Frequently Asked Questions
What grades are taught at Kehila Heschel?
Our curriculum runs from Junior Kindergarten to Grades 5.
Do you have a daycare?
While we don’t have a daycare as part of the Kehila program, Temple Playhouse daycare is located in the same facility at Anshe Sholom Temple. When you contact Kehila Heschel for a tour, we will help you with this.
Please contact our office for more details.
Do you follow the Ontario Curriculum?
As an Ontario Private School we use Ministry of Education curriculum guidelines as a basis for our curriculum and enrich our program above and beyond their expectations.
Kehila Heschel’s integrated curriculum seamlessly blends the rich teachings of Jewish tradition with the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum.
The school’s innovative programming promotes academic excellence through integrating experiential learning, technology, artistic expression, environmental stewardship and global responsibility in a trilingual learning environment.
Where is Kehila Heschel located?
Kehila is located in Westdale, at the heart of Hamilton’s Jewish community. Our facilities are within Anshe Sholom Temple which was established in 1853 and is the oldest synagogue in Hamilton, Ontario.
We are located beside Churchill Park, 25-acres of parkland owned by the Royal Botanical Gardens and managed by the City of Hamilton. Next to Cootes Paradise, it has fields, trails, and a playground with an accessible play structure. Our students enjoy the trails as part of the EcoSchools curriculum.
Our address is 215 Cline Avenue North, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4A1.
What are the class sizes?
Classes are capped at about 10 students. This class size is beneficial for the development of strong elementary foundation skills and a love of learning.
Is your program Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox?
Kehila means community in Hebrew. Kehila Heschel School is an unaffiliated, independent Jewish day school that welcomes students from all streams of Judaism. Our school provides an egalitarian Jewish experience celebrating all forms of Jewish beliefs and observances.
Kehila Heschel’s approach is interdenominational and includes elements in common to the spectrum of Jewish practice. We are welcoming, egalitarian and pluralistic. T’fillot take place every day. Boys and girls pray together and share responsibilities for conducting rituals.
Where do students go after they graduate?
Children graduate with a strong sense of community and life-long friends.
From the Kehila Heschel program, students graduate to other independent schools or local public schools. Many of our students integrate seamlessly into French immersion programs.
How is sports integrated into the curriculum?
Kehila Heschel follows the guidelines of the Ontario curriculum in the area of Health and Physical Education. Students participate in health and physical education in the classroom and gym, out of doors, in the school gardens, and in the community.
Kehila Heschel has a strong outdoor education program which includes physical activity programming. The outdoor education curriculum encourages students to make healthy active living a part of everyday life.
The school is located next to Churchill Park (25 acres of city-owned parkland) and in proximity to Royal Botanical Gardens trails. Both areas are used daily in the Outdoor Ed program. Phys Ed programs rotate on different academic years and have included running club, hiking and development of specific sports skills.
What are Heschel schools?
We are connected to the Heschel School network, based on the approach by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (January 11, 1907 – December 23, 1972).
Learn more about Heschel and this approach from our partner school in Toronto.
Is lunch provided?
A hot lunch program is available once a week for an additional small fee. Students bring a parave lunch from home on the other days of the week.
Is there a bus?
Our students come from all around the greater Hamilton area, Oakville and Burlington. Over the years , parents have informally organized carpools.
We do not currently have a bus, but will consider assisting parents to organize transportation. Please contact the office for more details.
What are the hours? Is there after school care?
School Hours are (Daylight Saving Time) 8:40 am - 3:40 pm Mondays to Fridays, and (Eastern Standard Time) 8:40 am – 3:40 pm Mondays to Thursdays and Fridays. 8:40 am to 3:00 pm; 3:00 pm dismissal on Fridays, during Eastern Standard Time is in honour of Shabbat.
Students are expected to be at school by 8:30 so that classes may begin promptly at 8:40.
Please check the monthly calendar for dismissal times on other holidays.
What does a typical day look like?
Kehila Heschel School works on a “Balanced Day schedule”. This involves dividing the instructional day into three blocks of teaching/learning time, separated by two 40 minute physical activity and nutrition breaks. The benefits include:
Larger uninterrupted learning blocks.
An increase in students’ concentration and energy levels.
More time for students to relax and enjoy their lunches as time is set aside specifically for eating during the two breaks.
More time for daily physical activity/play.
A typical day (daylight savings) looks like:
8:30-8:40 School Entry
8:40-9:30 Period 1- Homeroom
9:00-10:00 Period 2
10:00-10:20 T’fillah
10:20-10:40 Nutrition Break
10:40-11:00 Recess
11:00-11:40 Period 3
11:40-12:20 Period 4
12:20-1:00 Period 5
1:00-1:20 Nutrition Break
1:20-1:40 Recess
1:40-2:20 Period 6
2:20-3:00 Period 7
3:00-3:40 Period 8
3:40 -3:45 School Dismissal
Are you closed on Jewish holidays?
All the Jewish holidays will be celebrated as a part of the school program. Please refer to the school calendar for details.
We are a school embracing all forms of Judaism and encourage inclusivity. Even if you do not personally observe Shabbat, please do not email, phone or post any Kehila messages/photo’s etc. during this time.