PHILOSOPHY 5

At Richmond Jewish Day School’s Early Learning Program, the Judaics will be weaved into their everyday experiences in natural ways through the emergent and play-based approaches. Judaic concepts and history may be introduced through storytelling, while language and traditions may be experienced through conversations and songs. The idea is to immerse the children in the culture through their natural environment, to invite further inquiry as they grow older.

As a pluralistic school, RJDS recognizes that the Jewish community is very diverse, both in terms of practice and identity. We welcome all perspectives as long as they are respectful to each other and acknowledge RJDS’s core values – integrity, compassion, learning, resilience, community and respect. Laws of Kashrut will be followed for any food served and all of the major Jewish holidays will be observed in child-friendly ways.

Holidays and traditions may be introduced in different ways to reflect our community’s varied perspectives. We also want to acknowledge our intersectionality with both our local and global community. While other religious celebrations won’t necessarily be included in our yearly planning, cultures and celebrations may be acknowledged, as long as they are relevant to the children’s real-life exposure and/or inquiries, the content is secular in nature (food, dance, non- religious symbolism) and does not overshadow or undermine our School’s Mission and Jewish values.