Preschool with a Twist at TSTI

The Explorers class of Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel (TSTI) enjoyed “preschool with a twist” when they visited , the frozen yogurt emporium in Millburn. The transitional pre-K class had been learning about numbers, and they found much to count during a special tour recently provided by Red Mango owners Jen and David Rothberg of Short Hills, who are members of the Temple’s congregation.

After tying on their aprons, the five-year-olds got to go behind the scenes at Red Mango. They learned the importance of keeping the walk-in fridge at a steady 37 degrees, and practiced measuring out the fresh fruit flavorings used in the store’s smoothies and frozen yogurt desserts. The tour culminated with the students each creating their own Red Mango Special, complete with toppings. 

“We try to link what the kids are practicing in their classrooms to field trips in surrounding communities,” said the Temple’s Rabbi Ellie Miller, who accompanied the class with Rabbi Daniel Cohen, also of TSTI. “And of course, learning numbers becomes a lot of fun when you use them to measure a special treat!” 

The Temple’s schools provide a progressive Jewish education to hundreds of children, from infants to 12^th grade. The Iris Family Center offers a comprehensive program of early childhood education, focusing on each child’s unique developmental needs. 

“Our emphasis is on integrating learning with exploration, which is why this class is called the Explorers,” said Carol Paster, director of the preschool. “In this way, children prepare for Kindergarten by acquiring self-confidence and developing an understanding of how their world works.”