Informal Jewish Education

We pioneered Informal Jewish Education and continue to lead the field.

The Jewish Informal Education Programme (JiEP), which forms an integral part of Jewish Education at JFS, enables students to understand the richness of Judaism, Jewish life and Israel by way of practical experience.

With a broad range of programmes, extended learning opportunities and social activities are available for all and a framework is provided where questions are welcomed. We aim to create positive Jewish experiences which enliven key points in the Jewish calendar, provides opportunities for prayer, for social action, for volunteering and crucially, for engagement with the wider Jewish community. At JFS, we place a premium on engaging with the local, UK and international non-Jewish communities and learning to appreciate others faiths, cultures, and belief systems.

We focus on creating the widest possible range of Jewish experiences beyond the curriculum and the classroom in order to encourage student leadership opportunities, build on their relationship with Israel, and impact their Jewish identities. All students engage with JiEP at key calendar points throughout the year, and there are extra voluntary programmes available for those who wish to be even more involved. We run Jewish experiences including daily tefillah, weekly lunch time clubs, the commemoration and celebration of festivals, domestic Shabbatonim, day trips of Jewish interest, residential trips to Israel and Poland.

We hope our alumni leave JFS with a strong sense of pride in being Jewish, a connection to Jewish heritage, and commitment to principles that will help them to become active members of their communities, society, and the future leaders of Anglo-Jewry.