Frequently Asked Questions

These are reasonable questions to be asking. We, too, grieve the chronic underfunding and racialized inequities that shape public education, and we do not ignore the moral and structural contradictions that come with private schooling. Below is a window into some of our thinking:

• Hebrew school plays a vital role in our communities, offering a low barrier entry point to Jewish engagement. That being said, part-time learning environments cannot provide the depth of identity-formation, literacy, and belonging that our people need and are hungry for. The day school environment is one in which Jewish life is not extracurricular, but rather part of the fabric of one's everyday life. Day school offers the unparalleled experience of identity-building, immersion, literacy, and cultural belonging that we believe we need to push back against the forces of whiteness, wealth, and ethnonationalism that have come to animate much of American Jewish life. The evolution of whiteness and class mobility among white Ashkenazi American Jews has led to widespread assimilation, allying with power, and forgotten ancestral wisdom. We believe that deep investment in one’s cultural and spiritual heritage, particularly from the unique lens of Achvat Olam most effectively (1) affirms our stake in dismantling white supremacy, (2) strengthens our understanding of safety through solidarity, (3) empowers us to reclaim Judaism from the clutches of Zionism, and (4) gives us the spiritual tools to resist oppression.

  Nevertheless, we understand that some folks in our community feel there’s a moral cost to private school. Achvat Olam will explore opportunities to connect our students to public school students, both to address the siloing inherent to Jewish day schools, and to build meaningful relationships with students in our neighborhood. We will also support local organizing efforts to address the deep inequality within public education and protect teachers and students in Greater Boston. In this way, Achvat Olam seeks to not only be a site of transformation for our students, but also a responsible and accountable participant in the broader educational ecosystem.

• The Jewish community itself is multiracial and multi-class, and we will make every effort to reflect that in the demographic makeup and learning environment at Achvat Olam.

Our thinking and approach to these questions is ever-evolving, and we hope to share more information in Spring 2026. In the meantime, if you would like to be in touch further to discuss this 1:1, please contact info@achvatolam.org.

Our goal is to open in the 2029-2030 school year with 8 Kindergarten families. We will grow by adding 1-2 grade levels per year after that.

We hope to announce Achvat Olam’s future home neighborhood somewhere in the Boston area in Winter 2025!

We understand that affordability of private school is the leading barrier to entry for many families, and can further entrench racial segregation and class stratification. We also are holding that tuition revenue typically funds the majority of private school budgets. Economic justice and accessibility remain some of our highest priorities at Achvat Olam, and we hold this tension with deep care. We anticipate sharing our tuition model in 2026.

Our formal Jewish educational goals and unique approach to Jewish observance are the next big undertaking in our pre-operational planning. Please check back in Spring 2026.

Our students will be equipped with the multi-disciplinary knowledge and requisite skill sets to thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually at Achvat Olam and beyond. We will be employing a co-teaching model with multiple educators per classroom. This increases accessibility for students with disabilities, allows for a more personalized learning experience, leads to positive social outcomes and increased self-esteem, and deepens student engagement with the material and their classmates.

Our curricula and pedagogical approaches are still in process, but we will be guided by Learning for Justice’s Social Justice Standards, Common Core State Standards, MA Frameworks for History and Social Science Education, MA Science and Technology/Engineering Learning Standards. We will also draw on resources from The Zinn Education Project, Rethinking Schools, and other organizations who share our values and approaches in education.

We hope to share more concrete information Winter 2025.

Accessibility is a core priority of our school. We unequivocally affirm the inherent self worth and potential of every student at Achvat Olam, and will differentiate instruction to meet their individual learning needs. We will employ a co-teaching model – beneficial to all students, and essential for students with disabilities. We will create a learning environment that engages, challenges, and empowers each child across an array of cognitive, social, emotional, spiritual, and physical needs by regularly consulting with service providers and families. Please reach out to us, as we’d love to be in conversation with you about your child and their learning needs.

These “profiles” are just three of many potential categories of families who might see themselves represented at Achvat Olam. They are based on real conversations with prospective constituents.

• Families who thought they’d never consider day school but are compelled by this vision. Imagine a Jewish activist parent who did not have much Jewish education, and rejected Jewish community over time because of Israel/Palestine in the mainstream Jewish community. They have since come back into Jewish identity and political home through Jewish-led Israel/Palestine solidarity work with organizations like IfNotNow and JVP. They express deep insecurities around belonging and literacy when entering spaces where prayer/Hebrew/rituals/text study are taking place. They would love for their children to have a much richer and deeper relationship to the tradition than they were given as a child.
  

• Families who would love to send their kids to day school but feel political misalignment with existing options. Imagine a progressive Jewish parent who grew up with more Jewish involvement than the previously described parent. Perhaps they attended Jewish summer camp or were involved in Jewish youth activities. As an adult, they are actively involved in their left-leaning minyan and SVARA. Jewish education for their children is a big priority, but they don’t see values-aligned opportunities within the existing infrastructure.
  

• Families who are already choosing day school but seek more political alignment. Imagine a Jewish professional, left-of-center parent at an existing Jewish day school who has felt disappointment and frustration over their current school’s response to October 7. They have even experienced backlash from other parents and administrators for gently speaking up for the humanity of those in Gaza. They would appreciate maintaining a rigorous Jewish learning environment for their children that explicitly discusses the plight of the Palestinian people alongside the experiences of Jews.

There is precedent for unions at private schools, including Jewish day schools, though unfortunately, they often get busted by the administration. We would explore writing into our founding documents that the administration must recognize a union. We will also investigate models of collaborative administration, where teachers have true voices and share in the decision-making of the school.