Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School is a community day school that embraces pluralism in its approach to Jewish expression. In our environment, Jews across the spectrum of belief and practice can gather together for meaningful dialogue and the celebration of Jewish life. The fundamental values we hold in our school promote respect and community:

 

The Beit Midrash is a sacred space for prayer, reflection, and experiencing God’s presence (spirituality). Its beautiful stained glass windows depict values and the story of Creation. The Jerusalem stone ark is a backdrop for our historic Torah and its graceful art inspires appreciation and respect.

 

Our community is enriched by its pluralism. Peers, staff, parents, and administrators are treated with equal regard at all times, without judgment. While we encourage respectful dialogue and questioning for understanding, the opinions and beliefs of others are not challenged or criticized. Members of the school community are flexible in their approach to Jewish practice, deepening all of our understandings of Jewish life. 

 

The observance of Shabbat and kashrut are important expressions of Jewish identity that link us to our community, our values, our history, and our heritage. We strongly encourage all families to be sensitive to the variety of Shabbat and kashrut observance within our community.  As a school, whether on campus, on a field trip, or during any school-sponsored activity, we honor Shabbat and kashrut. Students bring dairy lunches to school, and our lunch program provides either dairy or kosher meat meals.

 

Celebrations of Shabbat and holidays bring us the joy of living in a Jewish community, along with the opportunity to relive key moments in our tradition. We dismiss early on Shabbat and on the eve of major holidays to allow for preparation at home or synagogue attendance.