Rodeph Sholom School

The best school and the best community!!!

Having grown up in Manhattan, I wish I had known that Rodpeh Shalom School existed. I am so happy that my now 4th grader will have a full 10 years at RSS. It is everything one wants in a private school in terms of academic rigor and care for the whole student in small classes-- all in the context of a reform Jewish Day School with emphasis on Peoplehood, ethics, traditions, and Community. We're so lucky to be here.

I cannot say enough good things about my family and our experience at Rodeph Sholom School. We have a current 3rd grader who has been at RSS since she was in the 2s. Every teacher has been better than the next and she has created strong friendships among her peers. The robust and active community is warm, generous, diverse, and very down to earth-something not common among many peer schools within NYC. The values our daughter has learned during her tenure at RSS are incredible and we cannot wait to see what the future holds in coming years.

We have been a part of the Rodeph Sholom School community for over 8 years now, with children ranging from preschool through middle school. RSS is a warm, nurturing community, with a rigorous academic approach and a core foundation in building thoughtful, ethical leaders. Our children have grown tremendously through their years at Rodeph Sholom School, learning not just facts but applying rational reasoning and how to think about complex topics. It's a truly special place, and we feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to watch our children develop there.

We have three children at RSS and our fourth will be joining them next year. We chose Rodeph Sholom because it offers outstanding preparation in the secular subjects while also helping our children deepen their Jewish identity. We feel good knowing our school is a true partner in instilling the values we hold dear as a family. We were not specifically looking for a school that ended in 8th grade but as we went through the process, RSS convinced us of the many benefits of being in such an environment (e.g., teachers that are passionate about teaching elementary and middle school students, students having a chance to be the school's leaders earlier on, students having time to grow up a bit more slowly without the influence of high schoolers, etc.) RSS is a special school community full of families with shared values, including that our children should grow up to be good and to do good.

My children have been at RSS for 8 years and so far it's been a fabulous experience. Not only are they getting an incredible education, but they are growing up to be mensche's. The academics are rigorous but with a wonderful reform Jewish thread running through them. The community is especially tight-knit and supportive, coming together in good times and bad. Public speaking is instilled at a very young age and practiced in many different assignments year after year. Their love for Jewish Studies gives them a solid background in their lineage and a foundation they can build upon the rest of their lives. In Middle School the children are given the opportunity to shine and lead their peers, which is a fabulous learning tool for creating self-sufficient and confident children. We absolutely love the school and I know for a fact that my children wouldn't be who they are without it.

We chose Rodeph Sholom for our third child after sending our older two children to an academically rigorous but not religious school because we realized that they were not getting what we considered an adequate Jewish education from Hebrew School alone (plus it made for a very long day). After considering all of NYC's Jewish day schools, we decided on Rodeph because it was the one we felt offered the best secular academics in addition to a comprehensive Jewish education. Plus, being an interracial family, we wanted a school that felt like New York City, where our child would not be the odd one out. We have been very pleased by the academics and, as an added bonus, the music and PE programs are first rate (they don't talk them up nearly enough). I would recommend Rodeph to any parent looking for a Jewish school with excellent secular subjects, too.

Not only are all of our children incredibly happy with and appropriately challenged by their Rodeph Sholom School experiences to date, but we have found a community for our entire family. In looking at private schools in New York City, we very much wanted to give our children a top-tier academic program. At the same time, we were looking for a nurturing environment and a meaningful way to incorporate Jewish values and culture in their daily lives. RSS is truly unique in what it delivers--the academics are top notch, the reform Jewish education is the perfect fit for our family, and the school community in combination with Congregation Rodeph Sholom quickly has become the center of our family life. In addition, we know the N-8 structure will give them a rich and rewarding middle school experience. Having heard from many RSS alumni, we are confident RSS prepares students rigorously for high school and beyond, while giving them a base of friends and a community they can always come back to. We keep hearing that "Rodeph kids" are regarded at their next schools as leaders and the ones to go to for help with math among other subjects. For us, RSS is the best of all possible worlds--offering Jewish day school without sacrificing a top secular education and giving whole families a warm and committed community in New York City.