Yeshiva K’Tana of Waterbury

Waterbury's Yeshiva K'Tana of Waterbury is a private, coed and Jewish affiliated school serving 216 students from Nursery(pre-K) through Eighth Grade. We are in our tenth year. . It is an orthodox grade school located in Waterbury,

They have an on-going fundraiser and would love to have the community help out with it:
Box Tops for Education is a very easy way to help the school; simply clip out the Box Top for Education coupons found on hundreds of participating products and mail them in to the school or bring them to the Federation office and give them to Debby Horowitz. Each coupon is worth 10 cents to the school. Twice each year, Box Tops will send the school a check for a total of up to $20,000 per year. Familiar brands included General Mills cereals, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Kleenex, Cottonelle, Scott and Hefty.

Yeshiva Celebrates 10 Years

When the first nine Orthodox Jewish families moved to Waterbury 10 years ago, only about eight children attended Yeshiva K’tana, the young children’s school. Families had to travel to New York to purchase kosher groceries. On Shabbat, the weekly day of rest which begins at sundown Friday, many families simply stayed home, unable to as much as push a stroller.

Ten years later, the community and Yeshiva K’tana have seen their numbers swell; Yeshiva K’tana now has 220 members. At a reception to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Yeshiva K’tana, nearly 400 people packed the ballroom at B’nai Shalom Temple on Roseland Avenue.

Things are much easier for the now well-established Orthodox Jewish community. Three groceries cater to them, including ShopRite in Waterbury. An impressive dessert display featured at the 10th Anniversary Celebration was prepared by First Class Caterers, a Waterbury company formed by former students of Yeshiva Gedolah.

A second Mikvah, a ceremonial bath house, was recently completed. For the past five years, neighborhoods where the families have settled have rabbi-approved Eruv, an enclosure of walls or string on posts that makes it possible for community members to carry burdens outside their homes on Shabbat, including pushing baby strollers.

Each year, the school honors parents and grandparents, as well as a member of the outside community. Rabbi and Mrs. Moshe Don Kestenbaum were parents of the year, and Dr. and Mrs . Dovid Rhein were grandparents of the year. Mayoral Aide Steve Gambini, also a resident of Overlook, received the Community Service Award from Yeshiva K’tana.

State Sen. Joan Hartley, who also lives in the neighborhood, was one of the few non-Orthodox guests at the dinner Sunday. She remembered planting tulips with children from the school on Columbia Boulevard just two years ago. “It’s just been a great run,” she said, marveling at the growth of the school.