By Marni Mandell, CEO, Shalom Orlando

4 minute read

If you are reading this, you have found our new blog. Thank you for being here.

Over the past few months, I've had countless conversations with parents, grandparents, community members, and supporters. Some were about preschool. Some were about Camp J. Some were about Jewish life in Central Florida.

What struck me was that people are asking many of the same questions.

What happens inside the classrooms every day? How are children learning? What makes a Jewish preschool different? How do we create meaningful Jewish experiences for families? What role does a community institution like Shalom Orlando play in people's lives today?

This blog is a place to explore those questions together.

For me, coming back to Orlando to serve as CEO of Shalom Orlando has been deeply personal.

I grew up at the J. My grandmother served as the second female president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando in 1981. This community helped shape who I am, my values, and my connection to Jewish life.
Today, my own twins are growing up **here**.

That creates a different perspective. I don't only see Shalom Orlando as a leader. I see it as a parent. I see it as a community member. I see it as someone who understands how important it is to create places where people feel connected, welcomed, and at home.

That's really what Shalom Orlando is all about.

Many people know us for one specific program. Maybe it's the Roth Family JCC. Maybe it's the Early Childhood Learning Center. Maybe it's Camp J. Maybe it's one of our cultural, wellness, or community programs. Maybe it’s a scholarship we provided to go on an Israel experience in high school.

What makes Shalom Orlando special is that all of those pieces are connected.

We are helping children take their first steps into Jewish life. We are creating spaces where families build friendships. We are bringing people together through learning, culture, fitness, camps, celebrations, and community experiences. We are creating opportunities for people to find belonging.

At a time when so many people are searching for connection, that work matters more than ever.

Through this blog, we'll share stories from across our organization.

You'll hear from our teachers and educational leaders about how children learn and grow. You'll learn more about what Jewish early childhood education looks like in everyday practice.

You'll get a behind-the-scenes look at Camp J, community programs, and the moments that bring our community together.

And from time to time, I'll share reflections of my own. Thoughts about leadership, Jewish community, parenting, belonging, philanthropy, and where I believe our community is headed.

My hope is that this becomes more than a collection of articles.I hope it becomes a window into the people, relationships, and experiences that make Shalom Orlando what it is.

Because while programs matter, people matter more.

Every child who walks into a classroom. Every camper who makes a new friend. Every parent looking for community. Every grandparent watching the next generation grow. Every donor, volunteer, staff member, and community member who helps make this place possible.

Together, they are the story of Shalom Orlando.

Thank you for being part of it.

I look forward to sharing more with you.

Come Visit

The best way to understand Shalom Orlando is still to experience it in person.

Whether you're exploring preschool options, looking for a summer camp, reconnecting with Jewish community, or simply curious about what happens here, we'd love to welcome you.

Come take a tour. Ask questions. Meet our team. See the community for yourself.

We look forward to meeting you.

Why now

One of the things parents ask most often is what actually happens inside our preschool.

We answer that question every day during tours and conversations with families. In person, it is easy to feel the warmth, curiosity, and energy inside the school. Online, we have not always done as good a job sharing the depth of what happens here.

Part of the reason is simple. We have been busy doing the work.

This Shalom Orlando blog is a chance to slow down enough to tell those stories properly.

These articles are for parents who want a deeper understanding of how children learn. They are for grandparents who want to picture their grandchildren’s days. They are for staff, alumni, donors, and supporters who want to see what is being built here. And they are for the wider Central Florida Jewish community, who deserve a clearer window into their community organization.

What we will write about

There are four kinds of conversations you will find here.

How children learn at the ECLC

You will hear from our ECLC Director James Larsen, from teachers inside the classrooms themselves - and sometimes, even, from me.

We will talk about how children learn letters, numbers, reading, writing, problem solving, collaboration, and confidence through meaningful experiences. The alphabet is absolutely being learned in our classrooms, organically through the children’s own writing, storytelling, reading, counting, building, and exploration because they are deeply interested in what they are doing.

You will also hear more about what makes our approach at the ECLC Preschool in Maitland feel so different when you walk into the classrooms.

What makes a Jewish preschool different.

We will write about Jewish early childhood education and what it looks like in everyday life.

What does Shabbat feel like in a classroom of two year olds? What traditions become part of a child’s emotional memory? How does Jewish community shape the experience families have here?

These are some of the conversations we are excited to share.

What is happening across the J.

You will also see stories from across the Roth Family JCC and the wider organization.

Camp J Community celebrations. Family programs. Moments that matter. The kind of things that make a Jewish community institution in Orlando feel alive and connected.

We are especially excited to share more about our Camp J programming and the experience families have at our Jewish day camp in Orlando throughout the summer.

Reflections as CEO.

Some posts will simply be reflections from me.

What I'm thinking about as CEO. What I'm learning. What excites me. What challenges me. Where I believe our community is headed and what we're building together.

I don't have all the answers, but I do care deeply about the future of Jewish life in Central Florida. This blog will be a place to share ideas, ask questions, celebrate progress, and think out loud together.

Inside Shalom Orlando, the Jewish community institution in Central Florida.

A note on language

Some articles here will use terms you may have heard before in early childhood education. Constructivist. Project-based learning. Inquiry-based learning.

We use these terms because they help describe our educational approach, not because we're trying to sound academic. And whenever educational language feels confusing or overly technical, we'll do our best to explain it in plain English.

At its heart, what happens in our classrooms is actually quite simple. Children learn best when they are curious, engaged, and excited about what they're exploring. Our role as educators is to nurture that curiosity, ask thoughtful questions, and help children make deeper connections as they learn and grow.

If you've heard our school described in the past as a Reggio Emilia school, you may notice that we now more often use the term constructivist. While the language has evolved, the classroom experience has remained rooted in the same core beliefs: children are capable, learning is active, and meaningful relationships are at the center of growth. We found that the term constructivist more clearly reflects what families see happening in our classrooms every day.

Come and see us

The best way to know what happens at Shalom Orlando is to walk in.

You can read about our classrooms, our camps, and our community programs, but there is something special about walking through the doors, meeting the people, and feeling the energy firsthand.
We offer tours of our Early Childhood Learning Center throughout the year, open houses for Camp J, and countless opportunities to connect through the Roth Family JCC and the many programs that bring our community together.
Whether you're exploring preschool options, looking for a summer camp, searching for a deeper connection to Jewish life, or simply curious about what's happening here, you are welcome.
Our doors are **open**, and we'd **love** to meet you.

Book a tour of the Early Childhood Learning Center