The New York Workers Circle School
The Workers Circle New York School is a secular, progressive Jewish Sunday school and community that invites families to build a contemporary Jewish identity rooted in an exploration of cultural heritage and a search for justice.
With sites in Manhattan and Brooklyn, our unique program attracts families from across the greater NYC area.
Led by dynamic educators who are also acclaimed artists, musicians, Yiddishists and activists, our learning program digs deep into cultural roots, values children as change makers and cultural creators, and centers voices often marginalized in Jewish life. We are a welcoming community of multifaith, multiracial families with diverse gender identities, family structures, and Jewish journeys.
The program includes classes for children ages 3 months -13, Yiddish language, Jewish cultural traditions from around the globe, holiday celebrations, B’nei Mitsve preparation, and teen community service and activism opportunities, as well as family field trips and parent programming.
Our Manhattan shule — Yiddish for school — meets twice a month on Sundays from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM at the 6th St Community Center, 638 E 6th St, New York, NY 10009.
Our Brooklyn shule - meets twice a month on Sundays from 10.00 AM to 12.00 PM at Flatbush Community Center through the winter and in Prospect Park in the warmer months. Our “Circle Playtime” program for parents and infants – aged 3 months to 4 years meets one Sunday a month from 10:15 AM to 11:00AM.
Please consider a gift to the New York Workers School Tsukunft Fund, which enables us to provide tuition subsidies to families in need and help underwrite special school programs, including prominent guest speakers, artistic interactive programs, and school trips to sites around the city.
To learn more and schedule a visit, contact msolomon@circle.org
Get To KNOW Our COMMUNITY:
Designed for students ages 3 months to 13 years, our curriculum integrates all aspects of Jewish culture, including holidays, lifecycle events, history and immigration, Jewish communities around the world, and key Jewish heroes. Literature, art, music, food, and languages — Hebrew and Yiddish — are a part of everything we do.
When they’re not in the classroom, our students are out in the world taking action for social and economic justice. They share the Workers Circle’s 100+ year commitment to activism — a commitment that we weave into every layer of our school community. Together, our school families participate in advocacy campaigns at the local, state and national level, generating social change in our community and beyond.
In their final school year, Workers Circle students ages 12-13 prepare for their cultural Bar/Bas Mitsve. This unique cultural ceremony is a meaningful alternative to a more traditional synagogue service, and a signature Workers Circle program.
In collaboration with our educators, students dedicate the year to a core project of their choice in preparation for their Bar/Bas Mitsve; past projects include producing an oral history, creating original Yiddish poetry, and researching connections between modern social justice movements and Torah portions.
Students present their projects to family, friends, and the larger school community. This coming-of-age event marks the end of their time as a Workers Circle student, but is just the beginning of a new chapter as Workers Circle members and activists.
