Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School

Specialties

Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School provides a rich dual-​curricular education for grades TK-​8. We encourage independent and critical thinking, lifelong learning, self-​awareness, and compassion.

In partnership with our families, we inspire our students to become active, dedicated, ethical, and informed citizens and leaders who are committed to Israel and the vitality of the Jewish people.

History

Established in 1972.

Heschel was founded in 1972 by a group of visionary families in the San Fernando Valley, with the support of local Conservative and Reform rabbis who wanted to establish a community Jewish day school that would provide exemplary programs in both General and Judaic studies.

Within a short time, the school began to gain recognition for its outstanding educational program developed under the leadership of its founding principal, Shirley Levine. In 1979, the school’s three acre campus was permanent. Following Shirley Levine’s retirement in 2003, Betty Winn was Head of School for a decade, and now Larry Kligman (’85) is Heschel’s current Head of School, having spent over twenty-​five years at Heschel, first as a student, later as a teacher and coach, then a Middle School Director and Assistant Head of School, and his current role as of July 1, 2013.