Jewish Homeschooling
Here you will find resources for Jewish parents who have chosen to educate their children at home, including support, information, and ideas for combining your faith and your children's education.
Homeschooling in the Jewish Home
Chabad Launches the First Online International School For Jewish Children
Chabad Shluchim living in remote places or cities where there is no Jewish school, have long contended with schooling their children at home or parting with them at young ages, so they can get a traditional education. A newly developed online school now gives these children the benefit of a classroom situation where they daily interact with classmates--children of other shluchim, and a teacher, at home.
Education is Life
Our entire value system stems from our experiences. The influences of a classroom or a book are minor compared to the plethora of impressions that bombard us constantly. Every teacher knows that by the time a child can sit at a school desk, that child has already received a majority of his education. The child has already developed the attitudes, drives, tendencies and emotions that will shape almost everything else he will do the rest of his life. That education did not come from a book; it came from experiential interaction. All the teacher can do at this point is offer some direction and a suggestion here and there. In fact, teachers take a back seat to the true teachers of life: parents. When a human being is most receptive to influences, then those influences have their greatest impact. A child is an open book which has engraved onto it's impressionable pages the most basic messages - transmitted by the parent.
Chinuch At Home
Chinuch At Home offers Jewish educational resources for paents, teachers and homeschoolers.
The Difference Between Jewish Education (Chinuch) and Education That is Jewish
This article written by a Torah psychologist reflects how much Jewish parents need to know in order to differentiate between a Jewish education and an education that is Jewish.
Fundamentals of Education
It must be clear at the outset that there are no sure-fire rules of education that apply to all children at all times. Reishis Chachmah quotes a Midrash that it is easier to raise a legion of olive trees in the Galilee, where the soil and climate are not conducive to growing olive trees, than to raise one child in the Land of Israel, even though Israel is conducive to proper education, since the atmosphere itself helps to imbue one with wisdom and holiness. Children are not objects to be fashioned at will, but rather human beings who have their own free will and can reject, if they so choose, even the best education. The most a parent can hope to achieve, as Chiddushei HaRim points out regarding all learning, is to put the words of Torah on the heart of the child so that when the heart opens up, the Torah found on it will sink into the receptive heart.
Home Is Where The Lesson Plan Is
With liberalized state laws across the country, a growing number of Jewish families, including many in urban centers like New York City, have turned in the last decade to homeschooling, a movement usually associated with rural, fundamentalist Christians. No official statistics on the number of Jewish homeschoolers are available, but the figure is surely in the “thousands,” including a many religiously observant families--young Lubavitch couples serving as emissaries in isolated areas were homeschool pioneers--and a rising percentage of non-Orthodox households.
History of Jewish Education
Learn about where Jewish schools come about and it can be returned it to where it should be.
Home Schooling: Instilling Jewish Family values
Looking for an alternative to overcrowded classrooms, dwindling per-student funding, metal detectors and mediocre curricula--not to mention social pressures, conflicting values and prohibitive private school costs--a growing number of parents are opting out of the American education system. They're taking the biblical imperative more literally than ever and educating their children at home. Once the bastion of fundamentalist Christians, home schooling is attracting a growing number of Jews.
How to Educate Your Young
The striking contrast in the grandchildren of Abraham may not have been due to a difference in their temperaments, but to mistakes that were made in their upbringing.
Kosher Homeschool
Kosherhomeschool.org is devoted to providing information and networking to Jewish homeschooling families worldwide. At kosherhomeschool.org, they hope to address the special needs of Jewish homeschoolers as they strive to provide a superior education in Judaic Studies (l'mudei kodesh) as well as Secular studies (l'mudei chol).
Support for Jewish Homeschoolers
Sonlight Users' Messianic Forum
This group is for Sonlight curriculum-users who are actively homeschooling/ home-educating from a Jewish or Messianic perspective, and those who are interested in learning more about Messianic Judaism, and how it relates to parenting and specifically to home-educating their children.
Jewish Homeschoolers of PBC
A free group for Jewish people in the Palm Beach County, Florida area (around West Palm Beach) who are homeschooling their children or interested in homeschooling them. This is a place for Jews (whether Conservative, Orthodox, Reform, Unaffiliated, etc.) to discuss curriculum options, holiday celebrations, homeschooling laws, daily homeschooling life, etc, and to compare notes on local events and attractions.
Jewish Waldorf
This group offers a discussion of issues facing Jews who choose Waldorf education, the potentials and difficulties of combining Waldorf with Judaism, ideas for celebrating holidays and festivals, information on traditional crafts, etc. All levels of Jewish observance are welcome, as are all levels of experience with Waldorf education, Anthroposophy, Steiner, etc. Homeschoolers, Waldorf schoolers, Jewish Day schoolers, public schoolers, and all others are invited to join the discussion.
Jewish & Torah Observers Sonlight
This is an international forum for Jewish and Torah-observing homeschoolers/home educators using Sonlight curriculum, or other literature-based curricula or methods. For support, encouragement and discussion about Sonlight curriculum, literature selections and with specific reference to Jewish education, calendar and life-cycle, etc.
Chevra
Chevra was formed in September 1998 as an online support community for Jewish homeschoolers of all varieties. It tends to be a very chatty place where they discuss Jewish observance, homeschooling, family life, outside interests, and (the favorite topic) why the laundry never seems to get done. If you are looking for a group that discusses only homeschooling and Judaic resources, you may very well be disappointed in Chevra's free-wheeling discussions of everything under the sun, but there is lots of great information here.
Kosher Homeschool
Kosherhomeschool.org is devoted to providing information and networking to Jewish homeschooling families worldwide. At kosherhomeschool.org, they hope to address the special needs of Jewish homeschoolers as they strive to provide a superior education in Judaic Studies (l'mudei kodesh) as well as Secular studies (l'mudei chol).
Jewish Homeschoolers
The focus of this list will be to provide homeschooling support and resources to Jewish homeschoolers of all levels of observance. Topics include curriculum choices, teaching tips, and holiday observances.
Jewish Sonlight Users
For Jews (or those becoming Jewish) who are using Sonlight (or any other literature based method) and adding in Jewish resources. This group welcomes all Jewish people of faith, (Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, etc.) This group is open for discussion of anything relating to Jewish homeschooling, raising nice Jewish children, adapting Sonlight to a Jewish perspective, etc.
League of Observant Jewish Homeschoolers (LOJH)
LOJH is a not-for-profit league of families designed to satisfy the growing demand for Orthodox Jewish homeschooling. LOJH is looking to team up with observant, Jewish families that are committed to homeschooling their children.
Jewish Home Educator's Network (JHEN) Newsletter
JHEN connects you to Jewish homeschoolers throughout the country and world-wide. It is a quarterly newsletter filled with thought-provoking articles, letters from readers that provide open dialogue on a wide range of interesting topics, mouth-watering recipes, creative holiday and craft ideas, stimulating book reviews, a Jewish calendar chock-full of information and original ideas, help columns with practical how-to advice on homeschooling. It is the only place you'll find the columns "Homeschool Hannah" and "Aunt Rachel's Bookshelf".
Jewish Homeschool Curriculum and Resources
Torah Tots
Torah Tots products combine the zaniness of their Mitzvah characters with educational fun. You'll find cassettes, audio CDs, videos, and interactive CDs.
KTAV Publishing House
For over 75 years KTAV Publishing House has been a trusted name in quality Judaica, offering a large variety of Jewish educational and scholarly books, gifts, and resources.
Behrman House Publishers
Behrman House Publishers is recognized for its distinguished Jewish educational materials used in schools throughout North America and in English-speaking countries around the world.
JewishMusic.com
Tara Publications offers JewishMusic.com, with a wide selction of recorded Jewish music, along with videos and sheet music. It was founded in Cedarhurst, LI in 1971 by Velvel Pasternak, a noted musicologist, The goal of the company was the publication, preservation and dissemination of the heritage of Jewish music.
Shluchim Online School
The Shluchim Online School offers distance learning for Jewish families.
Milon English Hebrew Dictionary
Milon is a free online English Hebrew English dictionary. Get translation and definition from the most popular dictionaries and encyclopedias.
TES Educational Jewish Software
TES is the world's largest developer and distributor of Judaic, Hebrew and Bible educational software. To date TES has developed over 120 educational titles.
Israel Book Shop
At the Israel Book Shop, you'll find educational games, resources, and toys, along with Jewish books and gifts.
Jewish Source
The purpose of this list is to sell or trade used Jewish books, games and music, cookbooks, holiday guides, textbooks and Yiddish or Hebrew books for homeschoolers interested in learning or sharing books which are explicitly Jewish in nature.
Davka Corporation
Davka Corporation offers a large selection of Judaic software, including Jewish clipart, fonts, and educational games.
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Featured Resources

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Catholic Home Schooling: A Handbook for Parents
Mary Kay Clark, the director of the accredited and successful Seton Home Study School shows parents why and how to teach their children at home, giving scores of practical examples and setting forth the spiritual, moral and academic advantages. The book includes chapters by several experts and covers Catholic curriculum, textbooks, Catholic family life, legal aspects, discipline, socialization, home management, using computers, children with learning disabilities, single-parent home schooling, t...
Drawn Into the Heart of Reading
Drawn Into the Heart of Reading was developed for use with students of multiple ages at the same time, perfect for the homeschooling family. It is designed for use as an entire reading program or as a supplement to an existing program for students in grades 2-8.
Creative Home Schooling: A Resource Guide for Smart Families
For a comprehensive guide to home-based education, that does not promote any particular curriculum or religious view, this is one book parents should buy! Parents will appreciate practical advice on getting started, adjusting to new roles, designing curriculum that is both child-centered and fun, and planning for social and emotional growth. Parents will turn to their favorite chapters again and again. Features interviews and tips from many homeschool parents as well as long lists of resources...
Florida History from the Highways
Discover Florida, with its unique geography and exciting history--from ancient gold to modern real estate speculation--by journeying along its highways. Beginning with a chronology and succinct account of Florida's spectacular development, then an account of the rise of the major cities, Florida History from the Highways takes you throughout the state, pointing out the fascinating events that occurred at locations along the way. You'll travel through changing times and landscapes and emerge fill...
Free to Learn: Introducing Steiner Waldorf Earkt Childhood Education
Free to Learn is a unique guide to the principles and methods of Steiner Waldorf Early Childhood education. The author draws on kindergarten experience from around the world, with stories, helpful insights, lively observations and pictures. This inspiring book will interest parents, educators, and early years education students. It is up to date, comprehensive, and contains many illustrations, including a 16-page color section. Lynne Oldfield invites you to explore Steiner Waldorf kindergarten...