Now Enrolling for Fall 2026 · Hebrew Institute of Riverdale

Introducing Hineini Hub

An after-school program at HIR for kids in grades 3 through 7

📍 The Bayit, Riverdale 📅 Mon–Thu · 3:30–6:00 PM 🎓 Grades 3–7 🍽️ Meal included
Express Interest →
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Location
Hebrew Institute of Riverdale
The Bayit · Riverdale, NY
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Days
Mon – Thu
Choose 1–4 days/week
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Hours
3:30 – 6:00 PM
Daily
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Grades
3rd – 7th
Age-specific programming
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Tuition
$1,500 / day
Per day per week, annually

What is Hineini Hub?

A place to land after school

The years between third and seventh grade are full ones, socially, emotionally, and academically. Families who want their children to stay connected to Jewish life during this time often find there simply is not a program that fits.

Hineini Hub was created in response to that. It is an after-school program at the Bayit organized around three core areas: Jewish learning rooted in Torah and middot, academic and study skills support, and the social and life skills that children need and are rarely taught in a structured way.

Every student is known by name, every afternoon has a clear shape, and the learning is genuine.

Connection at the heart of every afternoon

The Program

What Happens Each Afternoon

Each afternoon is organized around three core areas. Students arrive with a grounding ritual, move through the learning blocks, and close together as a community.

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Jewish Learning & Enrichment
Jewish learning is built around Torah and middot. Students explore short, carefully chosen texts through chevruta and small-group inquiry, engaging with substantive questions about identity, courage, responsibility, and kindness. The goal is for Jewish values to feel lived rather than abstract, genuinely connected to how students treat one another and move through their days.
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Academic Support & Student Skills
Students build the skills that make school work: planning and prioritization, task initiation, organization, sustained attention, and knowing how to ask for help. Homework is completed in a calm, supported environment staffed by trained teen mentors and special education professionals. The aim is not just task completion, but growing confidence and genuine independence as learners.
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Life & Social Skills
Students learn to build and sustain friendships, navigate conflict without escalating it, communicate their needs clearly, apologize well, and return to community after something difficult. These skills are not taught abstractly. They are practiced in the actual moments that arise, with consistent adult guidance and a culture that treats repair as normal.
Teen mentors lead by doing
Creative expression
Torah comes alive

What you'll see

Kids who are
genuinely here.

Students who are present, engaged, and proud of what they are making together.

Enrollment is flexible, from one to four days per week, with optional Fridays available in the spring. Tuition is $1,500 annually for each weekday enrolled.

Financial assistance is available. No child turned away.

Interested in Hineini Hub?

Fill this out and I will be in touch. I am happy to answer questions, share more about the program, or simply talk it through.

We'll be in touch within a few days. No commitment required.

Program Director

R' Yali Szulanski

Director of Youth & Family Engagement · Hebrew Institute of Riverdale

I am a Jewish educator, social emotional wellness specialist, and community leader dedicated to supporting the growth and well-being of children, teens, and families.

I have spent over two decades working as a classroom teacher, school-based mental health professional, and program creator. My work brings together emotional wellness, a values-driven Jewish educational lens, and embodied practice. I hold an MA in Psychology and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and received rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Maharat.

As Director of Youth and Family Engagement at The Bayit, I rebuilt youth programming in the wake of the pandemic into a thriving, inclusive ecosystem now serving over 150 children each week. My work includes specialized programming for neurodiverse learners, support for diverse family needs, and the development of a youth leadership model that trains and mentors over 60 teens annually.

In addition to my communal work, I consult with schools and educational organizations, supporting them in building stronger systems of care and offering guidance around complex student needs, emotional regulation, and classroom dynamics.

I am deeply invested in helping children understand themselves, build emotional language, and develop the skills to navigate challenges with clarity and confidence. Hineini Hub is the natural continuation of that work.

🏆 Covenant Foundation Pomegranate Prize — Teen Mentorship & Leadership
🏆 Jewish Education Project Robert M. Sherman Young Pioneers Award — Social Emotional Classroom Integration