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HANNAH SENESH COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL

BROOKLYN, NY · EIN 203330699 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE B20 · Education · Large ($10M-$50M) · hannahsenesh.org
revenue
$11.4M
expenses
$8.6M
net assets
$16.7M
employees
71
program ratio
77%
mission · from form 990

THE MISSION OF HANNAH SENNESH COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL IS TO DEVELOP CARING, CONFIDENT AND KNOWLEDGEABLE STUDENTS EQUIPPED WITH THE SKILL AND COMMITMENT TO BECOME LIFELONG LEARNERS AND CAPABLE OF EMBRACING AND PARTICIPATING IN THE RICH DIVERSITY OF MODERN JEWISH LIFE.

profile · synthesized from sources

Hannah Senesh Community Day School is a K-8 Jewish community day school in Brooklyn, NY, serving students through a dual curriculum of general and Jewish studies. The school emphasizes academic rigor, social-emotional development, and community responsibility. It offers a wide range of after-school enrichment programs in STEM, arts, athletics, and Jewish cultural activities.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

After-School Enrichment Programs
Weekly after-school classes for K-8 students including STEM (Invention Lab, Create & Code), arts (Art Exploration, Musical Theater, Dance), athletics (Krav Maga, Basketball, Soccer), and academic enrichment (Chess Club, Math Puzzlers)
Homework Room / Quiet Reading
Supervised after-school academic support and reading time for students in grades K-8
MSAL Sports Teams
Competitive middle school soccer and volleyball teams for grades 6-8 participating in league games and playoffs
activities · 12 groups

What they do

  • Jewish Dual-Curriculum Education 2 activities
    • Hebrew Language Instruction
      Offers a Hebrew language program using the Proficiency Approach, integrating listening, speaking, reading, and writing through Israeli stories, songs, games, and celebrations, with language immersion woven into daily school life and special programs.
    • K–8 Jewish Day School Education
      Operates an inclusive Jewish day school for K–8 students, integrating Jewish texts, Hebrew language, STEM, literature, history, and art through a joyful, inquiry-based curriculum. The school reflects the diversity of Jewish life and maintains open admissions and hiring practices grounded in the value of Elu v’Elu (Openness).
  • After-School Academic and Enrichment Programs 1 activity
    • After-School Enrichment Programs
      Offers after-school programs including a homework room or quiet reading period, gymnastics for K–1, hands-on STEM activities using LittleBits and DIY materials for grades 2–5, a screen-free maker space for K–1, strategy games for K–4, and a middle school soccer team with scheduled practices and games.
  • Family-School Engagement Programs 1 activity
    • Collaborative School Community Model
      Facilitates collaborative partnerships between parents, teachers, and staff to support student flourishing within the K–8 day school environment.
  • Student-Led Community Service Programs 1 activity
    • Community Service Integration
      Integrates community service projects and trips into classroom learning to instill a sense of communal responsibility and ethical engagement among students.
  • Educational Field Trips and Experiential Outings 1 activity
    • Experiential Learning and Grade-Level Trips
      Organizes grade-specific experiential learning trips, including a one-day exploration of New York City for fifth grade, a four-day environmental retreat in Connecticut for sixth grade, a three-day trip to Washington D.C. for seventh grade, and a two-week trip to Israel for eighth grade focused on Jewish identity, history, and language.
  • Jewish Holiday and Shabbat Community Events 1 activity
    • Family and Community Engagement Events
      Hosts interactive family events including JFam! Celebrations, Family Shabbat Series, holiday gatherings, and community-wide events such as Yom Ha'atzmaut and the End-of-Year Picnic to engage families in Jewish traditions and school life.
  • Cultural Exchange and Mutual Understanding Programs 1 activity
    • Israeli Cultural Exchange Program
      Hosts Israeli emissaries (shinshinim) for a full academic year to enrich student learning through direct cultural exchange and immersive programming.
  • Play-Based Early Childhood Education 1 activity
    • JPlay! Early Childhood Program
      Offers a weekly Sunday morning program for children ages 0–5 and their caregivers, featuring play-based activities with Jewish cultural components, rotating guest partners, a PJ Library book nook, and a kids' clothing and book swap.
  • Comprehensive K–12 Arts Education 1 activity
    • Music and Arts Education
      Provides general music instruction for K–4 students using singing, rhythm, and Orff instruments, integrates music into Jewish holidays and school celebrations, and offers art classes focused on drawing, painting, color theory, and mixed media for younger grades and portfolio development for middle school students.
  • Teacher and Staff Appreciation Activities 1 activity
    • Parent and Staff Community Building
      Coordinates affinity groups for parents (LGBTQ+, Jews of Color, Multifaith, Sephardi/Mizrahi) to support inclusive programming, and organizes staff appreciation events, including gift distribution and recognition initiatives during Hanukkah and at year-end.
  • Sliding-Scale Tuition Programs 1 activity
    • Tuition Assistance and Financial Inclusion
      Provides need-based tuition assistance to more than half of enrolled families, including a 25% tuition reduction specifically for Jews of Color in the lower school (kindergarten through fourth grade), to promote equitable access.
  • Uncategorized 3 activities
    • Academic and Community Calendar Management
      Maintains and publishes a public Google Calendar and downloadable PDF calendars outlining school openings and closings, holidays, parent-teacher conferences, breaks, grade-level events, and community programming for multiple academic years.
    • Cross-Grade Buddy Program
      Operates a mixed-grade buddy program pairing kindergarten students with fourth-grade buddies to foster cross-age relationships through shared events and activities.
    • School Endowment Development
      Established the Senesh DSCF Endowment through a fundraising campaign that raised over $2 million to support long-term financial sustainability.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$11.38M
Contributions & grants$2.07M18%
Program service revenue$6.65M58%
Investment income$2.35M21%
Other revenue$316K
expenses
Total expenses$8.60M
Program expenses77%
Admin / overhead16%
Fundraising7%
Salaries & benefits$6.17M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$24.34M
Cash$4.06M
Investments$3.51M
Liabilities$7.67M
Net assets$16.67M
Liquid reserves10.6 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +42.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
NICOLE NASH HEAD OF SCHOOL 40 $531K
TRACEY SCHREIER MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR 40 $179K
board members · 17
  • AMANDA MILLER-BURG — TRUSTEE
  • ANDREW CERESNEY — TRUSTEE
  • ANDY EPSTEIN — TREASURER
  • AQUIBA BENARROCH — TRUSTEE
  • ARIELLA GOLOMB — TRUSTEE
  • ASHLEY FIRESTONE — SECRETARY
  • AVERY KOTLER — TRUSTEE
  • CHAD GESSIN — TRUSTEE
  • COURTNEY WEINSTEIN — TRUSTEE
  • DAVID BRYFMAN — TRUSTEE
  • JUDY SCHOENBERG — TRUSTEE
  • LISA KLEINMAN — TRUSTEE
  • MARCELLA KANFER ROLNICK — TRUSTEE
  • MELISSA KUSHNER — CHAIR
  • RABBI JOSH WEINBERG — TRUSTEE
  • SAMANTHA ABEYSEKARA — VICE CHAIR
  • YEHUDIT FEINSTEIN-MENTESH — TRUSTEE
relationships · 34

Who they work with

  • Alexa Radis Partner — Co-leads Strategy Games for K–4 students as Senesh Educator
  • Amy Zolla Partner — Teaches Math Puzzlers & Problem Solvers for grades 5–8 as Senesh Math Teacher
  • Avi Chai Foundation Funder — Supported the Senesh DSCF Endowment.
  • Bank Street College of Education Partner — Faculty include graduates of Bank Street College of Education.
  • Claire Gershon Partner — Teaches Create & Code - Video Game Design with Scratch as Middle School STEM Educator
  • Dave Suskin Partner — Coaches the MSAL Senesh Soccer Team for grades 6–8
  • Elias Stern-Rodriguez Partner — Leads chess club and middle school chess enrichment programs as a Senesh alumnus and chess expert
  • Iviva Olenick Partner — Leads Art Exploration class for K–1 students as Senesh Lower School Art Teacher
  • JOC organizations and leaders Partner — Partnership with Jews of Color organizations and leaders to support inclusion initiatives.
  • Jack Kline Partner — Co-leads Musical Theater - Annie as Music Director
  • Jenny Flaumenhaft Partner — Leads “No-Tech” Maker Space for K–1 students as Senesh First Grade Teacher
  • Jim Joseph Foundation Funder — Supported the Senesh DSCF Endowment.
  • New York City Middle School Athletics League Partner — Participates in athletic competitions as a member of the league.
  • Nicholas Markus Partner — Teaches Invention Lab - Circuitry and Robots as a STEM educator
  • Nick Merone Partner — Leads Girls and Boys Basketball Clinics for grades 5–8 as coach
  • Nicole Nash Government — Head of School leading the institution for the past 30 years.
  • Noa Raichman Partner — Provides gymnastics instruction for K–1 students and incorporates Hebrew language into the class
  • Noam Oren Partner — Teaches Krav Maga for grades 2–4 as Krav Maga Instructor and Senesh Hebrew Teacher
  • PJ Library Partner — Provides stories for the book nook at JPlay! events.
  • Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies Partner — Faculty include graduates of Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies.
  • Rachel Pistol Partner — Co-leads Strategy Games for K–4 students as Senesh Educator
  • Rachel Sorkin Partner — Leads SportMix class for K–1 students as Physical Education Educator
  • Raphael McGregor Partner — Leads Music Explorers class for grades 2–4 as musician
  • Rishon BeYahad Partner — Partners with Hannah Senesh Community Day School for monthly JPlay! B’Ivrit events featuring Hebrew language and culture.
  • Samantha Steinberg Partner — Leads Makerspace Magic class for grades 2–4 as Senesh STEM teacher
  • Sara Keen Government — Lower School Director at Hannah Senesh Community Day School, responsible for hiring and supervision of teaching staff.
  • Susan Hamburger Partner — Teaches Art Enrichment for middle school students as Senesh Middle School Art Teacher
  • Tatiana Birenbaum Partner — Co-leads Musical Theater - Annie as Musical Director
  • Taty Birenbaum Partner — Leads Dance, Dance, Dance class for grades 2–4 as Senesh Kindergarten Teacher and Dance Educator
  • Teacher’s College, Columbia University Partner — Faculty include graduates of Teacher’s College, Columbia University.
+ 4 more
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Identity-Affirming and Inclusive Community
    methodology: identity_affirming_education
    By creating a safe, affirming, and representation-rich environment that actively includes diverse Jewish identities—especially Jews of Color—the school strengthens Jewish identity and belonging because sustained engagement depends on feeling seen, valued, and included.
  • Playful and Experiential Learning
    methodology: play_based_learning
    By using play-based, hands-on, and joyful inquiry methods across age groups, the school fosters curiosity and deep engagement because emotional connection and active exploration are foundational to lasting learning and community attachment.
  • Proficiency-Based Language Learning
    methodology: proficiency_approach
    By emphasizing real-world use of Hebrew through immersive, culturally rich, and interactive methods, students develop fluency and engagement because language is learned most effectively through meaningful, contextualized practice.
  • Values-Integrated Education
    methodology: values_integrated_education
    By grounding education in Jewish values such as chesed (kindness), Elu v'Elu (openness to diverse perspectives), and shayachut (belonging), the school fosters intellectual curiosity, social responsibility, and inclusive community because these values are seen as essential to holistic learning and moral development.
  • Whole-Child Education
    methodology: whole_child_education
    By integrating social, emotional, ethical, and intellectual development within a values-grounded academic environment, the school supports long-term student engagement and growth because holistic development is necessary for meaningful learning and identity formation.