The first day of school arrived with many familiar signs — kids carrying backpacks, holding lunchboxes, and feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness.
Parents said goodbye and children settled into their classrooms. Soon, the sounds of children reading, asking questions, laughing, and learning filled the hallways of Nashville Jewish Academy, which recently opened its doors to students for its inaugural school year.
The school’s guiding principles include building character, scholastic excellence, and rooted in Torah tradition.
In its first weeks, those principles are coming to life as a child sounds out a new word or works through a math problem. Alongside academic instruction, children are also learning lessons on honesty, helping others, taking responsibility, and understanding how being Jewish is not something we are, but something that shapes how we live.
Some of the most meaningful moments are happening beyond the classroom.
A recent example involved a first-grade student who brought home a presentation she had prepared about the weekly Torah portion. During a Shabbat meal with family and guests, she stood up and confidently shared what she had learned.
Her parents listened with pride. They watched their child confidently share Torah at their Shabbat table. Something she had learned in the classroom had traveled home and become part of her family’s Jewish life. They expressed their gratitude to Nashville Jewish Academy for helping make that moment possible.
The Judaic studies program, led by Morah Mushka Tiechtel, brings Torah to life through Parsha, Yahadus, Kriah, middot, tefillah, and the Jewish calendar. The goal is for children to not just learn about Judaism, but to experience, understand it, and ultimately love it.
Opening during the month of Elul made the first weeks especially meaningful. The sound of the shofar became part of the rhythm of school as students prepared for Rosh Hashanah and learned about teshuvah, tefillah, and tzedakah.
Nashville Jewish Academy is led by Dean Rabbi Yitzchok Tiechtel. Principal Michal Stern oversees general studies and academic program, while Morah Mushka Tiechtel leads Judaic studies. Their focus is to create a school where every child is truly known, individual strengths are recognized, and challenges receive attention.
They are still at the beginning, with traditions to create, important milestones ahead, including the process toward accreditation. Years from now, they hope there will be graduations, alumni, and family traditions.
Families interested in learning more about Nashville Jewish Academy can email nashvillejewishacademy@gmail.com.
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