Tarbut V’Torah Community Day School

I went to TVT for high school and graduated this past May. My parents gave me the choice to choose between TVT and the public school near my house. I chose TVT for a number of reasons. First, I would be with fellow Jews. That was really big for me. Most public schools near my house have ¹⁄₁₀₀₀ Jews in the school. Being with other Jews at TVT really gave you a great community and everyone really cared about each other. Also, I was able to play volleyball. I never played club volleyball, so I knew I wouldn’t be able to play in public school. Everyone can play sports at TVT and in fact, our sports teams are very good.
The teacher student relationships are amazing. Although teachers choose favorites, they still care about the others who are not on the top of their list. If a kid is having a bad day, teachers will notice and try to help if they can. They almost treat you like you are their own kids and want to help you succeed in everything you do. The academics are very good and the teachers really prepare you for the Ap tests, which is important for college.
The one downside about TVT is the politics. Teachers choose favorites and it is not always clear what is expected of the students. Different students will get punished differently for the same offense. There is no consistency. TVT is also very top-​heavy, meaning there is a very large administration. When I would walk into the office I would feel uncomfortable because it was the one part of the school that was not personal. I think that students should know who the people are that are making the decisions for the school.
Overall I enjoyed my experience at TVT. As a junior you get to take a trip to Poland and Israel, where you get to bond with your grade and fellow classmates. That trip was life changing. I always felt comfortable walking down the halls of TVT and always felt welcomed by everyone. I feel that TVT made me more prepared for the outside world and taught me how to talk to people, especially teachers, which is good for college.

Tarbut misses everything good about a school experience on so many levels. I’m talking about the high school specifically and if one is looking for a meaningful high school experiences full of fun and friends, go to public school! Dr Roth and Ms Wolfe couldn’t be any worse suited for the job of working with children. These two women are almost universally disliked by the student body and have a very negative attitude towards being different, or not filling the stereotypical mold. If you stand out at TVT and bring different things to the table compared to the average student there (almost all the students are the same and have no personality) you will be zeroed in on. Students care heavily about grades and don’t care whose toes they have to stepmom to get there.
If you’re a parent looking to send your child to the TVT high school heed my advice and save your money.
Abhorred my time here and still got into a great college And having a great time.

This is coming from a TVT alumna. Yes the teachers do work with you and want you to succeed, but the students don’t want to work for their grade. I saw this firsthand during my sophomore and junior year where students would petition to the teacher to retake a Spanish test, for example, just to get an ‘A’.
The College Counseling at Tarbut was very helpful having college representatives across the country achieving students’ interests. Mr. Davis was a great asset to this program, he helped me a lot during my junior and senior year at Tarbut.
What I don’t like about Tarbut: the students. Many students that I had classes with felt entitled to EVERYTHING. It’s weird to look back and think that the majority of my classmates drove anything from BMWs to Mercedez-​Benz. I HATED being around the sense of entitlement students felt they had, except they didn’t. Of course, this only added to their pompous personalities.
Another aspect about Tarbut that needs to change: «we are a community» repetition. During town hall meetings, Mrs. Wolf would always pride Tarbut as a «community». This is far off regarding student-​student interactions and student-​teacher interactions. You would think that a private school such as Tarbut that everyone would be friendly with each other for the most part, that is definitely not the case. For my graduating class of 32, it was a part of the everyday lunch period to see very small (2 or 3 people) cliques of students and are unwelcoming to other students joining them to eat lunch.
This is a very small summary of my experience at Tarbut. I still keep in touch with some of my teachers that I was fortunate to have; however, after graduating from Tarbut, attending college at a selective public university was the best decision I made where the students are far more laid back and more in-​touch with reality.
Disclaimer: I am in no way trying to «hate» on TVT, but there are a lot of improvements and alteration of the students’ mindsets in order for TVT to be a successful private high school it has the potential to be. This review is coming from someone who considers herself a realist and does not like to «sugar coat» reviews. This reviewer graduated in 2009.
P. S. TVT, I recently came across pictures of staff passing out male stuffed animal lions to students that look anywhere between 5 – 9 years old, only male stuffed animals. Don’t you think this is promoting male dominance and gender inequality through the use of subliminal messaging? I suggest to invest in some female lion stuffed animals to pass out to students as well.

This is our 9^th year at this wonderful school. Our 3 boys are thriving and have grown to feel TVT is their family. The teachers are warm and caring, and our boys each get the attention and educational instruction they need. I feared when we left pre-​school that I would miss being an environment that felt safe and special but TVT has maintained that all the way through 12^th grade. I feel so fortunate to be a part of this community.

We have two children attending TVT in first grade and kindergarten, and we are thrilled with this school! TVT offers an incredibly enriched program and a whole-​child approach, along with a warm, compassionate environment, that makes this school truly outstanding.
TVT instills in its students caring about the larger world and those around us right from the start and teaches excellent values. Children learn that they can make a difference in the world starting in kindergarten. My children are enjoying learning and feel empowered to reach their potential and express themselves creatively and uniquely. The TVT Staff find the joy and gifts of each child and work beautifully with the children and their families to bring out the best in each child.
TVT uses many modes for teaching, most of which are very hands on, and offers an excellent academic curriculum. The class sizes are small, allowing the teachers to give each child plenty of attention and truly get to know each child. Our teachers have been outstanding, and the children have wonderful friends at school. The teaching Staff and Administration are easy to communicate with and have a refreshing «‘partnering» attitude with families with respect to educating the children.
The Art and Music programs are truly phenomenal, and the PE programs are also top-​notch. Playground time is also very well supervised, and the children can play a variety of fun games during recess or just play freely. There are plenty of opportunities for parent involvement on campus, for those that have time or wish to participate in this way.
The Hebrew/​Judaica program is amazing, as well. The children are immersed in the Jewish culture and language; and the program is taught in a fun, loving, and age-​appropriate way. The values that are taught are universal and will serve the children well as they grow into adulthood.
We highly recommend this school!

We have kids at Tarbut. Its a terrific school. The teachers are excellent, the curriculum is solid and the kids are very nice. Dont let the name scare you– this is not a religious school. They do study Hebrew and Jewish studies, but the emphasis is on a solid secular education. Graduates get into top schools, while the lower school is very warm and loving. We are very happy at Tarbut.

Our son started attending Tarbut in 6^th grade. He made friends immediately. We love the families that we have gotten to know. The school itself is so modern, well equipped, and has great administration and teachers. We appreciate how the staff and teachers have worked with our son and with us. Coming from a public school background, we were surprised when we asked about ways to give our son the best opportunity for success and all of the teachers came to a joint conference. Really an amazing and rewarding experience. Even though we live in Long Beach (there is a school van from here!) we believe this school will be ideal all the way through high school.
Anyone looking for an outstanding school that operates with Jewish values should seriously consider TVT. TVT is not a religious school – meaning it is not Torah and prayer focused. It is an academic oriented school. There is a nice mix of Judaic study along with strong fundamentals, and an interesting mix of electives (from our middle school perspective).
There are plenty of opportunities to join sports teams. Our son played football and soccer this year.