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For young families, it’s not always easy to find community. For Jewish families, this might look like researching different synagogues and early childhood groups, traveling around the city to find the right fit, and building new relationships with other families. Often, this is an overwhelming process that some may not even know how to start.

This year, MILTON is partnering with PJ Library, Washington Hebrew Congregation, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington to make this process easier and strengthen Jewish life for families who may not have otherwise known how to get involved with the community. Together, we launched Capital Kvell, an initiative designed to expose families with young children to the breadth of Jewish organizations and opportunities in the area. DC has a robust, diverse Jewish community, and Capital Kvell creates a network for sharing these opportunities all in one place.

As part of this initiative, MILTON is also adding to their early childhood opportunities, giving families a chance to see the magic of MILTON earlier in their child’s life. Recent examples include Color Lab, where children experimented to see how colors mixed with different materials and Challah Kids Club, where participants bake personalized challah with custom topping and welcome Shabbat together. Whether through art, stories, music, STEM, or unstructured play, MILTON’s Capital Kvell events highlight the academic excellence and Jewish joy that our school is known for.

A participant shows of his finished product at Challah Kids Club.

“The Jewish joy has been palpable at our first events for this early childhood cohort.  We intentionally have designed these gatherings to mirror the educational philosophy at MILTON – whether baking challah or using color design for scientific exploration. We look forward to seeing faces new and familiar as we expand outside of MILTON and continue to build this community,” said Xani Pollakoff, a MILTON teacher who is heavily involved in creating programming for this initiative.

Experimentation at the Color Lab.

In partnership with Washington Hebrew, MILTON is also extending individualized attention to each family in DC that has signed up for the PJ Library program.  Chief Growth Officer Adena Kirstein, who is working with the team running this new initiative, shared, “We know an individual touchpoint and warm welcome can be a vital entrypoint for young families and their Jewish habits.  It’s a natural fit for MILTON, a school that values belonging and community.” As the landscape of early childhood education in the District also continues to evolve, we hope the project will introduce the idea of Jewish day school to families who might not have naturally thought about this as an option.

These events and more can be found in the Capital Kvell newsletter, a monthly preview of opportunities for young families from Tot Shabbat and holiday celebrations to young parenting education groups to story and craft time. Click here to be added to the mailing list, and follow Capital Kvell on Instagram to stay on the radar for upcoming events all month long.

The Capital Kvell team at an outreach event at the EDCJCC.