Tikkun Olam –
Repairing the World

We believe that a superior education is more than books and calculators. In addition to intellectual development, we nurture the social, spiritual and physical growth of our students. We also expect our children to develop compassion, tolerance and mutual respect for others as we guide them to become responsible citizens in our community and in the world.

While writing a check to charity, bringing a can of soup to an annual food drive or showing up to volunteer at a homeless shelter are commendable acts that we encourage, we have brought our service learning efforts to a higher level. We seek to engage our students not only in the one-time mitzvah, but in creating relationships with organizations where they feel a connection. Our programs are designed to involve our students as active, thinking partners to mend, repair and transform the world.

To provide students with a broad perspective, our programs change continually. While we offer the traditional ways of helping those in need such as food drives, book collections, visiting the elderly or making gift bags for the homebound during the holidays, we have created a number of opportunities for students to develop their own philanthropic organizations. Within these organizations, the children take a lead role in determining where their philanthropic stake will be best utilized and engage in active discourse with nonprofit leaders around the world.

Recently, these initiatives have included a 7th grade in-depth research project of selected charities, with interviews, reports and oral presentations; school-wide selection of key charities during a holiday; student council-run drives to support charities chosen by the Middle School student body, or emergency responses to world events such as Hurricane Katrina, or the Israel / Lebanon war.