Early Childhood Center (ECC):
Frequently Asked Questions

  • Our Toddler program is for students who will be two years old by December 31st of the school year.

    Our Nursery Aleph program is for three-year-olds and our Nursery Bet (Pre-K) program is for four-year-olds.

  • The core hours for our ECC classes are 9am - 2pm on Monday-Thursday and 9am - 1:45pm on Friday. Extra-care hours are available (see below)!

  • Yes! For Toddlers, early-care hours are available from 8am-9am. After-care hours are available from 2pm-5pm Monday-Thursday and 1:45-3pm on Friday (2:45pm in winter months).

    For Nursery Aleph and Nursery Bet, early-care hours are available from 7:30am - 9am. After-care hours are available from 2pm-5:30pm Monday-Thursday and 2pm-3pm on Friday (2:45pm in winter months).

  • Students may bring their own kosher lunch and kosher snacks from home. Parents may also opt into the lunch program, which allows families to select and purchase meals for their child. Dairy meals are currently catered by Bagel Boss and Sauly’s Pizza, and meat meals are catered by ShopRite Country Pointe.

  • Our classes are generally staffed with at least one instructor per 8 students.

  • Pride in Jewish faith and observance permeates every aspect of the day. Children participate in a joyful singing of daily prayers every morning, as well as the Hatikvah. Before eating, our students learn to recite the appropriate brachah (blessing). We learn aspects of each weekly Torah portion, and celebrate the coming of Shabbat and holidays with learning, songs and crafts. Our lessons are infused with Jewish values like chesed (kindness), derech eretz (respectfulness), and much, much more.

  • Absolutely! We would love to show you what makes our program so special. To schedule a tour, please fill out this online form. We will then reach out to you to find the perfect time.

  • We are closed for school vacation during Sukkot and Passover.

    Winter vacation takes place in the middle of January (Yeshiva Week).

  • Not for ECC-aged kids. District busing begins when students start Kindergarten.


  • There is currently no tuition assistance offered for our Early Childhood program.

  • We offer three payment plan options so you can choose what works best for your family! Tuition may be paid in monthly installments, in three installments, or in one lump sum.

  • Mercaz has a rolling admissions process, so students are accepted throughout the year. We offer an Early Bird discount for ECC families who register by January 31 of the enrollment year.

    For new families who tour after the deadline, they may receive the Early Bird discount by registering within two weeks of their tour.

  • If you are new to Mercaz, the first step is to schedule a tour with our Admissions Director. Then, you’ll fill out an application. Upon approval, you’ll be provided with a link to register your child and put down a deposit.

  • We’re here to help! Please reach out to Abra Kaplan, our Director of Admissions, at admissions@mercazacademy.org or call 516.696.4200 ext. 527 for any questions about the Mercaz Early Childhood Center.