Ramaz Lower School
By Pola Rosen, Ed.D.

Established 65 years ago, the Ramaz Lower School is a modern, orthodox Jewish day school that was originally built for the community and has continued with that vision. Head of the school Rabbi Alan Berkowitz explained that “Ramaz represents a standard of excellence in the world of Jewish education. Starting in nursery, we try to provide a quality program that will lead to an outstanding education.” The student-teacher ratio is low: about 15 students to a class with a head teacher and assistant teachers.

The curriculum is half –religious and half–secular. Our children are expected to follow the laws and principles of Judaism. The first graders participate in a Hebrew language immersion program. In the second grade, the entire religious component is taught in Hebrew, which is considered the heritage language. French and Spanish are introduced in the middle school. Project Community takes place in the middle school. Once a week students volunteer under the supervision of their teachers.

“Our school has a strong sense of commitment because many of the parents are Ramaz graduates,” said Rabbi Berkowitz. The mission of Ramaz is for students to be outstanding citizens of the world and to excel. In recruiting students, parents must share the mission. Students are recruited by an interview process with parents. In the lower school students come from all boroughs. In the upper school, students also come from Connecticut and New Jersey. Most graduates spend a year in Israel studying and exploring roots. Then they enroll in many of the best universities in the country.

On teacher recruitment, Berkowitz looks for educators who have long-term experience and a commitment to their mission. Most of the teachers have Master’s degrees in education. Judaic studies teacher must be fluent in Hebrew. An unusual feature of the school is the day-care center for faculty children.

The atmosphere of the school is nurturing and caring. No wonder then, as Berkowitz noted, “Parents have an enthusiasm about this place; the school has charisma.”#

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