Our Story

It started with the seed of an idea. In 2013, Fig Tree Founder Rachel Weinstein White was seeking a new kind of Hebrew School for her own kids. A place that eschewed the rote memorization and dry religious instruction of her childhood, and embraced joyful, creative learning. A school that would welcome and celebrate her multiracial Jewish kids for their wholeness, not for their difference. A learning program that would teach Jewish culture, ritual and values- all in a thoughtful, innovative way. 

Rachel gathered with a few local families, creating a Jewish learning cooperative in her Brooklyn neighborhood. During that fledging first year, a handful of kids met weekly for a year in a windowless basement, exploring Jewish values, celebrating holidays, and learning Hebrew…. and something magical happened. They loved it. Word spread, and other families wanted in. Two years later, that seed became a sapling, and Rachel officially launched Fig Tree in the fall of 2015.

Today, Fig Tree enrolls over 350 students per year across five locations in Brooklyn, Queens and Harlem (and we’re adding sites in Manhattan for 2024). We’ve educated over 1,000 students, and we’ve engaged thousands more family members - all of whom are drawn to our unique flavor of Jewish education.

We're not the typical model. And that's intentional. We're welcoming to ALL kids. We offer an ad hoc, flexible schedule, with as much or as little parent involvement as you like. We bring together a community of like-minded families, without the formality and commitment of a traditional Hebrew School. And above all, our classes are fun and engaging. Our material is inspiring. We are reimagining the Jewish education model for the benefit of our kids, and yours.  

This is the Hebrew School you've been waiting for.