Since 1979, the Ohr Kodesh Early Childhood Center (ECC) has been giving young children a positive introduction to education. At the core of the nursery school curriculum is a commitment to a warm and secure learning environment that allows children to develop at their own pace and fosters a sense of excitement, curiosity and active engagement in the learning process.

Each classroom is staffed by an experienced early childhood teacher, trained in both general and Jewish education, and a teaching assistant. Our professional staff is supplemented by active parental involvement and inter-generational programming from senior volunteers from the Ohr Kodesh community. This combination of professional and volunteer staffing enhances the warm, caring environment we strive to create.

Our child-centered curriculum gives teachers maximum flexibility to meet the developmental needs of individual children while providing continuity from year to year. Learning experiences are structured to address the four major areas of development: social, emotional, cognitive and physical. Specialists in art, music, movement and nature enrich the instructional program. Jewish values and teaching are integrated throughout the curriculum to expose children to the spiritual and cultural aspects of Judaism.

Each classroom is carefully decorated and contains a variety of play materials and activities from which children are encouraged to make their own choices. Classrooms open to a fenced-in play area overlooking beautiful Rock Creek Park. When weather makes outdoor play inadvisable, children play in one the indoor facilities of the synagogue. The children also make use of the chapel for Shabbat and holiday celebrations and an auditorium for special programs and instructions in dance/movement.

Adhering to the academic year (September to June), the morning classes at the ECC meet from 9:15 am to 1:00 pm Mondays through Fridays (twos classes end at 12:00 pm). Lunch is available but not mandatory for the twos. Also, an optional enrichment classes concluding at 2:30 pm. is available. Morning classes are available for two-, three- and four-year olds and range from two-days-a-week to five-days-a-week depending on the age of the children. A one-day-a-week class for toddlers (15-24 months) is available for children to attend with a parent or caregiver.

In the summer, our day camp for nursery school children, Camp Gan Yeladim, moves into the ECC classrooms. Offering two three-week sessions, camp meets from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm daily (for children ages three to five) and 3-days-a-week from 9:00 am to 12:00pm (for two-year olds). The camp is staffed by our experienced ECC teachers and teen counselors, and continues the play-based learning that is the hallmark of the ECC.