade

I started at TBH in Parent and Me 7 years ago when my son was 2 months old. He and my daughter went all the way through Parent and Me, Transition and Nursery School at TBH. We had a wonderful experience. The teachers are very caring and knowledgeable. I was so impressed with the insight and guidance we received from the Parent and Me classes all the way through Mechina. My kids loved the enrichment classes that were offered like cooking and junior scientists. The friendships and bonds we created at TBH ECE started in Parent and Me and will be with us forever!

We have been very happy here. It’s not a fancy place. But staff is warm and experienced and kids appear to be engaged and having a good time. Mostly it’s about play and socialization which is a good thing in my opinion. The whole congregation is very haimish and attitude free. And it is pretty mellow as far as the Jewishness goes. I know that seems like a weird thing to say. But I don’t enjoy being smacked in the head about god etc. They don’t do that here.