1st Hindu Preschool launches in Jamaica, Queens [Video]

27 Aug 2017 – NYC Hindu Coalition non-profit member VidyaDham Panchatatva Gitapith held their annual Krishna / Ganesh parade in Jamaica Queens. VidyaDham run by the Dey family, is a Bengladeshi Hindu Learning Center and Temple which focuses on study of the Bhagavad Gita and the “five elements” (Panchatatva) of Hinduism: earth, water, fire, air and space. The parade and school is maintained by the large NYC Bengali Hindu community which reaches more than 35,000 members.

It was announced at the parade that the VidyaDham Panchatatva Gitapith, under the auspices of its founder and leader Priyatosh Dey, would be launching NYC’s 1st Hindu Preschool with hopes of becoming City recognized and funded. The announcement came after a Friday meeting with the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit which suggested Hindus use their temples to take advantage of Mayor de Blasio’s pre-K program which allows community residents to open pre-Ks which can then apply for City recognition and funding.

It has been established that a weekly meeting will be held at the VidyaDham center in order to officially institute a Jamaica Community Hindu Pre-K which can then receive City authorization and funding; this 1st Hindu Pre-K will also serve as a model for other neighborhood Hindu Pre-K’s. The program was initiated by a larger campaign to add the Hindu Holidays of Diwali and Holito school calendars so that NYC Hindus may be represented the same as Muslims, Jews and Christians.

NYC Hindu Coalition has started a T-Shirt fundraiser to open the pre-K, pay associated legal costs, and build an online version of the school which can be used as a central hub for lesson plans and community announcements for all future participating Hindu Pre-K groups. The school will focus on the Panchatatva, the 5 Elements, as this way Hinduism can be presented in a more secular form that can be better integrated into public institutions.

Any Hindu residence of Jamaica Queens who would like to work with us to establish this 1st NYC Hindu Preschool please contact Priyatosh Dey.  You may also volunteer and attend meetings to help us bring this program to other City neighborhoods. It is important that Hindus take advantage of the programs being offered and utilized by other groups, we need to work together to secure a better future for ourselves and Hinduism.

VidyaDham
Priyatosh Dey

Tel-646 643 3668

Email- pdey247@gmail.com