By Susan Jacobsen, mom of Zev and Ethan (Pictured)
There are some family decisions that look practical at first and turn out to shape your life in ways you never expected. Choosing Nierman Preschool was one of those decisions for us.
Like every parent searching for a preschool, I wanted a place where my boys would be safe, cared for, and excited to learn. I wanted teachers who would really see them. I wanted their days to be full of play, discovery and the kind of confidence that grows when a child feels completely at home.
Nierman Preschool gave Zev and Ethan all of that.
What I did not realize at the beginning was that it would give our entire family something more: a community we would still be part of long after preschool ended.
A preschool that meets children where they are. Young children do not all arrive at the same place at the same time. They learn, communicate and reach milestones in their own ways. Nierman understood that.
When Zev started at Nierman, he was not potty-trained. That was something I worried about. A lot. I wondered whether he was behind, whether it would interfere with his day, or whether preschool would be harder for him because he was not there yet. I wasn’t even sure they’d accept him, as his older brother arrived fully potty-trained and it hadn’t crossed my mind to ask.
The school reminded me of something simple and powerful: Zev was perfectly Zev. He just needed some time. There was no shame and no pressure. He was, of course, accepted into the school. His teachers met him exactly where he was and kept him fully included in the fun and learning. He was still reading, playing, exploring, asking questions and being part of everything.
As you would expect, Zev became potty-trained. He did not skip a beat while getting there. That experience showed me what it really means for a preschool to meet a child where they are: support the child in front of you, give them room to grow, and never make them feel that childhood is a race.
That mattered to me with both of my boys. You want your children to build skills, of course, but you also want them to love learning, love being at school, and love the community they’re in. Zev and Ethan had the best time at Nierman, and they were growing through all of it.
Days Filled with Curiosity
Nierman offers the kind of preschool day I wish every young child could experience. I loved their Spanish immersion classroom, giving my boys an early relationship with another language. Dedicated art and science spaces invite them to create, investigate, and get wonderfully curious about the world. Swimming lessons and afterschool enrichment add even more opportunities to discover what they enjoy. That’s just a bonus feature of being part of the JCC. That pool is incredible.
What impressed me was not simply the variety. It was how naturally everything came together. Learning did not feel separate from fun. Art, movement, language, science, and play were all part of one rich day.
As a parent, it was wonderful to know that my children were not just passing the time until pickup. They were having experiences that opened their minds, helped them build friendships and gave them stories they could not wait to bring home.
Everyone is Welcome Here
Nierman is grounded in Jewish values and traditions, but its welcome is for families of every background. That combination is part of what makes the community so special.
My husband is Jewish, and I am not. Before Zev started, I wondered whether being an interfaith family might make me feel like an outsider or leave me unsure of where I fit. From day one, it was never an issue. We were welcomed as a whole family, and our interfaith marriage was never treated like something that needed explaining.
(And here is my honest aside: you might be surprised by how many people in the Nierman community are not Jewish. Every family is embraced. They love everyone here. It is kind of their thing.)
The values children experience at Nierman – kindness, curiosity, responsibility and caring for others – are values any parent would be proud to see take root. Jewish traditions gave the year meaning and rhythm, while the inclusive environment made it clear that every family belonged.
There is a difference between being allowed into a community and being truly welcomed by one. At Nierman and the Lawrence Family JCC, we felt truly welcomed.
So Much More Than a Preschool
One of the things families may not realize at first is that enrollment at Nierman Preschool includes a JCC family membership. That opens the door to a much larger world.
Preschool was our family’s first step into that world, but it was not our last. Zev and Ethan have now both graduated from Nierman, and they still return to the JCC for Camp Jaycee. We have remained members because the relationships, experiences and sense of belonging did not end when preschool did.
That continuity is incredibly meaningful. The campus that once held their preschool classrooms became the place where they returned for summer adventures. Familiar values and a familiar community continued to meet them as they grew.
Nierman Preschool was not simply a place where we dropped our children off each morning. It became the beginning of our family’s community journey.
My Invitation to San Diego Moms
Every child and every family is different, and choosing a preschool is deeply personal. But if you are searching for a place where your child can learn without pressure, experience a wonderfully rich day and become part of a warm, inclusive community, I encourage you to inquire about Nierman Preschool.
Ask questions. Visit the campus. Meet the people. Picture what it might feel like for your child to begin there and continue growing within the larger JCC community.
We went looking for a preschool for Zev and Ethan. We found an incredible first chapter for our whole family.
