Solomon Schechter School of Ma

The Schechter Manhattan Difference:

Schechter Manhattan is a Jewish elementary and middle school passionately dedicated to nurturing active learning and menschlichkeit as the primary means of cultivating each child's development - mind, hands, soul, and heart.
The theory of action at the core of our educational program is that each learner’s mind, hands, soul, and heart are intricately intertwined. Only when all four are intentionally cultivated together will a child reach his or her full potential as a learner and a mensch - a sensitive, aware, reflective, respectful, and collaborative person.

Every minute of every day, whether on the soccer field, in the classroom, or in the art studio, our students practice active learning and model menschlichkeit. Curiosity and enthusiasm are key elements of scientific inquiry; sportsmanship and teamwork are key elements of competitive sports; meaning making is a key element of t'filah; and penetrating insight is a key element of the creative process.

Schechter Manhattan's Mission:

Our mission is to cultivate textpeople.

A textperson is someone who finds meaning in the world through confident, active and skilled learning. We value understanding - Torah, scientific discovery, the arts, worldly experience and knowledge of every kind - both for its own sake, lishmah, and because it grounds our search for significance in the rigorous pursuit of truth. At the same time, the textperson is a full person, a mensch, whose learning and knowledge are grounded in moral sensitivity.

We believe as Jews that the act of study is itself of moral significance. To cultivate textpeople, we educate in this spirit, promoting intimate, child-centered learning that is also profoundly respectful of the subject matter. As individuals and as a community, we strive to model this link between learning and menschlichkeit in our classrooms, in our financial aid policy and in all interactions among our students, teachers, parents, and friends.