Admission > FAQ's

1. What type of school Is Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School?
Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School, enrolling 400 students in TK (Transitional Kindergarten) through Grade 8, is a Jewish community day school serving children from diverse backgrounds. Located in the San Fernando Valley, Heschel provides a rich dual-curricular education that encourages independent and critical thinking, lifelong learning, self-awareness and compassion.

2. With which branch of Judaism is Heschel Day School affiliated?
One of the things that Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School prides itself on is that we are a community day school. This means that we are not aligned with any particular synagogue or religious movement; rather, we seek to embrace students and their families from across the Jewish spectrum. This allows us to accomplish things that most synagogues and schools cannot, namely, to build respect and understanding among Jews with different beliefs and practices.

3. Do I need to belong to a synagogue to apply?
Although we encourage our families to join a synagogue, affiliation is not required for admission to our school. Our student body represents the full spectrum of Judaism and includes children and families who make choices commensurate with their values and lifestyle.

4. What are the differences between Heschel and other private, independent schools? Public schools?
Heschel shares many of the same characteristics of top, highly respected, private, independent schools, such as experienced educators and administrators, specialized staff as early as kindergarten (e.g. language, art, music, and physical education), small class size, and an individualized approach. The primary difference between Heschel and other private and public schools is that in addition to a "secular" curriculum, we provide a pluralistic Jewish education serving the needs of Jewish families of all denominations and styles of Jewish expression. Another unique feature of Heschel is our integrated curriculum, which exposes children to many components of Jewish tradition throughout the day including the Hebrew language, prayer, culture, art, history, and geography.

5. How does the school balance the demands of both a general and a Judaic curriculum within each school day?

Our students successfully move on to the finest schools prepared in ways that others are not; they excel academically and have a clear understanding of the importance of making a positive difference in the world.  This is a direct result of our rich dual-curricular approach to their education.  Rather than dividing our day into Jewish and secular portions, all of our studies are approached in a unified curriculum that allows appropriate educational focus, fluidity and flexibility. For example, when studying a holiday, we may discuss the aspects of the day in Hebrew, produce a related art project, utilize math and science to create a dish for the celebration and then read a classic children’s text in English that brings the whole lesson together.

6. What if my child doesn't speak Hebrew?

That is not a problem. Our program offers maximum flexibility as we group students according to their level of understanding; covering honors (native speakers), intermediate, grade level and introductory classes at all grade levels. And, best of all, if your child starts with Heschel in Transitional Kindergarten, he/she will be the beneficiary of our innovative Hebrew Immersion program beginning their transformation in to bilingual students. Research has proven that second language learners gain greater academic achievement in other areas of study, including reading, social studies and mathematics, AND they develop a clearer understanding of the English language.

7. Where do Heschel students matriculate to?

We are proud to say that our graduates move on to a variety of respected independent and public schools including New Community Jewish High School, Milken Community High School, Harvard-Westlake, Brentwood School, Oakwood, Viewpoint, The Buckley School, LA Hebrew High, Campbell Hall, Calabasas High School, Oak Park High School, Thousand Oaks High School and Granada Hills High School.  The AJHDS Class of 2002 will be attending the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Dartmouth, USC, Claremont McKenna College, Occidental College, University of Michigan and University of Puget Sound just to name a few.

8. When should we apply to Heschel?
You may call the Office of Admission (818.368.5781 x306) beginning in August to request an application packet. We request that all applications for the 2008-09 school year be received by February 4, 2008. Admissions visits to the school are encouraged all year long. Additional applications may be considered after the deadline on a space-available basis.

9. What are the school's hours?
The 2007-08 school day is as follows:

GRADES 1 – 8
 REGULAR SESSION: 7:50 – 3:30
 MINIMUM DAY: 7:50 – 12:30
 SHABBAT: 7:50 – 3:00

TK – K
 REGULAR SESSION: 8:10 – 2:00
 MINIMUM DAY: 8:10 – 12:30
 TK CLUB & KINDERGARTEN ENRICHMENT: 2:00 - 3:30
 (SHABBAT 3PM)

12. Does Heschel offer bus service?
Heschel is proud to offer roundtrip bus service at an additional cost. We are currently in our 6th year providing this service. Helschel’s own bus drivers currently pick up and drop off over 1/3 of our students at clustered locations throughout the San Fernando and Conejo Valleys. Current stops include Valley Village, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Woodland Hills, West Hills, and Calabasas on three buses.

13. How do I get more information and an application for admission?
Contact Gayle Baigelman, Director of Admission at 818.368.5781 x306 to schedule a visit. To receive printed materials including an application, please call or email Gayle at Gayle_Baigelman@ajhds.com