JUNE 3 • 2021 | 21

L

ike anything of importance to the 
care and development of toddlers, 
preplanning is not to be taken light-
ly. Preplanning a preschool even more. So, 
with many requests, along with Mushky 
Glitsenstein’s strong desire to open a full-
time early childhood education center, the 
Lamplighters preschool at the Royal Oak 
Chabad Center was born. 
Glitsenstein, the preschool’s executive 
director, envisioned a place that would instill 
in its children the knowledge of their inherent 
value. A preschool that is more like a family, 
a giant hug, a community where parents sup-
port each other and celebrate. 
“When building this school, I knew one 
thing: I wanted to help our parents raise 
children who are filled with a sense of worth 
and happiness,
” she said. “It’s important to 
us to give our children an organic sense of 
understanding how important and valuable 
they are.
” 
In pursuit of ensuring a high-quality educa-
tion with a priority for creating a warm, wel-
coming and communicative environment for 
parents, Jamie Gans was recruited to join the 

Lamplighters team as director of education. 
Jamie, originally from Franklin, has her mas-
ter’s in early childhood education and special 
ed, and spent 10 years teaching in preschools 
in Manhattan. If asked, Jaime will tell you she 
has a strong belief in Lamplighters’ style of 
individualized education, and that she loves 
her students as if they were her own kids.
Drawing from the best practices in early 
childhood education, and with specific inspi-
ration from the Reggio Emilia philosophy, 
children will learn through an innovative, 
inquiry-based, hands-on curriculum where 
they actively participate in the learning pro-
cess.
The Reggio approach isn’t a linear and 
predetermined curricular progression, and 
there are no international training courses to 
become a Reggio teacher. Creating a Reggio 
style takes careful consideration of how learn-
ing methods, environmental aspects and rela-
tionships interact together to form the basis 
of learning.
At Lamplighters, children are the main 
initiators of the learning process. They are 
inspired by their own interest to know and 

learn and, as such, are endowed with a 
uniquely individualistic understanding of 
how to construct learning on their own. In 
other words, children should be treated as 
active collaborators in their education, as 
opposed to passive observers. 
In addition, Lamplighters is unwavering in 
the belief that parental involvement is critical 
to the creation of a learning community for 
children. 

JEWISH ENRICHMENT 
When it comes to Jewish learning, 
“Lamplighters’ main goal is to give our chil-
dren the most positive, exciting, delicious 
and fun Jewish experience,
” Glitsenstein says. 
“When they think of their Judaism, we don’t 
want the first things to come to mind being 
a 10-hour-long seder or breaking their teeth 
over their Torah portion.
“When they think about the most enjoy-
able part of their lives, we want them to think 
of their Judaism. Something that is so import-
ant to us is to give our children the ‘whys.
’ 
Why do we drink four cups of wine? Why do 
we celebrate Shavuot? Why do we eat dough-
nuts on Chanukah? 
“When they understand who they are and 
why they are doing the things they do, it 
gives them the confidence and the pride in 
their Jewish identity. It’s no longer something 
they just do to make their parents happy, but 
because they get it and understand its signif-
icance.
” 
Another key Lamplighters tenent is having 
the classroom environment act as the third 
teacher. A living organism, a place of shared 
relationships among the children, teachers 
and parents with the feeling of being in a 
world that’s alive, welcoming and authentic.
“Through the Reggio curriculum and the 
school’s physical environment, we are telling 
our children, you are not an empty vessel that 
we’re going to try to fill up with information 
— you are our source of knowledge. We’re 
going to dig deep. We’re going to make you 
question and find the answers from within 
you. Our bare walls, that’s for you to fill with 
your work. Our neutral, non-colored envi-
ronment? Because you are our color!”
Lamplighters is currently accepting 
students ages 18 months to 3 years (with 
demand increasing, plans are being consid-
ered to extend the age range.) 

For more information and to apply visit lamplighter-

spreschool.com or call (248) 571-9197 or email 

mushky@lamplighterspreschool.com. This story was 

first published on myjewishdetroit.org.

Royal Oak Chabad Jewish Center
to open new Lamplighters Preschool.

It Takes a Big Heart 
to Shape Little Minds

DAVID GLASS
SPECIAL TO THE
JEWISH NEWS

Executive 
Director 
Mushky 
Glitsenstein 
and Director 
of Education 
Jamie Gans

