A Jewish Montessori School

serving ages 3-6

Coming soon to the Cambridge/Boston area!

Nurit [noor-eet] is Hebrew for "buttercup." It shares a root with the word nur, which means "light" or "fire." Our hope for this school is to be a community rooted in joy, justice, and the sparks of light we find in our students.

Authentic Montessori meets rich Jewish learning

Our program will weave together the Montessori values of peace, autonomy, independence, and care of self/others/environment with the Jewish values of chesed (loving kindness), kavod (respect), and tzedek (justice). Our intentionally mixed age classroom will meet each child where they are at developmentally. Through hands-on learning, the Montessori curriculum supports children’s concentration, autonomy, and independence.

Our school year will ground itself in the Jewish calendar, supporting children to feel the cycles of Jewish time moving around them. We will surround ourselves with songs from Jewish communities around the globe, highlighting the beauty of our diasporic people.

As a small, pluralistic, community centered school, we look forward to partnering with families to raise children who are creative problem solvers, flexible thinkers, life-long learners, feel a strong connection to Judaism, and have the skills to make a meaningful difference in the world.

Get a sense of a typical day in a Montessori environment, following four year old, Jackson, as he moves through a morning “work cycle” in his classroom.

Nature-based education with a Jewish lens.

At Nurit Montessori, the outdoor environment is an extension of the classroom. Our students will spend time outside everyday: growing food to prepare for Jewish holidays, learning blessings for the wonder of nature, and observing the changing landscape around them throughout each new season. We imagine land-based traditions and rituals such as walking together to the Charles River for Taschlich, growing horseradish to taste at Passover, and tapping local maple trees as we learn about and celebrate Tu B’Shvat.

Early childhood education with equity and social justice at the core

Children begin noticing human differences much earlier than we may expect. Our curriculum is rooted in supporting children to notice, respect, and celebrate the many ways we are both similar and different from one another. Using age appropriate language, books, and experiences, our students will build a deep confidence in their own identities, while honoring the identities of others.

The teachers at Nurit are constantly learning and reflecting on their own practice as anti-bias, anti-racist educators.

Learn more about anti-bias education in early childhood at https://www.teachingforchange.org/educator-resources/anti-bias-education

Our Team

Danielle Smith (she/her)

Danielle grew up outside of Boston, playing in the woods and on ponds around her home. She graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in Environmental Studies and Spanish, and then taught outdoor, and farm-based, education around the Northeast. After several years of traveling and teaching outdoor education, Danielle returned home to Boston to pursue a masters in elementary education from Lesley University.  A life-long learner, Danielle went back to school to complete her AMS Montessori training in primary (3-6 yrs old) through Northeast Montessori Institute (NMI) and lower elementary training (6-9 yrs old) with Montessori Elementary Teacher Training Collaborative (METTC). Danielle has a decade of classroom teaching experience from preschool through fourth grade in both Jewish and Montessori schools, and she is excited to blend her love for Jewish community/ritual with Montessori pedagogy. Outside of the classroom, Danielle can be found making pottery, cooking for friends, and singing in Jewish community.

Leigh O’Sullivan Flannery (she/her)

Leigh brings a deep commitment to honoring the whole child and cultivating a joyful, inclusive Jewish learning environment. She fell in love with Montessori when her oldest was a baby, and has now sent four children through Montessori schools. With a professional background in politics, activism, and education, Leigh is passionate about helping young people grow into thoughtful, connected members of the Jewish community and the wider world. Leigh sees every child as a full human being deserving of respect, agency, and meaningful learning. With a BA from Smith College and a Masters in Jewish Education from Brandeis, she believes that Jewish tradition offers powerful tools - ritual, story, history, and values - for young people to explore identity, make ethical choices, and build bridges within and beyond our community. She lives in Cambridge with her family (and a few animals!) and loves gardening, cooking, and exploring how Jewish values connect to food, sustainability, and caring for the earth.

Upcoming Events

  • Camp Nurit

    August 31- September 4, 2026

    8am-12pm

    A week-long camp for children ages 4-8 with a focus on preparing for Shabbat. Each day, children will have choice in how they spend their time, with options that center the theme of Shabbat. Some activities will include: making Havdallah spice bundles, making candles, creating a challah cover, baking challah, arranging flowers.

  • Park Picnic

    September 6, 2026

    11am-1pm

    Bring a picnic lunch and meet other friends who are excited about helping to create a Jewish Montessori School in the Boston area. Children can play on the playground and in the splash pad.

    Reach out for the location!

  • A Slice in the Sukkah

    September 30, 2026

    4:30-6:30pm

    Join other families in the Sukkah for an early dinner with pizza provided. Stop by for a slice, or stay to shmooze!

    Location: TBD

Let’s Connect!

We look forward to meeting you and building Nurit Montessori School together with your family.

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