Rabbi Heschel

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

January 11, 1907 – December 23, 1972

We celebrate with pride the 100 year anniversary of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s birthday.

Our school was the first of four North American schools to select Abraham Joshua Heschel as our namesake in 1975. Heschel’s dedication to Judaism, pluralism, freedom, and human dignity reflects the core values of our school.

Born in Poland on January 11, 1907, Abraham Joshua Heschel was the last of six children following seven generations of distinguished rabbis. At a very young age, Heschel was considered to be a religious prodigy and genius, destined to continue the family’s legacy. Surrounded by love and admiration, Heschel enjoyed a privileged position among adults and scholars who filled him with wonder and appreciation for God’s miracles.

When Heschel was nearly 10 years old, his father died suddenly. Heschel’s education was turned over to his uncle, whose religious philosophy was rigid and extreme, creating a lifelong tension for Heschel. By age 17, Heschel had completed a traditional Yeshiva education and rabbinic ordination. He had also rejected an arranged marriage. Against the wishes of his family, Heschel chose to pursue a secular education; he also removed his earlocks and prepared for entry to the University of Berlin.

Heschel simultaneously earned both a doctorate and a second reform rabbinic ordination in 1933, the same year that Hitler came into power. In 1938, Heschel was abruptly deported back to Poland by the Nazis. Fortunately, Heschel was one of five Jewish scholars offered a visa to the United States, but he was unable to convince his family to leave with him; his mother and three of his sisters perished in the Holocaust.

Heschel taught at the reform Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, though he relocated to the conservative Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in New York five years later. Shortly thereafter, he married Sylvia Straus, a classical pianist. Their daughter Susannah Heschel is presently a Professor of Religious Studies at Dartmouth College.

At JTS, Heschel became widely known and respected outside the Jewish world. Heschel helped spearhead Jewish-Christian dialogue and served on White House commissions on Children and Youth, Aging, Religion, and Race. In 1965, Heschel marched for civil rights in Selma, Alabama with his personal friend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He adamantly protested the Vietnam War, and spoke out for freedom for Soviet Jews. 

Heschel teaches us how to be Jewish in the 21st century. He saw the world as filled with wonder: life is a miracle to be appreciated. He believed that religious schools are essential to teach not about “human beings, but about being human.” Heschel epitomizes righteousness and integrity, intellectual exploration and study, holiness and compassion. His eloquent and inspirational writings evoke a deep sense of pride in our Jewish heritage and instruct us to “build one’s life as if it were a work of art.”

Named in honor of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, Heschel Day School is a community day school independent of any institution, which develops awareness, understanding, and respect for the many divergent modes of Jewish beliefs and practice. Rabbi Heschel’s dedication to learning and his passion to demonstrate the relevance of Judaism to the needs of our time serve as the foundation of our philosophy and program. It is important that our students understand and respect the diversity that exists within the Jewish community both in America and in Israel. Students study the philosophy and practices of the various traditions within Judaism. Rabbi Heschel’s voice continues to challenge and inspire our students as they cultivate an understanding and respect for other people and their cultures while embracing our own unique heritage.

"Every human being has something to say, to think, or to do which is unprecedented. Being human is a novelty, not a mere repetition or extension of the past, but an anticipation of things to come… A person has the capacity to create events."