An Ethical Start

The Jewish Community Center Association (JCCA), founded in 1917, continues to innovate in response to the evolving needs of the American Jewish community. Research shows that
many Jewish parents today have limited Jewish educational backgrounds and are unfamiliar with what Judaism and the Jewish community have to offer. As a result, pre-school programs have become an entry point to the Jewish community for the entire family. An Ethical Start is JCCA’s answer to this phenomenon, offering a Jewish approach to early childhood education that focuses on raising children with Jewish values. 

Expressed through the language of Prikei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), An Ethical Start offers an interpretation of the Jewish texts to provide meaning for the diverse Jewish students and parents at 65 participating JCCs around the country. Through An Ethical Start, Jewish values become part of school culture, and parents discover how to translate that into home culture, helping children learn how to treat one another and make responsible decisions throughout their lives. 

With support from the Righteous Persons, Meyerhoff, Brill and Marcus Foundations, An Ethical Start is growing in a measured yet exponential way. Ruth Pinkenson Feldman “is an expert, one of the leaders in the  eld who inspires other early childhood directors.” Fans only wish the program was offered beyond the JCC network.