About Us

Founded in 1996, Montclair Jewish Workshop (MJW) is a cooperative effort to provide our children with an appreciation and understanding of Jewish culture, values and history through secular education.  MJW seeks to teach our children important aspects of Jewish heritage such as concern for education, ethics, social justice, culture and social activism.  We view education in Jewish culture and history not as a means of separating ourselves from others, but rather, as a way to deepen our children’s (and our own) understanding of who we are and to help strive for a more just, tolerant and peaceful world.

Family Participation
MJW is a coop. So family participation is the backbone of MJW through service on committees, cooperative planning and decision-making, and sharing our homes for meetings and gatherings.  MJW is a casual, informal, and social group of families. Everyone is welcome here.

Semi-Sunday School
Children attend class two Sunday mornings per month according to a pre-set schedule.  Teachers use readings, art, music and dance to address curricular themes.

Graduation
MJW Graduation is not a bar or bat mitzvah, but borrows some key sensibilities from these traditions.  Graduating students work on projects that address a social need.  They present their projects to family and friends at a Graduation ceremony in early June.  Non-graduating MJW children participate through song.

Holidays
MJW families come together for major holiday celebrations, including Rosh Hashanah, Chanukah, Purim and Passover.

Cost
The tuition for MJW varies yearly, depending on the amount of students we have. For more information, contact our president at mjwpresident@yahoo.com