ABOUT US
WELCOME FROM OUR
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Stephanie Ives
Our name is based on this talmudic passage, and "Beit Rabban" is the term used in classical Jewish texts for a school where children encounter the wisdom of the Sages. Spend some time in the halls of our school, and you will see the embodiment of this text: the holy sounds of discussion, debate, and laughter. You will see children learning at shared tables, on classroom rugs, and under a tree in Central Park. You will hear children engrossed in primary texts, working in chevruta (paired learning), and meeting in small groups with teachers.
What might you see on any given day at Beit Rabban? Preschoolers develop their capacity to follow sequenced instructions by using a recipe to make challah. Kindergarteners interview staff in Hebrew to learn about their commuting patterns. Elementary classes are conferencing with teachers and peers to edit research projects; visiting our city council representative; meeting with older student “mentors” to practice their Torah reading skills; or graphing the frequency of Hebrew root words in different prayers. In the middle school, students are engrossed in an evolution unit co-lead by their science and humanities teachers; decoding complicated vocabulary using Greek roots; washing dishes and cleaning counters during their weekly service learning period; or experimenting with a mysterious white substance that explodes, unexpectedly.
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While these classroom experiences are diverse across grades and subject areas, there are clear unifying features: a profound sense of belonging, an emphasis on questions, and a belief that the purpose of knowledge is understanding. Students and staff members alike feel at home at Beit Rabban. We invest in relationships: teacher-student relationships, classroom communities, and cross-grade connections. When a child has a sense of safety and belonging, they can ask questions and take risks, which is what active learning looks like. Questions are the lifeblood of our learning process. Children are encouraged and expected to look at all things with curiosity: a new text, a new friend, a natural phenomenon. They learn to ask their way into deeper relationships. Finally, learning sticks when it is relevant. How is this math theorem applicable to my life? How are these ancient texts relevant today? In what way, and to whom, am I obligated? We take time to understand the concept, to make personal meaning, and to consider real world implications of all we learn.
Our school’s name reflects our conviction that the future of our people depends on the education of our children. When I walk the halls of Beit Rabban I feel confident in the future of our people, and I feel sustained! We would love to welcome your family into this magical chorus of learning and growth.
Best,
Stephanie Ives
Head of School
MISSION STATEMENT
Beit Rabban Day School is home to deep, joyful learning. An intentionally non-denominational school, we model Jewish learning in a community of diverse Jewish families all passionately committed to Jewish life. Our preschool through eighth grade program fuses rigor and wonder to foster active learners who are adept critical thinkers and problem solvers; empowered Jews who possess the fluency, skills and passion to live rich Jewish lives; curious human beings who approach learning as a lifelong endeavor; and kind community members who care for themselves, their immediate communities, and their world.
NON DENOMINATIONAL
BY DESIGN
The future of the Jewish people depends on our children’s ability to live Judaism with intentionality, commitment, and love. As a non-denominational Jewish school, we believe that every Jewish child deserves full access to the depth and breadth of our tradition. We educate toward fluency in Jewish text and practice and cultivate a passionate and joyful community.
We are proud of the diverse Jewish affiliations, practices, and beliefs of our families and staff. Our community shares a commitment to engaged Jewish life, love of the Jewish people, and responsibility to the State of Israel.
STATEMENT OF
BELONGING
The spectrum of Jewish community belongs at Beit Rabban: people with diverse Jewish affiliations, practices and beliefs; intra-faith and interfaith families; family structures of all kinds and varied financial backgrounds; and people of all races, abilities, sexualities, and gender identities/expressions.
HISTORY
Beit Rabban Day School was founded in 1991 by Dr. Devora Steinmetz, on the premise that “education of children ought to do more than socialize children to be full participants in the society as it is …. schools can and should teach children to participate in and be shapers of a better society.“ Dr. Devora Steinmetz, Founder of Beit Rabban, School and Society.
Since our inception, we have served as a model for a Jewish community with engagement in classical Jewish texts and respect for diversity of opinion at its center. In his book, Vision at Work: The Theory and Practice of Beit Rabban, Daniel Pekarsky describes the foundational elements of the Beit Rabban approach to learning, including critical thinking, imaginative problem solving and intellectual rigor in an engaged community of Jewish learners. We continue to be guided by these founding principles while incorporating cutting edge pedagogical methods.​
Initially conceived as a K-5th program, our Gan was added some years later and we opened our middle school in 2019. Known as "The Chativah" (the Hebrew term for middle school is "chativat beinayim"), our 5th-8th grade program was initially developed through a community-wide design thinking process, and now stewards our students through adolescence in an environment of high expectations and menschlichkeit, good character.