Message from Jack Rubel, Educational Director

Ohav Sholom is a modern orthodox synagogue that provides a warm and caring, non-judgmental atmosphere for prayer, study and fellowship. Our children explore their Jewish roots, learn the meaning behind our prayers and experience the importance of giving back to both the Jewish and greater community through a charitable deeds program. To those who aren't quiet sure about where to go for their children's Jewish education, I hope that you will come see me. I'd love to show you around and discuss our program. Be sure to ask to see a copy of the Rabbi approved curriculum.

For us, providing an enriching Jewish education is not just a desire, it is an obligation. As a result, we have put great effort into making our school the best, most nurturing school it can be. Our students receive an individualized solid Jewish education. We are also pleased to be incorporating the resources of a brand new library with computer stations into our curriculum.

We are looking forward to an exciting, innovative and productive year under the guidance of our experienced staff and faculty. We began the 2003-2004 year with a fun-filled instructive "Make Your Own Shofar" workshop in which every child made his or her own shofar. We are looking forward to many more exciting programs for the 2004-2005 school year.

While one cannot minimize the importance of Jewish "book" learning, in our religious school, we very much stress the importance of learning through the performance of mitzvot. In the past we have helped raise money for the Israel Emergency Fund, Zaka, which provided medical scooters for Israeli paramedics. This year, we will once again be involved with Bikur Cholim, collecting books written in English that will be sent to Israel to supplement school libraries.

We are also hosting JEP, an after school program that meets on Wednesday nights from 6:15 PM to 7:15 PM. High School students offer individualized tutoring and play games with the children, providing a wonderful Jewish atmosphere. Several of our students also enjoy participating in JEP weekend Shabbatons.

Some of this year's upcoming events will include the Sukkah Happening, a Chanukkah celebration, a Purim carnival and our Charoset Bowl.

Registration is now open for all grades. I look forward to meeting you and your children.

Registration for 2004-2005

The 2004/2005 registration is under way. Member, non-member and unaffiliated families are welcome to send their children to our Hebrew School.

We are accepting registration for new and returning students.

Member and non member tuition available.

You do not have to be a member of the synagogue to send your child to Hebrew School at Congregation Ohav Sholom, The Merrick-Bellmore Synagogue.


We are looking forward to the upcoming year so that our children can embark down the path of Jewish Knowledge.

2004-2005 class schedule:

Sundays 9:15 am - 11:15 am:

Its never to early to instill a love of Jewish tradition! However, students can begin at any grade level.

Parparim (ages 3-4) (must be out of diapers!)
K'ton ton (entering Kindergarten)
Mechina (entering first grade)

Sundays 9:15 am - 11:15 am and Monday and Wednesday 4:15-6:15 :

Aleph (entering 2nd grade)
Bet (entering 3rd grade)
Gimmel (entering 4th grade)
Daled (entering 5 grade)
Hay (entering 6th grade)
Vov (entering 7th grade)

The Vov class may also register for the community wide Hebrew High School. In addition, the students are required to attend one shabbat service per month.


Tuition will be posted soon.

May 2004 Newsletter

May 19: “Do you know your Parsha” Hebrew School Bible Contest held in classes. And… Last meeting of J.E.P. for the season (Jewish Education Program of L.I. – Outreach in which young women from outside the shul volunteer time to share information about Judaism with our youngsters). Pizza served for $1.00

May 23: Israeli Day Parade

May 24: C.O.S.Y meets. Congregation Ohav Sholom Youth Group meets for the Hebrew School kids (ages 6-12) to get to know each other in a relaxed setting. Run by Les Grussgott, the group meets after Hebrew School for dinner and games.

May 26: No Hebrew School, Shavuot Services held in the Main Sanctuary (Note: this is a day of religious observance in the public schools. No tests should be administered on this day. Eat Dairy)

May 27: Shavuot – Services held in the Main Sanctuary (Note: this is a day of religious observance in the public schools. No tests should be administered on this day. Eat Dairy)

May 30 : No Hebrew School, Memorial Day

May 31: No Hebrew School, Memorial Day

June 7: Hebrew School Graduation/Awards Ceremony/Pizza Celebration 6:30-7:30 p.m. All Hebrew School children (ages 4-13)and their parents attend this. Report cards will be distributed this night.

**Reminder #1: Your “Keep Track of Reading” Sheet comes home in your child’s Hebrew School book bag each week. It is crucial that your child practices his/her Hebrew reading on a daily basis. Research has shown that our Aleph students read quite fluently but begin to fall off in this skill by grade Gimel due to lack of practice.

Reminder #2: The current Bet and Gimel students will get a list of the vocabulary words they have learned this summer from the new Hebrew Language Program. This is a progressive reading series. It is imperative that the students review these words periodically over the summer in order to be prepared for the upcoming fall semester.

Our Principal and Faculty

Jack Rubel, Educational Director:
Mr. Rubel is an experienced educator with over 30 years experience in the public school system. His experience as an award winning NYC public school educator, principal of Central Hebrew High School and Jewish educator at Oceanside and Baldwin Jewish Center, Temple Emanuel of New Hyde Park and Temple Judea has provided him with a wonderful understanding of children from all walks of life and levels of Jewish observance. Mr. Rubel earned both a B.S. in Business Management from New York University as well as an M.A. in Early Childhood Education from New York University. Under his leadership since 1997 we are able to achieve our goal of developing a sense of Jewish pride in each child.

Jeff Beris, Music Teacher and Bar/Bat Mitzvah Instructor:
Mr. Beris has been the music director at Ohav Sholom for the past 8 years, following more than 20 years teaching in L.I. Hebrew schools and the Hillel Country Day School. He has also been our Bar/Bat Mitzvah instructor for the past 10 years, teaching many children from Ohav as well as neighboring synagogues to successfully chant their Torah and Haftorah portions. As an active member of Ohav Sholom, Mr. Beris is involved in many of our youth porgrams during Sabbath Services and synagogue activities, such as Junior Congregation, Youth Shabbat, afternoon Oneg Shabbat, Family Bingo Night and Succah Happening.


Meryl K. Katz:
Mrs. Katz loves teaching and working with Jewish children. She teaches at Congregation Ohav Sholom for the young children on Sundays. She also teaches at the Old Westbury Hebrew Congregation during the week and runs the Jr. Congregation of the South Baldwin Jewish Center.

Iris Bieler:
Mrs. Bieler, an experienced nursery school teacher as well as Hebrew school teacher, loves working with young children. She also teaches at the Old Westbury Hebrew Congregation during the week.

Lisa Gelernter:
Mrs. Gelernter was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. She served in the Israeli army for two years, and attended Wingate University in Israel. She then worked with mute, blind, and other children with disabilities for two years. She came to the USA in 1984 and worked in the J.C.C of West Hempstead for ten years, running a successful “Early-Late” child care club for working mothers. On the faculty of the Ohav Sholom Hebrew School since 1994, she instills a love of Israel in the students. Her favorite projects include pen pal writing between American and Israeli children and a clothing and toy drive to donate to orphan homes in Israel. She loves children and has a unique way of teaching Hebrew, with a smile and love.

Rachel Rosenbloom:
Mrs. Rosenbloom was born in Bahrain, a small island in the Persian Gulf, about 50 miles off the coast of Saudi Arabia where there was a small Jewish Community. She immigrated to Israel with her family shortly after the Six-Day War in Israel due to concerns about possible anti-Jewish violence on the island. She studied at the Teacher’s Institute in Tel Aviv (Seminar Hakibbutzim) and worked in Tel Aviv before moving the United States in 1988. She has worked in the field of education since moving to the U.S., first at the Hebrew Education Society in Brooklyn and then at the Little Village School in Bellmore. She married in Israel and has two daughters.

Esther Haimson:
Mrs. Haimson started teaching at Ohav Sholom under the direction of Mel Isaacs in the 1970s. She feels she is challenged and educated along with the induction of every new student in the school.

Debby Grosberg:
Mrs. Grosberg joined the faculty of Ohav Sholom in 1992. She has taught various grades for Ohav as well as at H.A.N.C., Har Torah, and Gamla, a high school for girls at high risk. She is currently involved in early intervention. Her children and grandchildren are a constant source of joy and happiness. She derives great pleasure from her association with this wonderful Hebrew School and its precious children.


For additional biographies and further information about our staff and faculty please visit the school office

Welcome to The Merrick-Bellmore Hebrew School Blog

Welcome to the Blog for the Merrick-Bellmore Hebrew School of Congregation Ohav Sholom of Merrick, NY.

We are located at 145 South Merrick Avenue, Merrick, NY 11566 on the South Shore of Long Island.

We can be reached at 516-377-8892. Or by e-mail. You can email me at dycohn@optonline.net or email the office at office@ohav.org

You can also visit us at www.ohav.org

Congregation Ohav Sholom, The Merrick-Bellmore Synagogue, is a Modern Orthodox synagogue. However, the membership as well as the students in the school Hebrew School include Jews from all walks of life, with a variety of backgrounds, family environments and observances.

Member, non-member and unaffiliated families are welcome to send their children to our Hebrew School.

We offer religious education to public school children ages 3-13 (bar or bat mitzvah). Rabbi Wohlberg established this Hebrew School as a place where Jewish children from a variety of backgrounds, observances and family environments can learn about Jewish traditions, holidays, prayers, hebrew language and Israel.


Various organizational plans for learning exist at Ohav Sholom Religious School. Although the approaches are different, the objective is consistent: to develop small group and individual techniques which are humanistic, which offer appropriate alternatives to the children and which are efficient from the standpoint of learning skills and Jewish concepts.

The organizational approaches which are used with any group of children reflect both the children’s needs, the insight of the teacher and the school policy. We fully realize that there is always the danger of an organization formalizing itself to the point where children’s interests are not really the prime concern. For that reason, we will always examine what, how, and why we are doing things since there are only two considerations we can accept:

1. There is no one best way to do anything, educationally, for all children.
2. Effective educational decisions are collective and involve dedicated staff, sensitive administration, and well informed parents.