Beit Rabban

15 West 86th Street

New York, NY 10024

8 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-5
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on December 13, 2022

TL;DR: Claustrophobic social evironment, cruddy academics, lackluster extra curricular oppertunities, and a general lack of academia. 2/10 leave as soon as possible.Terrible, as a recent alum and student of 4 years I would not wish this school upon my worst enemy. Some of the features first advertised to me were complete shams, their "athletic program" is little more than a bunch of kids grades 5-8 cobbled together on a field, there are no "teams" and they never play outside schools. For such a small school the student support is awful often neglecting stragglers and glossing over their problems (for instance I learned next to nothing in Hebrew for a full year because my teacher use the old "raw memorization" approach combined with some busywork here and there) and aside from external math programs the enrichment is sparse, poorly thought out, and often not delivered. In one case I solved the 2 month long lab assignment in the first 5 minutes and was promised enrichment education. I recieved nothing. They assign virtually no meaningful work for grades 5-7 and decide to triple your workload at the end of eighth grade. The claustrophobically small environment put me in a depressive state of social isolation for at least two years and their "charming casual attitude" means nobody cares about anything. In addition they are needlessly virtue signaling, examples include: the word "guys" was banned, speaking Mandarin Chinese was banned, I have a massive gap in my history knowledge because they exclusively taught about Greece, slavery, and the holocause. I say all of these things from the prespective of a devoted leftist who admires the initiative They teach you no time management, studying, or note taking skills and as the final cherry on top they make you do a massive end of year project talking about how much you just love the school. The only reason I am a straight-A student today is because 4 years at this school managed to teach me a valuable lesson about how to put up with that kind of garbage 8 hours a day, five days a week.
Submitted by parent on May 21, 2019

I feel lucky to have discovered this school for my children. The teachers and administration truly know my kids' individual strengths and areas of support. I love the values of this place, the deeply engaged learning, and that my kids (10 and 8) are still excited to go to school every day.
Submitted by parent on November 13, 2017

This school is building compassionate and intelligent future leaders. Our children run into school in the morning and talk about their current teachers and previous teachers with love and admiration. The incredibly thoughtful and insightful administration combined with the dynamic and engaged parent population make this school a treasure.
Submitted by parent on February 22, 2016

Tremendously warm and caring, providing rigorous intellectual learning in Judaic and secular studies. Small-group learning, child-centered, amazing Hebrew language instruction. Awesome community.
Submitted by parent on October 04, 2012

Beit Rabban is a very special place. It is extremely nurturing and meets kids where they re at. The amazing student to teacher ratio allows the children to receive extra attention. The small size also means every adult knows every child and can pitch in when necessary. The teachers and administration could not be more responsive and accessible. It is a truly pluralistic community which does a great job providing a strong Jewish and secular education simultaneously. The parent involvement is remarkable and the sense of community is extraordinary. Everyone was so welcoming when our child started school. The other parents are very down-to-earth and I have never encountered any parent concerned with issues of money or status. These values align with the school's values. We visited and applied to over 10 schools (both secular and Jewish) in Manhattan and there was truly no comparable place. Beit Rabban s commitment to helping children socially, emotionally and academically is beyond reproach. Beit Rabban prepares children to make the world a better place.
Submitted by parent on September 20, 2011

I've had three kids at Beit Rabban, and they've all had a great experience. When it was time for my oldest to move on (to another really good NYC day school), he was with or ahead of the class in every subject, even though he was middle of the pack for some things at Beit Rabban. I love that the same teachers teach both Judaic and secular studies, although it wasn't something I even thought about when I applied to schools. All schools say that they integrate the Judaics and secular studies, but now that I have a child in a standard (really good) day school, where the Hebrew teacher is just a big afraid of math and the English teacher isn't so comfortable with a chumash, I see what a difference it makes. If you visit Beit Rabban, ask them about why they do it this way. They explain it better than I can.
Submitted by parent on September 15, 2011

My daughter has just started her 5th year at Beit Rabban -- and she wants to go there until college! My husband and I are consistently impressed by how the kids love to learn! They are encouraged to think critically, solve problems creatively, respect different perspectives, and develop core skills beginning in preschool. The teachers are innovative in their approach, and give each child personalized attention to progress at the right pace. Thoughtful Torah study and Hebrew language are an integral part of the interdisciplinary curriculum. From a young age, kids are empowered to think for themselves, ask the right questions, and believe that they can make a difference in the world around them. It's also a great community of parents, and very diverse.
Submitted by parent on September 15, 2011

Beit Rabban is a gem. I never imagined I d find such a place on the Upper West Side. It s truly child-centered, with each child s needs coming first, without compromising learning that s both rigorous and exciting. The classrooms are alive with enthusiastic, energetic children engaged in challenging work. The school s graduates are deeply versed in Jewish and secular learning, but are also confident, thoughtful, and compassionate. I couldn t be happier.