Baltimore - OCA or Beth Tefiloh for preschool?

smolka613

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 2:01 pm

Our son will be starting school next year in the 3-4 year old class, and we're trying to decide which school to send him to. Does anyone have experience with the early childhood centers at either school? (FYI the other schools are full)

justforfun87

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 2:17 pm

I mean this nicely and I went to BT. There are kids in BT who are completely non religious even questionably Jewish. The preschool is very impressive though. OCA is great with many happy families.

scruffy

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 2:19 pm

justforfun87 wrote:

I mean this nicely and I went to BT. There are kids in BT who are completely non religious even questionably Jewish. The preschool is very impressive though. OCA is great with many happy families.

I have a number of Conservative cousins who went to Beth Tefiloh.

smolka613

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 2:24 pm

justforfun87 wrote:

I mean this nicely and I went to BT. There are kids in BT who are completely non religious even questionably Jewish. The preschool is very impressive though. OCA is great with many happy families.

We are only really interested in sending for preschool, and we intend to look into the boy schools for elementary school. Did you find the nonreligious students problematic for preschool?

amother

Rainbow

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 2:28 pm

smolka613 wrote:

We are only really interested in sending for preschool, and we intend to look into the boy schools for elementary school. Did you find the nonreligious students problematic for preschool?

Beth Tefiloh used to be more of a MO kind of place. Nowadays it’s almost nondenominational.
I wouldn’t send my child there even for preschool. Especially because they will teach Jewish concepts without any Jewish hashkafa
I hate to say this, but I would send to public school (preschool, not upper grades) before sending to a Jewish but not Jewish school.
I would not have said this 30 years ago when I was growing up. It was a different kind of place.

amother

Mintcream

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 2:41 pm

Completely completely different schools. If you're frum at all, or want your child in a frum environment, I'd choose OCA.

I also know people who work there who are fantastic individuals, and many very happy parents who send.

amother

NeonOrange

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 2:42 pm

I've heard great things about OCA. BT is really not a religious school anymore. Majority of the student body is not from shomer shabbos homes. Have you looked into the Montessori options (Ner Tamid, Darchei Noam)?

justforfun87

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 2:45 pm

scruffy wrote:

I have a number of Conservative cousins who went to Beth Tefiloh.

Conservatives are Jews. Reform people are Jews. I am talking about children of very questionable conversions. Adoptees who were converted reform... etc. My cousin who isn't Jewish halachically sent there too.

scruffy

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 2:48 pm

justforfun87 wrote:

I was speaking to the non religious part.. of course they are Jewish (and proudly so)

Alarming that they accept people who are not halachically Jewish

smolka613

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 3:05 pm

Does having a nonreligious student body affect chinuch at 3-4 years old? Like I said, we wouldn't want to send to BT or maybe even OCA after preschool because we want him to have a frum education, but we weren't sure if it mattered so much at 3-4 years old?

amother

Mintcream

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 3:22 pm

smolka613 wrote:

It totally matters! You're nurturing a young, sensitive neshama. Children are sponges and pick up everything from their environment. Only surround them with that which you want them absorbing.

amother

Bellflower

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 3:25 pm

amother Rainbow wrote:

I agree with you, I’m the same way! Especially since bt tuition outrageous!

amother

Bellflower

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 3:27 pm

smolka613 wrote:

If you’re open to open orthodox ideas being taught to your child then send to bt. If you want a modern school that’s not gonna teach open orthodox ideas then send to ohr chadash. I personally would consider ohr chadash, but not bt.

amother

Bellflower

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 3:30 pm

scruffy wrote:

I was speaking to the non religious part.. of course they are Jewish (and proudly so)

Alarming that they accept people who are not halachically Jewish

As I said in my post above, if you’re open to open orthodox ideas being taught to your child then send to bt. I’m not surprised that an institution with open orthodox leaders accept students who others wouldn’t consider halachacally Jewish. Open orthodox accept conservative and reform conversions. Also Avi weiss conversions weren’t accepted in israel. This all logically makes sense if you see the leadership of the school.

amother

Bellflower

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 3:31 pm

smolka613 wrote:

Then if you don’t mind not frum preschool, you could really send anywhere

amother

Bellflower

Wed, Dec 20 2023, 3:32 pm

amother Mintcream wrote:

It totally matters! You're nurturing a young, sensitive neshama. Children are sponges and pick up everything from their environment. Only surround them with that which you want them absorbing.

Defintely, that’s why I wouldn’t waist a penny on bt.

amother

Starflower

Sun, Dec 24 2023, 3:27 pm

smolka613 wrote:

Just feel compelled to respond to this specific statement in case anyone ever comes upon this thread looking for information about OCA. Students very much get a frum education at OCA and this makes it sound like they don't (likely not your intention, but, nonetheless...). OCA is a frum school where boys and girls are separated after 4th grade and there is an even 50/50 split between general and judaic studies. There is a focus on Israel which you don't get at the other frum schools in Baltimore. Graduates go to all area local schools including YMC, TA, Bais Yaakov, Berman, YGW...etc. It sounds like you are just looking for a school for preschool but I feel OCA was misrepresented in how you describe it above.

amother

Impatiens

Sun, Dec 24 2023, 4:07 pm

I'm not understanding what the motive would be to send to BT if you want a frum education for your kid. It's not exactly cheap there (understatement). The only people I know that sent their kids to BT preschool and then to frum schools later on were people who worked at BT and got substantial scholarship.
Versus if you send to OCA, you can stay there through 8th grade. They DO offer a frum education, with frum kodesh teachers. Not for the yeshivish, but definitely a frum education. You would NOT be getting that at BT.
ETA I just noticed you said the other schools are full. Do you live here now? Are you aware of all the preschool options in town? Aside from unlicensed playgroups which may not accommodate the hours you need, there is: TA, TI, Toras Simchas, Cheder Chabad, Darchei Noam, OCA, Chasidish Cheder, Gan Rutie, Ner Tamid Montessori, etc. I'd be surprised if all of these are truly full. I would exhaust every one of these options before ever considering BT.