Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Do I need to be a PJC partner  to enroll in LEV Academy?
A. Yes.  LEV Academy is the education and enrichment arm of Perrineville Jewish Center.  The Lomed Partnership affords you various options that suits your family best.  It also provides your child with a FREE LEV Academy experience as well as attending High Holiday services, Friday night, Saturday morning and Havdallah services and participation in all our social program offerings.

Q. How many days a week is LEV Academy?
A. LEV Academy offers a 1 day a week comprehensive Jewish Enrichment program.  We meet every Thursday from 4:30-6:30 pm, September through May.

Q. How many years must my child attend LEV Academy?
A. In order to be properly prepared for their bar/bat mitzvah, each child must complete 5 years at LEV Academy (starting at 8 years old – 3^rd grade to 13 years old – 7^th/8^th grade).  Should your child have their bar/bat mitzvah before the year is out, we ask that they complete the remainder of the year in order to be able to graduate with their class.

Q. What does LEV Academy teach?
A. LEV Academy’s focus will be to teach our students to read the Siddur proficiently and to take leadership roles in the service. Our Hebrew reading program for the school is two-fold: we will begin with a phonetics based method to ensure mastery of all letters and vowel sound combinations.  We will then transition to Siddur based learning focusing on learning the prayers we use in services. The students learn directly out of the Siddur that the congregation at large uses for services. We emphasize Jewish practice (holidays, life cycles, kashrut, etc.), Jewish ethics and values, prayer, heritage and culture, love and involvement with Israel and the appreciation of the Hebrew language as a vehicle through which our tradition has been transmitted from generation to generation.  We teach our tradition through a modern curriculum that focus on understanding how we can apply a centuries-old tradition to the modern times we live in. 

Torah, as well as history and ethics, are important components of our program and are conducted at each grade level. The Torah and its precepts are an important part of Judaism. We provide students with the information and skills to enable them to be responsible, knowledgeable and committed members of their local and world Jewish communities, now and in the future. We encourage respect and friendship among students in the synagogue community. Weekly Kiddush/Shabbat, Havdallah celebrations, Holiday festival events and Sederai will take place throughout the year. 

Our school mission is to have a connection to Israel, to be proud to be Jewish and for each and every student to feel comfortable and proud of their heritage

Q. What are family services?
A. At designated times during the month, we hold special Friday night and Saturday morning family services geared toward our students and their families.  Each class will be given the opportunity to ascend the bimah and help lead a service.  Prayers are taught by Morah Sheri during music in at LEV Academy.  We encourage all parents to attend services with their child.  Each family service, one class is also responsible for providing our Friday night Oneg or Saturday morning Kiddush, held after services in the social hall.  Class moms organize the Oneg/Kiddush and class participation is required.

Q. How do I know how my child is doing at LEV Academy?
A. Parents are encouraged to speak with their child’s teacher or the Director at any time during the year.  Report cards are issued twice a year: once during the first half of school (up to December 31^st) and the last at graduation in May.  Report cards are inclusive of attendance in class, class participation, quizzes and tests and classroom behavior.  Service attendance is also noted. 

Q. Are there any other activities my child will be a part of?
A. Yes.  We have enrichment programs throughout the year that offer a hands- on, fun and interactive way to learn about special holidays or rituals.  For example, a Shofar Workshop where the kids learned about what animals are considered kosher and why? Why a ram’s horn is used to make a shofar?  Then the kids are given their own ram’s horn to saw and drill into their own shofars. Torah Workshop, where the kids learned about how to make parchment from a kosher animal, how the parchment for a Torah is made, calligraphy used to write the words in the Torah and then make and write on their own piece of parchment.  Matzah Factory, where the kids are taught about Passover, and grind their own wheat, mix in the water and are given only 18 minutes to make the dough and their own matzah –just as our ancestors did in Egypt.  Each child gets to take home a box of Shmurah matzah.  Students have met former IDF soliders for an IDF bootcamp to celebrate Yom Ha'Atzmaut, participated in Hanukkah and Purim escape room challenges. Holocaust Commemoration Day is usually spent hearing a survivor tell their tale of bravery, courage and survival in the concentration camps, or watching a related movie, or being a part of a conversation about genocide then and now and what we can do today to prevent it from happening again.  Students have also worked with the Butterfly Project in learning more about the children of the Holocaust. Tu’Bshvat (arbor day in Israel) is spent at a school wide event learning about how to best to take care of our environment.  Passover, in addition to the Matzah Factory, is spend at a school wide model seder where the kids learn how to run a seder, the rituals within and enjoy each other’s company.

There are many other social activities run by the synagogue’s social committee that are open to students as well as parents: Challah baking, Shabbat Dinners, Holiday dinners, Hanukkah party, Purim event, and more!

Q. When do I receive my child's Bar/Bat Mitzvah Date?

A. Dates for Bar/Bat Mitzvah’s are usually given out in the second half of a child’s 3^rd year of LEV Academy (Gimmel year) during a special meeting.  Our Bat/Bat Mitzvah committee along with the Rabbi determine the date.  Each child has their own special day – there is no sharing dates at PJC!  Bar/Bat mitzvahs are held during our regular 9 am Saturday Morning service.  The Bar/Bat Mitzvah helps to lead services and reads his/her torah and haftorah portion during the service.  A Kiddush in honor of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah is held post services and is provided by the host family.

Q. I have more questions, whom can I speak with?
A. If you have questions related to the enrollment at LEV Academy, please contact Inbar Robbins, Education Director, at https://www.pjcmillstone.org/levacademy