Early Childhood & Kindergarten

A Gentle Start to

a Jewish Life

For children between three and six,
Matanel Gan is where everything begins.

THE CHALLENGE

For many Jewish families in Belarus, the connection to tradition was severed long ago. Decades

of Soviet repression left families fully assimilated unaware of basic Jewish customs, unfamiliar

with Jewish prayer, disconnected from the meaning of the holidays.

THE CHALLENGE

Some children who come to Yad Yisroel arrive with significant gaps in their education. They may

have grown up in unstable homes where learning was never a priority. Others have missed years

of schooling due to poverty, illness, or neglect. Some arrive unable to read or write.

Matanel Gan

Where Jewish Life Begins

Matanel Gan was created to be that change. In a safe, nurturing, and joyful space, children

between three and six are welcomed into Jewish life ‐ perhaps for the very first time in their

family’s recent history.

Our teachers care deeply about every single child. Each one receives full attention, patience,

and warmth. And through that care, the foundations are laid.

Learning Through Joy

Children at Matanel Gan learn to say Brachos. They hear

stories from the Torah. They learn Hebrew words. They say

simple prayers. They experience the beauty of every Jewish

holiday through songs, crafts, and hands‐on activities.

They light Shabbos candles. They bake Challah. They deliver

Mishloach Manos on Purim. They learn to ask the Mah

Nishtana at Pesach.

These are not just activities. They are memories. And they
are the beginning of identity.

Children at Matanel Gan learn to say Brachos. They hear

stories from the Torah. They learn Hebrew words. They say

simple prayers. They experience the beauty of every Jewish

holiday through songs, crafts, and hands‐on activities.

They light Shabbos candles. They bake Challah. They deliver

Mishloach Manos on Purim. They learn to ask the Mah

Nishtana at Pesach.

These are not just activities. They are memories. And they
are the beginning of identity.

Children at Matanel Gan learn to say Brachos. They hear

stories from the Torah. They learn Hebrew words. They
say simple prayers. They experience the beauty of every
Jewish holiday through songs, crafts, and hands on
activities.

They light Shabbos candles. They bake Challah. They
deliver Mishloach Manos on Purim. They learn to ask
the Mah Nishtana at Pesach.

These are not just activities. They are memories. And
they are the beginning of identity.

SUPPORT THE TUTORIAL PROGRAM

THE LASTING IMPACT

Joy That Carries Forward

The children who pass through Matanel Gan carry what they
learned with them into their school years, into their families,
and into their futures. A child who has lit Shabbos candles
never quite forgets it. A child who has heard a Torah story
carries it.

At Matanel Gan, we introduce chidren to the joy of jewsih life.
And that joy stays.

HELP US REACH EVERY JEWISH CHILD IN BELARUS

THE LASTING IMPACT

Joy That Carries Forward

At Matanel Gan, we introduce chidren to the joy of jewsih life.
And that joy stays.

HELP US REACH EVERY JEWISH CHILD IN BELARUS

Where Jewish Life Begins

Matanel Gan was created to be that change. In a safe, nurturing, and joyful space, children

between three and six are welcomed into Jewish life ‐ perhaps for the very first time in their

family’s recent history.

Our teachers care deeply about every single child. Each one receives full attention, patience,

and warmth. And through that care, the foundations are laid.

Matanel Gan

A Gentle Start to

a Jewish Life

For children between three and six,
Matanel Gan is where everything begins.

THE CHALLENGE

Some children who come to Yad Yisroel arrive with significant
gaps in their education. They may have grown up in unstable
homes where learning was never a priority. Others have missed
yearsof schooling due to poverty, illness, or neglect. Some arrive
unable to read or write.

Where Jewish Life Begins

Matanel Gan was created to be that change. In a safe,
nurturing, and joyful space, children between three
and six are welcomed into Jewish life ‐ perhaps for
the very first time in their family’s recent history.

Our teachers care deeply about every single child.
Each one receives full attention, patience, and warmth.
And through that care, the foundations are laid.

Matanel Gan

THE LASTING IMPACT
Joy That Carries Forward

Children at Matanel Gan learn to say Brachos. They hear

stories from the Torah. They learn Hebrew words. They
say simple prayers. They experience the beauty of every
Jewish holiday through songs, crafts, and hands on
activities.

They light Shabbos candles. They bake Challah. They
deliver Mishloach Manos on Purim. They learn to ask
the Mah Nishtana at Pesach.

These are not just activities. They are memories. And
they are the beginning of identity.

HELP US EVERY JEWISH CHILD IN BELARUS

A Gentle Start to

a Jewish Life

The only Jewish boarding school and orphanage

in Belarus giving children what no child should

grow up without.

For children between three and six,
Matanel Gan is where everything begins.

Yad Yisroel is a non-profit organization in the USA, England, Israel, and the former Soviet Union, dedicated to strengthening Jewish life in Belarus. We bring education, food, care, and community together to support children, families, and elderly community members through every stage of life.

OUR WORK

Jewish Education

Programs of Chesed

Life Skills

Community Development

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Marillyn Tallman
Scholarship Fund

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