The Family School

The Family School of Chicago gives Jewish and Catholic parents of intercultural families a unique opportunity to become directly involved in their children’s religious education. Students from kindergarten through eighth grade experience both faith traditions at age-appropriate levels. Classes meet twice a month on Sunday mornings in the Frances Xavier Warde School at 122 S. Des Plaines in Chicago on the campus of Old St. Patrick’s Church.

The Family School was formed in 1993 by a group of seven families who met through the Jewish-Catholic Couples Dialogue Group. Today the school has grown to over 75 families and over 120 children. Classes are taught by parents on a rotating schedule, and all parents are required to teach two or three classes per year. In class, parents have opportunities to share their understanding of God and what it means to share two different ways to experience God in our lives. While children are in class, parents not teaching participate in an adult education program. Some sessions feature speakers on a variety of topics; at other times the parents have discussions related to the school itself.

To learn more about The Family School, please read our brochure and this Tribune article.

From the school's handbook:

We acknowledge that both Judaism and Catholicism are meaningful ways to find God. The Family School provides an avenue for the spiritual lives of our children and to enrich the spiritual lives of our families.

The mission of our Family Religion School is to produce a setting where, on a regular basis, we will:

• Convey to our children the stories, traditions, rituals and values of Judaism and of Catholic Christianity.
• Explore with our children the common moral code and shared heritage of our two faiths, as well as their differences, and
• Instill in our children a sense of belonging to our Jewish-Catholic community."

Family School is not intended to be a family's sole participation in religious activity. By familiarizing children with holidays and rituals, stories from our traditions, prayers, and the teachings and histories of both faiths, Family School classes can help to complement a family's participation in Jewish services and/or Catholic Masses, or in more traditional forms of religious education.

Enrollment is open to new families through September 1 for the following school year. For more information via email, please contact Chris Kopka, or over the phone at 847-279-3979.