The Growth of a School: From Kitchen Table to Borrowed Classrooms

March 2024

The Temple Kol Ami (TKA) Religious School has experienced significant growth over the past 13 years, with a goal to reach and educate the Jewish youth of York County and surrounding areas. Under the leadership of our first director and educator, Michelle Silva, the school began with a small group of students gathered around a kitchen table for their first lesson. Since then, the school has evolved through various stages of growth, finding homes across York County in preschool classrooms, kitchens, and storage rooms, embodying the term “wandering Jews.” This dedication to education has allowed our school to flourish, thanks to the commitment of leaders and teachers who have all volunteered their time; our school operates without paid staff.

From the moment those children sat around that kitchen table, we knew we were creating something special. When giving tours of the school, I've often been asked what makes the Temple Kol Ami Religious School unique and why people drive 45 minutes from Charlotte to attend. The answer is simple: we are mishpacha, a family. Families are composed of different personalities and beliefs, but at their core, they care about each other and the impact they have on one another. This sense of family has been our school's guiding principle, allowing us to support our youth from the Mazel Tots program through to becoming b’nei mitzvah. For a temple that's only been around for 13 years, it's remarkable that we've seen over 30 children through our b’nei mitzvah program.

Our religious school community is an integral part of our temple; we may be known as TKARS, but we are wholly TKA. We've had the privilege of watching our students grow up— a notable achievement for a school that began around a kitchen table.

If you'd like your child to experience the joy of being part of the Temple Kol Ami Religious School, please reach out to our Religious School director, Ashley Endy, at Yorksynagogue@gmail.com. She is eager to share all the learning and fun that awaits!