By Amanda Green
August, 17 2009
"...A Jewish preschool is returning to Wilmington.
Since The Friedman-Neuwirth Jewish Community Preschool at B’nai Israel Synagogue closed last year, the directors at Chabad of Wilmington have been planning to start a preschool at their offices on Market Street.
Chabad of Wilmington is an Orthodox Jewish center established in Wilmington three years ago. It’s part of the international Chabad organization, an Orthodox Jewish movement. The Chabad-Lubavitch tradition, one of the largest sects of Hasidic Judaism, was founded by 18th century Russian mystics.
B’nai Israel’s school closed after its grant funding wasn’t renewed because the preschool was not growing fast enough.
The Chabad Preschool will open Sept. 1 and already has five students enrolled for the half-day programs. Chana Lieblich and her husband Rabbi Moshe Lieblich are co-directors of the center and the preschool. A former Chabad preschool teacher from New York will assist Chana Lieblich with instruction of the two classes of students ages 2-5.
“We’re going to be strong in both academic and Jewish education,” Chana Lieblich said, adding that they’ll be teaching both the English and Hebrew alphabets.
“When kids are younger, that’s when they establish their Jewish identity, and wherever they go in life they’ll have that with them,” the rabbi added.
There will be one change from the previous Jewish preschool. The Chabad school will only accept Jewish children. Half of the former Jewish community preschool’s students were non-Jews. “It’s a Jewish preschool,” Rabbi Lieblich said. “It should be for Jewish children..."
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