The Joan S. Beren Jewish Community School
Give your child the gift of a Jewish education
Our Educational Mission
Educating our children about Judaism is one of the most important functions of our community. A strong Jewish education is critical to encouraging our children's love and understanding of Judaism, allowing them the ability to make Jewish life decisions as they grow older, and ensuring that they remain committed to a Jewish life. The Joan S. Beren Jewish Community School (JBJCS) is a joint effort of the two Jewish congregations in Wichita, Ahavath Achim Congregation and Congregation Emanu-El, to provide a broad and comprehensive Jewish education for our children from pre-K through 9th grade.
Our Curriculum
The JBJCS curriculum includes the study of holidays, prayer, theology, Bible, Hebrew language, Israel, and various aspects of contemporary Jewish life including Jewish thought, values, history, music, and culture. With financial support from the Mid-Kansas Jewish Federation, JBJCS is led by a full-time education director and overseen by a committee comprised of members appointed by the boards of both congregations.
The school meets on Sunday mornings for Judaic studies and both Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings for Hebrew.
The Joan S. Beren Jewish Community School is a fun, warm, inviting place for our children to learn and to grow as Jews.
THE PJ LIBRARY AND PJ OUR WAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY
The PJ Library, an international, award-winning Jewish family engagement program, was created by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. PJ Library sends FREE Jewish children’s books to families in our Jewish community every month. We know that something magical happens when parents sit down together to read with their children. PJ Library shares Jewish stories that can help your family talk together about values, traditions, and culture that are important to you.
Families with kids ages 6 months through 8 years old with Judaism as part of their lives, are welcome to sign up, regardless of their Jewish background, knowledge, or observance.
Kids in our Jewish community can continue their PJ experience by signing up for PJ Our Way, the next chapter of PJ Library for kids ages 9-11.
“PJ” stands for pajamas, a fitting name for a program whose organizers believe a bond is formed between children and their parents during story time before bed. The PJ Library is designed to strengthen the identities of Jewish children and families and their relationship to the Jewish community.
For questions about the PJ Library, or how to sign your children up for free PJ Library books, contact Rebecca Vitelli at pjlibrarywichita@gmail.com.
The PJ Library in Wichita is generously funded by the Mid-Kansas Jewish Federation, in partnership with the Beren SEA Foundation.