Chicago schools | Imamother

infj

Sun, Feb 12 2017, 10:38 pm

Hi, were looking to send my 7 year old son and 5 year old daughter to a school in Chicago. Would anyone be able to list the Jewish schools there and what types they are religiously? I want to start doing research but dont know where to begin. It needs to be frum/orthodox and I've tried searching on google but I have no idea what types of schools they are or if they are frum. Help?

amother

Copper

Sun, Feb 12 2017, 11:36 pm

Hillel Torah - modern orthodox
Arie Crown- co-ed in younger grades and upper grades are separated boys/girls.
Joan Dachs Bais Yaakov (JDBY) - girls
Yeshiva Tiferes Tzvi (YTT) boys school
Veitzener Cheder- chassidish boys

Arie crown and JDBY are the two main options for girls. JDBY is a bit more yeshivish than AC. JDBY and YTT are run by the same administration but are located in different buildings.
Nice thing about AC is that the boys and girls are on the same campus/building.

OOTBubby

Mon, Feb 13 2017, 9:12 am

I would qualify the above by saying that JDBY is a lot more than a "bit" more yeshivish than AC. JDBY is a true Bais Yaakov school while Arie Crown is a typical day school. YTT is a yeshivish school. Why technicall the Veitzener Cheder is a chassidish school; the vast majority of the students (and many if not most of the Rabbeim) are not chassidish; the administration is. In addition to the above are the Lubavitch schools.

mha3484

Mon, Feb 13 2017, 10:45 am

In Chicago you have:

Hillel Torah- Classic Modern Orthodox school. Excellent education, no uniform and co-ed.

Arie Crown- Co ed until first grade. Huge mix of hasgofas. Girls and boys in the same building but separate classes. Girls have a uniform. They can wear short sleeves until 4th grade I believe.

JDBY/YTT- The more yeshivish schools. The boys and girls are in separate buildings but reasonably close to each other. The school starts with Nursery (4 year olds) it is co ed. They separate for kindergaten and the girls have a uniform. The boys have a stunning new building. It is more mixed then it used to be I think.

I am not knowledgeable about Veitzener or chabad.

You have to understand that Yeshivish in chicago a lot more goes. Its a lot less rigid. I find it to be a very healthy balance. There are rules but they are not burdensome.

I have friends in all the schools and they are mostly happy. There is no perfect school. I am a YTT parent my oldest is in pre 1 a (Kindergarten). I am very very happy. He is not the easiest child and his moros in the nursery program last year and his rebbe this year really work with us. I also really like that the maschgiach is a licensed counselor.

All of the schools have websites that have parent handbooks. I think reading through them will give you the best idea of where you fall out. Please let me know if I can answer any other questions for you.

amother

Floralwhite

Mon, Feb 13 2017, 11:33 pm

TwinsMommy wrote:

I kept thinking "what about Ida Crown" and then realized the OP's kids aren't old enough. My husband grew up (Reform) in Chicago and knew people who went to Ida Crown-- -very left wing.... http://www.icja.org/

I went to ida crown and would not call it left wing at all. Modern maybe. There are a range of hashgafos there but the school philosophy is modern orthodox.

As for grade schools, the previous posters summed it up though I'm not sure why Hillel Torah was excluded as a "main option" for girls. The school might be slightly on the more modern side of MO but is a great option for a lot of people. Whether or not it is for the OP l/her children is not up to us!