A passionate group of parents, grandparents,
educators and community activists founded Sinai Academy
of the Berkshires in 1994. Located at 199 South Street
in Pittsfield, it offers a complete general and Judaic
studies curriculum from preschool to fifth grade,
anchored in traditional Jewish values as expressed in
our Guiding Principles.
We are a community day school committed to academic
excellence. We offer small classes, a first-rate
faculty, and an exceptional nurturing environment
emphasizing character building and individualized
attention. Our families come from all walks of Jewish
life, from those homes with little Jewish ritual
practice to more traditional orthodox observance. It is
precisely through this broad inclusiveness that we at
Sinai have formed our unusually close bonds. We truly
do feel as one large, highly functioning family and our
students positively thrive.
Our curriculum is carefully designed to enhance our
children’s educational experience. At a pace
appropriate to each individual, and with much
individualized attention, students develop academic
skills and self-confidence in our multiage classrooms. We
focus on the development of critical thinking,
leadership, and problem solving skills, and our
students have won awards for these qualities in
statewide competitions such as Destination
Imagination. Perhaps most importantly,
our children are learning to be citizens of the world,
and are aware of and actively care for others in
faraway places as well as our immediate neighbors here
at home in the Berkshires.
In our Hebrew and Judaic studies program, children
experience their Judaism naturally. By exploring Jewish
values and applying them to everyday situations,
celebrating Jewish holidays, studying original Jewish
texts, and reading and speaking the Hebrew language,
our children gain a firmly-rooted Jewish identity. They
develop lifelong tools for ritual participation at home
and in their respective synagogues. Early exposure to a
second language (starting in preschool) not only
enhances language skills, but by stimulating
development of corresponding functional areas within
the brain, also builds the child’s awareness of
his/her primary language.
A vibrant After School
Program, full-day preschool (with half-day options)
and kindergarten are available. Our tuition is very
affordable, thanks to a Tuition Incentive Program
from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. Sinai also has a
generous financial aid program, reflecting our guiding
principle of offering an excellent Jewish education to
ALL Jewish children. Contact
us to schedule a visit or for more information.
