About Us
It’s a neighborhood, a home, a camp, and a school, all at the same time. It’s wacky, it’s interesting, it’s Jewish.
The Neighborhood Hebrew School gives public school Jewish kids the opportunity to step into a weekly space that gives them the cozy, loving, wild feeling of Jewish overnight camp, the nourishing sensation of a Jewish home that’s taking care of them, and the empowering belonging of a neighborhood full of like-minded, adventurous friends.
At the NHS, we care deeply both about serious learning and silly, informal play. We know how crucial it is for Jewish kids to associate Judaism with joy. We see the IPAD crisis of kids spending most of their free time indoors on screens and little time connecting with their peers. We feel the weight that isolated, Jewish parents feel in juggling their careers and raising happy kids without a strong web of communal support. We know that one of the great powers of Judaism is its communal potential. We aim to bring a new Hebrew School model that is home-based, parent-run, and full of Jewish chutzpah and laughter.
We give our teachers the freedom to teach their lessons as they see fit. Our team is made up of expert, passionate teachers with decades of experience. We give them the trust and space to develop lesson plans and answer students’ questions about Judaism on their own terms.
Core Values
Pluralism
We aim to foster an environment that celebrates the diversity of Jewish expression and community. We believe that Judaism has always valued disagreement and dialogue and that we have had these conversations as a people for over two thousand years. We encourage our students to continue engaging in this way, considering the different opinions, and then deciding for themselves. We celebrate the land of Israel while also holding space for different opinions on the best way to take care of the land.
Ahavat Yisroel
We are guided by the principle of loving our people in all the forms they take. Everything we do is guided by this love for the Jewish people and Jewish tradition.
Derech Eretz
We believe that kindness is a spiritual, moral value that is essential for community and growth. We strive to create a warm, loving, nonjudgemental space where kids respect and take care of each other.
Schedule
The Neighborhood Hebrew School sessions take place on Wednesday afternoons from 4:30 to 6:30 (with Free Play available from 2:45- 4:30) and on two Shabbat Saturday afternoons a month from 4:00-Havdalah. The location is at a home with a backyard space in Pico Robertson. Currently, we are accepting students from age 6-12. We will begin our sessions on Wednesday, January 10th, 2024 and end the semester on June 5, 2024. We will resume sessions in August 2024.
Meet the Team
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Rivka Nehorai
DIRECTOR
An artist, art educator, and community builder, Rivka has contributed to building up Jewish communities in Chicago, Brooklyn, Long Beach, and now Los Angeles. Rivka taught high school art at Manhattan High School for Girls in New York, and facilitated Jewish after school clubs through Jewish Student Union for Jewish public high school students in Chicago.
In Brooklyn, she was the cofounder and program manager for Hevria Brooklyn, a creative collective with over 150 members and thousands of participants that hosted gatherings, open mics, variety shows, and classes. Rivka is passionate about creating spaces for communities to thrive, and is super excited about The Neighborhood Hebrew School. Rivka has three children, ages 7, 10, and 12.
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Leah Julian
EDUCATIONAL DIRECTOR
Leah Julian is a rabbinic student at HUC-JIR in Los Angeles. Originally from Davis, CA, Leah grew up in a small and loving Jewish community that nurtured her love for Judaism from a young age. After living in Denver and Istanbul, Leah graduated from UC Davis, where she earned a BA in Religious Studies. She is passionate about working with people of all ages to find and cultivate their authentic Jewish selves, and building interconnected and resilient sacred communities.
Leah’s approach to Jewish education is serious yet playful, deep yet joyful. She has taught in religious schools for children of all ages both in person and online, served as the Assistant Jewish Program Director for Camp Tawonga, a Jewish summer camp outside of Yosemite National Park, developed original curriculum for children, teens, adults, tutored Bnai Mitzvah students in a variety of settings, and has run a variety of youth programs. When not studying or doing Jewish, Leah is typically singing, cooking, or exploring the outdoors.
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Mike Rotenberg
UPPER LEVEL JEWISH LIFE TEACHER
Mike Rotenberg is a passionate and creative Jewish educator. He has taught Hebrew School at synagogues across California, working with members across all denominations. Mike is motivated by his desire to introduce younger and older Jews alike to the richness of the Jewish religion and tradition, and to instill in them a feeling of Jewish pride and belonging. He has a strong background in Bible Studies, Jewish prayer and ritual, Jewish History, Talmud, and Torah & Haftorah chanting.
After working as a Qualitative Marketing Researcher and Tech Entrepreneur for two decades, Mike decided to focus solely on Jewish Education for the last ten years. In addition to teaching Hebrew School, he works as a B-Mitzvah Coach and officiates at services for those who are not affiliated with any synagogue or temple. Mike possesses an intuitive ability to establish a connection with all sorts of people and children in particular.
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Sigal Bar
HEBREW TEACHER
With over thirty years of teaching experience, Sigal Bar finds her greatest joy in teaching kids how to read Hebrew. Originally from Israel, she relocated to Los Angeles twenty years ago. Sigal currently manages a preschool, tutors, and teaches at nearby Hebrew schools.
At the Neighborhood Hebrew School, Sigal will instruct kriah (Hebrew reading) using the method employed in Israeli public schools, following the guidelines of the Israeli Minister of Education, as opposed to the yeshiva memorization method. Sigal deems this approach both more enjoyable and more effective in accelerating children's Hebrew learning, a method she has employed for decades. She will focus on tailoring instruction to each child's level, utilizing the Hebrew workbook, Zlilim Misparim.
She is a strong believer in learning through experience, and her Parsha lessons will be filled with songs, games, and hands-on projects.
