About Senesh

In the midst of navigating a global pandemic, Senesh trustees, parents, administrators, faculty, and staff forged ahead and embarked on a strategic planning process to guide the school into the future. We are proud of this process, which was grounded in our school’s vision, mission, values, and commitment to educating children who become:

• Curious, engaged, critical thinkers, who find joy and purpose in learning
• Participants in a diverse Jewish community who feel a sense of belonging
• Leaders with a strong sense of self
• Global citizens who put Jewish values into action

Please read the entire report to learn more about this important and thoughtful process.

In 1995, a small group of visionary parents had their dream become reality and “a school grew in Brooklyn” — a little day school committed to building an open and inclusive Jewish community. That first year, our school had 14 students in the first and second grades.

Now, nearly 30 years later, our community has grown but our commitment remains steadfast: We strive to provide an unparalleled, modern academic home that is reflective of the rich mosaic of Jewish life. We are committed to intentionally building this mosaic with our students, faculty, administration, and families through their diversity across ethnicity, race, nationality, Jewish identity and practice, interfaith family composition, sexual orientation, gender identity, life experiences, socio-economic status, perspectives and worldviews. We value the dignity and self-worth of each member of our community.

We believe in ensuring that our students are prepared to be global citizens who can be productive agents of change toward a more just world. Our core Jewish value of Belonging/Shayachut guides our work in building empathy and valuing difference. We live this value daily at Senesh in our curriculum, programming, admissions, hiring, professional development, and dialogue with our broader community. It is integral to our ongoing journey/Masa as a school to embrace the complex conversation of diversity in the 21st century, which we believe will continue to make our school community even more vibrant and strong.

A student body reflective of our whole Jewish community

Senesh admits students of any race, color, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation. As part of our efforts to expand our student body to represent the diversity of the Jewish community, we establish outreach efforts and grants focused on underrepresented groups. One current initiative is our Lower School Grants for Jews of Color. We are also committed to reflecting the socioeconomic diversity of the Jewish community by offering tuition assistance to Senesh families. Today, more than half of our families receive some tuition assistance.

Senesh parents, teachers, and staff work together in true partnership to create an exceptional educational experience where students flourish. Our Parent Association (PA) offers a wide range of opportunities for parents to contribute their time, knowledge, resources, or participation and make a difference in our school community.

Some examples include:

• Volunteer to be a class parent
• Provide support for families during difficult times
• Assist in school with holidays and events
• Plan family social action outings
• Plan community outings
• Help come up with creative new ideas for involvement