Abraham Joshua Heschel School

The Abraham Joshua Heschel School describes its teaching philosophy as a warm, joyful, and rigorous dual curriculum that interweaves general studies with Jewish studies while fostering intellectual exploration, curiosity, imagination, and critical thinking. It emphasizes respect for each student and whole-child development—intellectual, emotional, social, physical, and spiritual—within a pluralistic, ethical community grounded in Jewish values, compassion, and social justice.

Applicants begin by registering for an in-person tour or open house through Ravenna, then submit a preliminary online application through Ravenna; for the posted 2026-2027 cycle, preliminary applications were due December 5, 2025, completed applications were due January 8, 2026, and families applying after the December deadline are asked to contact the Admissions Office directly. (heschel.org) Early Childhood applicants must meet age cutoffs by August 31, 2026 (3 for Nursery, 4 for Pre-K, 5 for Kindergarten), be fully immunized under New York State requirements, and complete a parent questionnaire, parent interview, play visit, and teacher observation form. (heschel.org) Lower, Middle, and High School applicants also apply through Ravenna and generally need parent/student interviews or assessments plus school records; Lower School requires two teacher recommendations and school reports, Middle School requires a teacher evaluation, transcript, recent standardized test scores, and a student essay, and High School requires student and parent statements, English/Math/Jewish Studies evaluations, a transcript, recent test scores, and a student essay. (heschel.org) Key posted dates include a financial-aid deadline of December 15, 2025, with notification/reply dates of February 5/12, 2026 for Kindergarten; February 26/March 5, 2026 for Nursery and Pre-K; February 11/27, 2026 for Grades 1-8; and February 12/March 12, 2026 for Grades 9-12, in line with ISAAGNY guidelines. (heschel.org) On the official admissions pages reviewed, Heschel does not publish a specific waitlist process or any stated admissions priority categories (for example, sibling or legacy preference). (heschel.org)