Jewish Preschool / Day School in Manhattan, NYC

Abraham Joshua Heschel School:
Abraham Joshua Heschel School, located on West End Avenue in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, is an independent, Jewish day school offering a pluralistic approach to Jewish learning in addition to secular studies. We have four school divisions consisting of Early Childhood, Lower School, Middle School and High School. The quality of our humanities, arts, and science programs has enabled our graduates to be welcomed by outstanding institutions of higher learning. We engage our students in a meaningful relationship with the language, culture, land, and people of the State of Israel.

Jewish Educational Programs from Nursery through Grade 12: 
In an academic setting that values open, engaged inquiry, the school's curriculum interweaves the best of both Jewish and general knowledge and culture throughout the day. Within the context of this integrated and interdisciplinary approach, the school honors the intellectual integrity of the core subjects.

- Early Childhood Program:  
Nursery, Pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten. Our program reflects our deep respect for children and provides a warm and nurturing environment for our youngest students. Guided by our understanding how children learn best, we provide many opportunities for children to interact with people and materials, so they become inquisitive learners. We strive as well to cultivate each child's Jewish identity through daily prayers, blessings, and the celebration of Shabbat and holidays.

Each class has three teachers as well as specialists in the arts.The children's day is scheduled to reflect their need for a balance between active and quiet times; indoor and outdoor playtime, time for children to select their own activities, and time for teacher-directed activities.

Subjects include:
Language Arts, Judaic Studies, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, Music, Library, Art, Hebrew and Israel and Physical Education.

- Lower School Program:  
Runs from Grade 1 to Grade 5. We provide a rich and rigorous curriculum in both general and Judaic studies. Every part of the school day is planned to offer each student a challenging, well-supported, and nurturing environment. Our highly qualified and enthusiastic faculty brings the curriculum to life through analysis of text, thoughtful discussion, projects, and field trips. In all areas, the emphasis is on thinking and questioning. Jewish traditions form the basis for teaching ethical values and the imperative to treat others as we would like to be treated.

The Lower School curriculum in General and Judaic Studies are designed to promote independent thinking, healthy questioning, and solid skills. At each grade level, teachers meet the range of students' skills so that every child feels challenged and engaged. Students learn one-on-one with a teacher, in small groups, and in large groups to help them develop a deep understanding of the material presented. Our goal is for children to learn how to learn and to take joy in the process, enhancing their confidence and motivation to tackle new material and ask complex questions.

Much of the curriculum at this level is integrated. Teachers may combine social studies with reading and writing or Humash and Ivrit. Trips and hands-on activities bring the material to life and become the foundation for learning; the children often write wonderful, reflective pieces about these experiences.

Subjects include:
Language Arts, Judaic Studies, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, Music, Library, Art, Computer and Physical Education.

- Middle School Program:  
Includes Grades 6 to 8. Our Middle School program is designed around the unique developmental stage of early adolescence. In both general studies and limudei qodesh (Judaic Studies) students explore sophisticated concepts and practice abstract reasoning skills—exploring challenging texts, writing creative stories and persuasive essays, and participating in scientific and mathematical inquiry.

Our Middle School Program is rich in the arts. While developing competence in a variety of media, students have an opportunity to create beautiful artwork that captures the expressiveness that is a hallmark of their age. Our music program is designed to foster musicianship while enabling students to work as a team, listening to each other as they play or sing ensemble music.

Our Middle School is a warm and caring community where acts of hesed (kindness) and respect are the norm, and where we relish the opportunity to celebrate together through tefillah and through Hebrew song and dance. Middle School students build on their basic skills to acquire information that gives them a solid foundation across the disciplines. The program teaches higher-level research and thinking skills which allow students to select, research, analyze, and interpret topics presented in the classroom. Along with intellectual growth, the Middle School program emphasizes the students' social, emotional, moral, aesthetic, and spiritual development.

Subjects include:
Humanities, Math, Science, and Technology, Judaic Studies, Arts and Electives, Human Growth & Development and Physical Education.

- High School Program:
Includes Grades 9 to 12.  Our curriculum is the product of intense collaboration among faculty in all our disciplines. Intense and elaborate preparation underpin the informal environment you will note in our classes. Students in art classes imagine the classical world about which they read in ninth grade English. Science students discover that science and religion ask different questions and provide different answers. In Limudei Qodesh, students grapple with many of the social and ethical issues of today's world as they explore the texts of our tradition.

Hebrew classes include Israeli movies and discussion of the differences between American and Israeli culture as seen through film. Discussion of Israeli culture leads students to understand the complexity of a multi-ethnic society that includes immigrants from so many diverse countries. One of our social studies electives focuses on co-existence and inter-religious understanding. The school maintains a one-to-one laptop program. Each student and each faculty member carries and works with a computer. Classrooms are outfitted with interactive Smartboards; faculty use a digital course-management system. Many of our classes use discovery-learning techniques to enhance learning and participation.

Subjects include:
English Language and Literature, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, Limudei Qodesh, Hebrew, World Languages, Art, Music and Physical Education.

Additional activies for high school students:
Outside of the classroom, students engage in a full range of activities, from participation in the annual edition of our award-winning literary magazine Epitome, to a fashion design club, to a capella singing, ensemble, and jazz band, to mock trial and debate. Our athletic teams compete successfully in both Yeshiva and private school leagues.