Alef
About Alef-Bet's Calendar
Enrolling your child at Alef-Bet means that you will mark time by both the Gregorian and Jewish calendars. As a Jewish program housed in a synagogue, Alef-Bet follows the Jewish calendar many of whose basic patterns were established 3,000 years ago.
This calendar includes the Yomim Tovim--days which mark the three special festivals of Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot as well as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. These holidays require work (child care, shopping, travel by car) to stop. Alef-Bet will always be closed on these days and may close the day before as well to allow Temple Beth Shalom and the teachers to prepare for the upcoming holiday.
Because Jewish holidays are celebrated on the same day of the Jewish calendar every year, we can tell you with great certainty about many of the Center's closure dates years in advance.
Some Jewish holidays such as Chanukah, Tu B' Shvat, Purim, Lag B'Omer, Yom Ha'atzmaut and Tisha B' Av do not require work stoppage although Alef-Bet may have to close early before their onset to allow the synagogue to convert the classrooms back into space used for religious services. These observances are called "minor" because they do not rise from the law of the Torah but from events at the close of Bible times or afterward.
And of course, Shabbat, the Sabbath, compels Alef-Bet to close early on Fridays. While the time of sunset determines the beginning of the Sabbath, it is the one holiday we can actually bring in early. Particularly during the summer months this allows families to eat the Sabbath meal together after Friday night services. Otherwise it might be as late as 9 PM before a family would sit down to share the Sabbath meal together. Temple Beth Shalom holds its Friday night services at 6:30 PM year round which means the rooms must be broken down, cleaned and set up before then and is the reason we close at 3:30 every Friday.
Because the Sabbath begins before 4 PM during parts of November and December, some teachers will have already left for the day before you arrive to pick up your child. But do be assured, that teacher/child ratios are adhered to and safety is never compromised.
While we close for Federal holidays such as Christmas and New Year's Day, we do not have week-long breaks for them as is typical of many American daycare programs as well as Jewish Nursery Schools and Day Schools. We well understand that many of you work part or full time outside the home and depend on Alef- Bet for your child care needs. We try to give you several months notice of the times and dates of school closings. But inherent in our life as a Jewish program is the commitment to the Jewish calendar. An important part of our culture is marking these holidays with your children through story, song, food, art, dance and celebration. While we understand that adherence to the Jewish calendar is a major challenge in modem day America and you may even feel that you've stepped into a parallel universe, we also view it as a wonderful opportunity to share the amazing richness it offers.
The author Herman Wouk wrote that You can listen to a hundred lectures and read forty books on what Judaism is, and learn less than you can by carrying out in a single year the pleasures and duties of the festivals. If you already observe the holidays, we hope that you formed that Alef- Bet's calendar meets your needs. If you are either first becoming acquainted or currently renewing your interest in them, we think you'll come to appreciate the rhythm and joy that comes from their celebration.
Note re. 2007 - 2008: In our 2007-2008 calendar year, Purim falls on a Friday. Alef-Bet's closure for Purim is a very rare and unusual situation. We are closed to allow time for staff and families to be able to observe the important mitzva of the Purim seuda (festive meal) and all other Purim mitzvot before Shabbat starts, in addition to having enough time to prepare for Shabbat .