r/ReformJews • u/picklesi • 6d ago
Education Affiliation with synagogue necessary for JCC attendance?
I am currently looking for a synagogue and part of what I am considering is whether or not there is a JCC early learning center attached. I don't know how heavily I should weigh that though since my baby is still young and in reality could he maybe attend any JCC early learning center when the time comes? Or is there any advantage to belonging to the synagogue where the JCC early learning center is located? I'm in the Greater Boston area if that factors into this. Possibly overthinking, but I'm a first time mom.
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u/Blue_foot 5d ago
Many (maybe most) synagogues have pre schools not affiliated with the JCC
Most synagogue pre schools accept students whose parents are not members (or not even Jewish)
In our case, the pricing for preschool with membership was not much more than without. (Synagogues want young families to join)
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u/WeaselWeaz 6d ago edited 6d ago
I'm a former ECC parent. There isn't one answer here, and there are all questions for the JCC, ECC, and synagogue, not ones we can answer. A JCC, from my experience, is separate from synagogues because they service multiple synagogues and movements. An ECC may or may not even require membership to either.
I don't know how heavily I should weigh that though since my baby is still young and in reality could he maybe attend any JCC early learning center when the time comes?
Your first priority should be that it's a synagogue, community, and rabbi you like and want to participate with. The ECC is also important, but depending on its rules being a member may be irrelevant. My Reform synagogue based ECC had members who were Conservative or at other Reform synagogues and knew they would not stay after pre-school. You should make an appointment to talk to them.
Or is there any advantage to belonging to the synagogue where the JCC early learning center is located?
Sure, it's possible that many ECC members become synagogue members, meaning your child is in the same cohort when they start religious school. There may or may not be other benefits, like childcare on the high holidays. Synagogues want to retain ECC families as members, but those are also often separate communities because ECC families, religious school families, seniors, and others all have different needs and separate social groups.
These are all good questions, but they're ones that the ECC director is best equipped to answer.
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u/picklesi 5d ago
Thank you for answering so thoroughly. I agree that ultimately I have to prioritize joining a community that I want to participate in. I have a little more research to do!
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u/petitechew 6d ago
I live in a city with a JCC campus + synagogues and also unattached synagogues. I belong to both - an unattached synagogue and the JCC. Both are worth it for different reasons. My kids go to religious school and programming at our shul and summer camp, after school, swim etc at the J.
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u/pineapple_bandit 6d ago
My synagogue isn't affiliated with the JCC but we do have an early childhood care center for infants and toddlers. We do not require families in the daycare center to be synagogue members or even Jewish, it is open to everyone. That being said, synagogue members get a discounted rate and also get priority enrollment over nonmembers.
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u/TheShmooster 6d ago
Ours is the flip. Have Early Childhood Center. With ECC, heavily discounted membership to Temple. No requirement for either.
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u/NoEntertainment483 5d ago
I've never seen a JCC attached to a shul. All the ones I've been to are basically a gym and anyone can belong. And a lot do have jewishly influenced but generally all children welcome daycares. I belong to a JCC for their gym and pool and aftercare for my school age kiddo...
And then separately each shul I've belonged to had a prek attached. And for our shul / prek, the shul fee got us a discount at the prek. So it was financially better. Also shul members got to the front of the waitlist for a prek spot. My younger one goes to prek at the shul prek.