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Wednesday, 10 Adar II, 5784
  |  March 20, 2024

Council Heads at Montessori School

CHJCC President Zaki Tamir and Executive Director Eli Cohen paid a visit to Lamplighters Yeshivah in Crown Heights Monday. Full Story

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Response to #20
May 12, 2013 5:33 am

Have I ever spent a year in a Montessori Place? Yes I have. As both a preschool student and as a teacher. The school I went to was secular, and because of the typical secular American “religion” and the lack of kashrut, I would not recommend it for frum children, but with the proper teacher and a frum focus, I absolutely think Montessori is compatible with Judaism and not contradictory at all. Anyone who claims that Montessori is a Catholic form of education has not experienced it nor have they read Dr. Montessori’s writings in depth. Yes, she was a… Read more »

Zisel
January 8, 2013 8:30 pm

Everything shown looks great from a professional educator’s viewpoint – involved children & attentive, caring adults. I note the constant presence of religious objects – pictures on the wall, books to read, letters to copy and learn – sure that there are more. How fortunate that Crown Heights parents/children have this marvelous educational opportunity available. May I, however, please ask that the lovely canary in its cage be given some items to play with? to eat & drink at will from a variety of food items? to have a cuttlebone to scrape beak and claws on? To have something bushy… Read more »

Good job Zaki
December 27, 2012 9:00 pm

Kol hakavod Zaki Tamir!!!!

to #34
December 27, 2012 5:08 pm

by the way, if I am not mistaken, a year before Lamplighters opened up, another school, something with yosef yitzchak, opened, that offers very different approach to Chinuch. So Lamplighters are not the only and not the first to realize the problems in CH chinuch. . My friend’s son goes there and they are very successful. They don’t advertised as much as Lamplighters, but I believe they have over 40 children enrolled.

A method
December 27, 2012 1:34 pm

The concern one should have with all those who criticize the Montessori method is that no real alternative is being presented by them. What is the name of the method being employed in other schools? Is it even a method or is it simply the default behavior that teachers and schools have accustomed themselves to over the years. For what reason should these default “methods” be treated with holiness? The real beauty of Lamplighters is that they actually have a method they subscribe to. Those in the administration clearly were not satisfied with the status quo and instead of criticizing… Read more »

interested
December 27, 2012 1:13 pm

to # 31.
The article says -“Lamplighters is the perfect example of the Rebbe’s style being applied effectively…” isn’t it that the Rebbe stood for Chinuch al taharas hakodesh, which means, no secular subjects, only pure Tora learning for young children at least till age 9 or 12. If thats not practiced in your school, why call it Rebbe;s Style? What;s Rebbe’s there?

To #30
December 26, 2012 10:07 pm

Mrs Sharfstein continued to use the name “Montessori” in her marketing and educational tools, as she says clearly at the end.

What she stopped doing was describing her school as a “blind follower” of Montessori.

Lamplighters has the same approach.

Lamplighters staff member
December 26, 2012 7:44 pm

We rarely to never use the word Montessori. We call our method CAPD–“Chinuch al pi darko.” When I saw Lamplighters labeled Montessori in this article it felt foreign.

MRS Sharfstein
December 26, 2012 6:31 pm

Mrs, Sharfstein has given us the clear answer to the
question Do we use the name Montessori

tzirl
December 26, 2012 6:20 pm

we spot tzirl!!!!!!! best teacher ever!!!!!!!
sara and chana

Response to #3 and #20
December 26, 2012 4:44 pm

As someone who is close to the founders and educational leaders of the school, I know that they have been in touch with, guided by, and received overwhelming blessings and support from, leading mashpiyim and educators in the Crown Heights community. In particular, I know they share the same approach as veteran Shlucha, Mrs. Reba Sharfstein, as explained by her in the Living Torah clip below, regarding the guidance she herself received from the Rebbe about the validity, benefits, and limits, of incorporating the Montessori method into authentic chinuch. The Rebbe himself distinguished for Mrs. Sharfstein between the educational approach,… Read more »

B'H
December 26, 2012 3:48 pm

this is a year of so many new beginnings and props to all those that actually take matters into their own hands for the benefit of others. hatzlochah.

this school is amazing
December 26, 2012 2:58 pm

My nephew goes there and the teachers are so personally involved in his growth and development. Hes a tough kid to dicipline, but at lamplighters where he is given room to make choices on his own and is positively encouraged, he is thriving.

wassup rivka shira
December 26, 2012 2:10 pm
General observation
December 26, 2012 12:19 pm

All schools of thought that can enhance our Torah lifestyle… Total Mothering, Attachment Parenting, , Montessori, Active Listening, are well and good, tools for our benefit. The important thing is, if ever those ideas conflict in any way with our Chassidishe values, that we know what comes first. It’s so easy to become passionate and invested in these very excellent things, so we always have to be vigilant.

To 14
December 26, 2012 10:15 am

How lame! This type of school is for everyone. That is the beauty of individualized education which is the exact opposite of our typical chinuch. It isn’t about a child that needs something different. It is about bringing out the best in every child. Of course that helps children with learning issues but even more so, do you have any idea how far a typically developing child can go with such a chinuch? It is amazing when you see classrooms geared to individual needs regardless of what they are. An individual need may be for one to work far ahead… Read more »

WHO MISSES TZRIL!!!
December 26, 2012 9:34 am

WE LOVE YOU TZRIL

Go Leli!
December 26, 2012 9:20 am

Great to see you in action…

Keep it up,

Methods of teaching
December 26, 2012 4:28 am

As a teacher who has studied Montessori and given it much thought and observing their schools suggest Please be aware Who is the person her philosophy .This is based on deep catholic religion and devotion. as she explains in her writings/ t The Rebbe has braugh this to our attention When we wanted to introduce it in our Nursery I understand we can learn from people who have found good ways and methods to teach our children, but to give the impression that this is going to be a typical Montessori Nursery is quite false. No Jewish never mind Chassidishe… Read more »

I miss you lamplighters
December 26, 2012 1:40 am

Yocheved u rock!!!!!!!
– thinking of u in LA
SB

Dear 10 and 11
December 26, 2012 1:38 am

This is # 3 responding. I genuinely appreciate the good methods that Montesorri has to offer. I am not chas v’shalom trying to trash the school!! Ad rabba – the more holy chinuch in the world the better. #10 – you actually highlighted what I was warning about in two examples. I’ll explain, but pls understand that I am NOT trashing the school, but just saying watch out for the ego area. I’ll explain: 1. you said “teaches children to do it on their own because they want to, be because they love to” — this is terrific AND it… Read more »

GO C2
December 25, 2012 11:44 pm

You are my hero!!
~C1

wow
December 25, 2012 11:41 pm

i love the activities these kids are doing!!

Response to #3
December 25, 2012 11:35 pm

There is no contradiction between knowing maalos atzmo and bitul. If I’m not mistaken both are important parts of a chasid according to the chassidus I have been learning all my years in Oholei Torah vchulu. Learning is not meant to be bkabalos ol. That is the derech of some other religions. Our Torah is meant to be studied with “self understanding” (btw … this is an area that is lacking in the larger yeshivos in CH etc., baduk umenusa).

great idea
December 25, 2012 11:15 pm

for the children who need this kind of school, then it’s a good idea

lol@1
December 25, 2012 10:26 pm

As a trained certified Montessorian, I can say that #3 has a valid point

go yeka!
December 25, 2012 10:22 pm

love that good deitch action.
neat.

Parent At Lamplighters
December 25, 2012 10:04 pm

In regards to what #3 said. Thank you for the warning but it is important for you to know that The Yeshivah does not dwell on the Philosphy which is in fact in some hefech Torah, it dwells on the methodoligy, actuality, practicality and vitality of the activites. n fact they also bring Torah into every activity of learning, whether it be math, science or English. We bring out the G-dliness in every part of life. Last year when a well known woman in Lubavitch who had spoken to the Rebbe countless amounts of times on Montessori come and educate… Read more »

Montessori Kudos
December 25, 2012 9:55 pm

If Montessori is really fantastic at developing the whole child, wouldn’t that necessitate the inclusion of bittul? Further, if one agrees that the method is fantastic then also one must know that such a method would teach such, education for life, as bittul and kabbalos ole impressionistically rather than lecturing about it. Truth be told children in Montessori classrooms learn such concepts, without naming them, by participating in them. To say that by developing self-expression, self-understanding, self-esteem Montessori under teaches humility is the same as saying that no one should have any self-confidence, should have no ability to express Torah… Read more »

Reb Alter rocks!
December 25, 2012 9:53 pm

Good job Alter! Keep doing the amazing chinuch you’re doing for your students.

izzybizzy
December 25, 2012 9:37 pm

RSL great job!!

so proud!!!!!
December 25, 2012 9:25 pm

so proud of this school and all their amazing staff and accomplishement!! go lamplighters

Go Tzirl
December 25, 2012 9:01 pm

You’re an awesome teacher. Your students love you .

Pinson
December 25, 2012 8:55 pm

So happy to have Our Gabi in this school! Great work YLL

Ima and Abba
December 25, 2012 8:26 pm

B Chana
Great to see you in action!
The kids look happy and the classroom looks great.

Montessori warning
December 25, 2012 8:06 pm

The Montesorri philosophy is really fantastic in developing the whole child. However, as chassidim there is one major nichshol that MUST be defused. In the efforts to encourage and promote self (self expression, self understanding, self esteem, etc), the Montessori concepts drastically UNDER-teach the idea of bittul. This is a major obstacle for the students later in life!!!

I hope the mechanchim at this school will read this idea and make sure to protect these Yiddishe kinderlach by emphasising bittul and kabalas ole so these kids can flourish and grow but al pi Torah and Chassidus.

Go Chana Gorin
December 25, 2012 7:31 pm

Jacksonville is proud of you!

Chinuch.org
December 25, 2012 7:18 pm

at its best. look at their ksiva worksheets.

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