Hebrew School

The Hebrew school at Har El, the North Shore Centre for Jewish Life, was founded in 1995 and is the only supplementary Hebrew school on the North Shore. Our program attracts students from Whistler to Burnaby, giving students rich experiences in multi-faceted Jewish culture. Hebrew language, holidays, culture and tradition are taught in an inclusive setting. The program is delivered by our knowledgeable and experienced teachers, our Rabbi, and with the support from our teen volunteers.

Our education program focuses on providing our students with knowledge to develop and understand their Jewish identities, as well as fostering social connections between students and parents to build a community among the families. Apart from classes, we organize programs for Jewish holidays, field trips, and community Shabbat dinners.

It is the goal of our Hebrew School to nur­ture each child’s per­sonal and spir­i­tual growth and pro­duce young learn­ers whose strength of char­ac­ter and Jew­ish iden­tity assist them in their com­mit­ment to Jew­ish con­ti­nu­ity and the improve­ment of the world in which we live.

Our intended impacts

Our school philosophy is based on the following premises:

• Jewish education is fun!
• Jewish education is relevant and applicable for modern life
• Hebrew school connects Jewish families

As an extension from the above premises, our programs offer students an opportunity to:

• Gain a deep knowledge of what it means to be Jewish
• Grow their Jewish identity and develop a pride for being Jewish
• Embrace and practice Jewish values

Classes run for approximately 30 weeks from the beginning of September to the middle of June.

Partial funding for our Hebrew School is provided by the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver. We are especially appreciative of their additional support through the COVID Community Recovery Fund.