Many Jewish organizations in Louisville offer a wide variety of Jewish educational opportunities, from preschool top adult learning opportunities – both formal and informal.
For preschoolers, there are several options: the Adath Jeshurun Preschool, Gan Torah, the Jewish Community Center’s Early Childhood Education Center, the Keneseth Israel Preschool and The Temple Trager Early Childhood Education Center.
The Louisville Jewish Day School offers small classes and an immersive full-day elementary school program that includes both Judaic and secular studies. Louisville Beit Sefer Yachad and The Temple Hebrew School offer supplemental programs, both mid-week and on Sundays for Jewish students. Congregation Adath Jeshurun, Keneseth Israel Congregation and Temple Shalom collaborate to run LBSY.
The High School of Jewish Studies is a true community school. Instructors and students come from all five Louisville congregations.
At the University of Louisville, there is a Jewish Studies program. In 2013, funding was completed for an endowed chair in Jewish Studies at the school. A search is underway to fill that post with a top-rate scholar. The program will also be expanded to offer a major in Jewish Studies.
The Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning offers adults the opportunity to participate in a two-year course of text-based Jewish study. From time to time, Melton also offers shorter courses on specific topics. The Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning is sponsored by Congregation Adath Jeshurun in collaboration with the Jewish Community Center and with support from Congregation Anshei Sfard, Keneseth Israel Congregation, The Temple, and Temple Shalom. This program is made possible by a generous grant from the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence.
Many of the congregations and Chabad of Kentucky also offer informal classes and program on Torah, Bible, Talmud, Jewish holidays and a variety of other topics. For those who are interested in learning the basics, several groups offer Introduction to Judaism classes from time to time. There are also several lectures presented each year, some of which feature well-known scholars.
Most Thursdays, Chavurat Shalom offers seniors a chance to come together for a meal and a special educational or entertainment program.