ALMA is inspired Jewish education for the mind, body, and soul
At ALMA, we believe that Judaism matters, and that Jewish life and tradition has the potential to add profound meaning and richness to the lives of our students and families. We believe that our students must genuinely enjoy themselves in order to learn and develop a love of Jewish life and tradition. Our passionate staff work hard to create a culture that is joyful, in which our students and their families feel respected, engaged, and inspired.
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Our dynamic curriculum for students from pre-school through 7th grade engages students in an active exploration of Jewish life and tradition through learning about Jewish values, Jewish time, and Jewish customs. Students learn songs and prayers, create ritual objects, and get their hands dirty on our chava (Abundance Farm). Our Ivrit (Hebrew) specialist works with ALMA students to develop fluent decoding and our Tefillah (prayer) specialist helps students build comfort with traditional and contemporary Jewish prayers and songs.
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Alma means “world” in Aramaic and "soul" in Ladino.
“The world is sustained solely through the breath of the children when they are learning in school alongside their teachers. Talmud, Shabbat 119b”
ALMA Classes
ALMA meets on Thursday from 3:30–5:30 pm and Saturday from 10 am–12 pm. The Sharoshim (Pre-K) and Natzanim (K/1st) meet on Saturday only. All other classes meet on both Thursday and Saturday.
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Shorashim (roots): Pre-K (ages 3-5)
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Nitzanim (flower buds): K/1st grade
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Amirim (bundles of grain): 2nd grade
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Ilanot (trees): 3rd and 4th grades
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Arazim (cedars): 5th grade
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Rimonim (pomegranates): 6th and 7th grades​​​
Tuition
ALMA is a 9-month program, running from September through May. Families are expected to commit to a full year. Rates for 2025–26 are:
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Pre K- 1st grade (meets 1 day a week): $1,200
2nd to 7th grade (meets 2 days a week): $2,050
Supplemental Care, Thursdays from 2:15–3:30 pm prior to ALMA, includes games, art, and other activities: $375
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Tuition Assistance
​Tuition makes it possible for our program to sustain quality educators and specialists and to provide materials for students. CBI believes in the value of Jewish education and strongly believes that finances should not be an obstacle to Jewish education. CBI Members in good standing are eligible to request financial assistance. Apply by July 1 for priority consideration.
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Financial assistance requests are part of the registration process. We will review requests for tuition assistance starting July 1, and will accommodate as many request as we can. You will receive an email notifying you of your award. Tuition assistance is unavailable for supplemental care.
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Registration
Online registration is closed for 2025–26. If you are interested in mid-year enrollment email office@cbinorthampton.org.