Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School 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. Envisioning a community Jewish day school serving the diverse Jewish population of the San Fernando Valley, the school was opened with a kindergarten, adding one grade level each year.
With a commitment to the whole child and guided by the Jewish values of integrity, justice, intellectual curiosity, and compassion, Heschel Day School started as a grassroots operation scattered amongst campuses at four different synagogues throughout the Valley. 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, Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School’s three acre campus was permanently established in Northridge - the evidence of the dedicated work of parents and faculty.
Following Shirley Levine’s retirement in 2003, Betty Winn was named as Head of School. Now, forty years later, with 400 students on a three acre campus and state-of-the-art campus facilities, we have not only achieved our initial goals, we have far surpassed them.
Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors.
