Gan Ilan Preschool
Temple Isaiah – Chaiken Family Talmud Torah Center (Gan Ilan Preschool), 945 Risa Road, Lafayette, CA 94549
About
Gan Ilan Preschool offers play-based learning and a child-centered curriculum that includes children’s yoga, music, gardening, recycling, and specialized learning about Judaism. Children are exposed to Hebrew organically through learning some prayers and songs in Hebrew, through peers and teachers who speak Hebrew, and through children’s books available in Hebrew. The program’s play-based, child-directed curriculum is described as dynamic, emergent, and closely connected with Jewish customs and values, including Jewish tradition, music, art, holiday celebrations, and rituals.
• Ages: 18 months–5 years old
• Schedule: Two-week summer camp sessions June through July
Gan Ilan Preschool, or “Garden of the Trees,” is Temple Isaiah’s preschool and has been established since 1999. Gan Ilan caters to children aged 18 months to Pre-K, and fall priority registration is open for ages 18 months to 5 years, with registration for the school year available to both members and nonmembers of Temple Isaiah. The program states that it works to have lower than average ratios of teachers to students to support interactions between children, teachers, and families, and students are supported by fully qualified teachers.
Gan Ilan early childhood programs state that they provide a holistic family experience that integrates the child, family, school, and Temple Isaiah community, and the program is open to the entire community. The program describes an environment where children can question, practice, and imagine, with the goal of building the foundations of their connections to their own Jewish identities and enriching their understanding of Jewish values on a daily basis.
The school has been selected to participate in a multimedia music program called Cousins Like Us, made possible through a partnership with Music by Heart, a nonprofit organization founded by Israeli musician and educator Lior Ben-Hur. Cousins Like Us combines music, storytelling, illustration, and animation to explore Jewish values through the experiences of two cousins, one from Jerusalem and one from San Francisco, and parent participation is described as key to getting the most out of this program.
Last updated April 20, 2026.
• Ages: 18 months–5 years old
• Schedule: Two-week summer camp sessions June through July
Gan Ilan Preschool, or “Garden of the Trees,” is Temple Isaiah’s preschool and has been established since 1999. Gan Ilan caters to children aged 18 months to Pre-K, and fall priority registration is open for ages 18 months to 5 years, with registration for the school year available to both members and nonmembers of Temple Isaiah. The program states that it works to have lower than average ratios of teachers to students to support interactions between children, teachers, and families, and students are supported by fully qualified teachers.
Gan Ilan early childhood programs state that they provide a holistic family experience that integrates the child, family, school, and Temple Isaiah community, and the program is open to the entire community. The program describes an environment where children can question, practice, and imagine, with the goal of building the foundations of their connections to their own Jewish identities and enriching their understanding of Jewish values on a daily basis.
The school has been selected to participate in a multimedia music program called Cousins Like Us, made possible through a partnership with Music by Heart, a nonprofit organization founded by Israeli musician and educator Lior Ben-Hur. Cousins Like Us combines music, storytelling, illustration, and animation to explore Jewish values through the experiences of two cousins, one from Jerusalem and one from San Francisco, and parent participation is described as key to getting the most out of this program.
Last updated April 20, 2026.
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