I remember that feeling of dread when I woke up every Sunday morning as a child. Because Sunday was Cheder day. Trapped in a grim classroom all morning, with loads of other kids, who also didn’t want to be there, listening to our widely despised Morah droning on about something we weren’t the least bit interested in. Praying for the bell that signified we were free for another week….

I went to Cheder purely because my parents made me, not because I wanted to. After all, ALL Jewish kids went to Cheder, didn’t they? I didn’t enjoy it, and regularly pulled sickies to try and get out of it. I actually despised it and was even bullied by two other girls there. My excuses were highly inventive and even my mother was deceived on certain occasions. Then again, she was no person to judge – she told me her parents used to drop her in the Shul’s car park every Sunday morning and she used to walk straight through the car park, sneak out of the side gate and walk into town to look round the shops instead!

So, what was it about Cheder that we all disliked and resented so much? Was it because we felt Sunday wasn’t a school day and, therefore, why should we be sitting in a stuffy classroom learning and reciting the Hebrew alphabet, letter by painful letter? Or was it just because it was all so utterly BORING!?!?

Despite all of this, as soon as my son reached Cheder age, I was extremely keen that he should join. I did feel guilty about potentially putting him through the same experiences as I had had to go through but, nevertheless, I signed him up to Cheder at Milton Keynes Synagogue (MKDRS).

Why? Because he needed to learn Hebrew; I wanted him to learn about Judaism, the history and the culture of our religion, and knew I didn’t have enough knowledge to teach him everything (partially due to bunking off Cheder on so many occasions as a child myself!). I also wanted him to have a Bar Mitzvah; like most Jewish mothers, I didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to qvell over my boy!

To my great surprise, my son actually quite enjoyed Cheder at MKDRS! He didn’t even seem to mind getting up on a Sunday morning to go, and often spoke enthusiastically about what he’d learnt. I was amazed. When it came to his Bar Mitzvah, he diligently went about learning his parashah, proactively practising without me even having to nag. When his Bar Mitzvah came around, he did a sterling job, making me extremely proud and allowing me to have the Jewish Mother moment I craved.

All in all, putting my son through Cheder at MKDRS was a positive experience.  And, having been through it all and come out of the other end, I have put together 5 Reasons Why MKDRS Kids DON’T Dread Going To Cheder:

1. MKDRS Cheder is FORTNIGHTLY! Yes! Fortnightly! Which means if you go to Cheder one weekend, you get a lie-in the next weekend as a reward (mostly – I have to add the caveat that sometimes they do run it two weeks in a row, due to availability of teachers, school holidays etc). Happy Days!
2. We have a real life Israeli teacher! Our Hebrew teacher, Limor Lester, is a native Israeli who lives in Milton Keynes. She teaches our children to read and write Hebrew in the same way as she learnt it at school, and is enjoying extremely positive results. The children are more engaged and seem to retain what they’ve learnt more effectively.
3. We have small, friendly classes. As we’re a small community, our Cheder children receive a lot more one-to-one attention. It’s also very friendly and less daunting for any new children coming into our Cheder. Cheder is a great chance for your child to make new friends, as well as learning about Judaism, and it’s particularly important when you live in a relatively non-Jewish area like Milton Keynes.
4. Our children are encouraged to work at their own pace. It’s a proven fact that children are more engaged and retain more information if they’re not left to fall behind, and therefore understand what they’re being taught. As we don’t have large numbers of children to teach, we are able to provide a much more personalised learning experience.
5. We make our lessons fun! Rather than standing at the front of the class, talking AT our kids, we make our lessons interactive and add an element of fun to everything we teach. We provide as many opportunities for children to learn about Judaism in a proactive way. We teach them to make Challah, latkahs, hoummus, pitta bread and other traditional Jewish foods; organise child-friendly services and encourage them to participate in community activities, such as Holocaust Remembrance Day and Mitzvah Day.

So, if you’re thinking about sending your child to Cheder but are worried they’ll be bored or unhappy there, I hope this blog has put your mind at rest! Our Cheder is different and your children will love it – I promise!

Please contact us at cheder@mkdrs.org.uk  if you’d like to discuss your children joining our Cheder, for a truly unique learning experience they won’t regret in future years.