Overview
Families across southern Connecticut want and need an independent, pluralistic Jewish high school - one that offers a rigorous, comprehensive curricular and co-curricular program of general and Jewish studies, athletics and the arts, in an open environment that encourages spirited discussion and cultivates critical thinking. To fulfill the high standards of Jewish education and to prepare students thoroughly for college and beyond, the Jewish High School of Connecticut (JHSC) and its faculty integrates well-established educational principles with progressive techniques and methods found in contemporary general and Jewish education.
Nearly 1000 years ago Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (Maimonides) established standards for Jewish education that directed and motivated students and teachers for generations. For Maimonides, great Jewish schools are rooted in the principles of Torah u’Madah-a robust, integrated program in Jewish and general studies that provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to lead enlightened, ethical and productive lives. In the current Jewish community of North America, too many Jewish day schools have deviated from these principles, offering curricula that promote doctrinaire ideologies and practices or graduate students lacking the knowledge and skills in Jewish text and tradition. JHSC seeks to reclaim the Maimonidean vision, applying this educational model to the needs and aspirations of the 21st century teenager.
The Jewish High School of Connecticut is not affiliated with any one synagogue or Jewish movement yet is all-inclusive. JHSC provides stimulating, challenging and supportive learning in an environment free from religious or ideological agendas. Students develop skills to make meaningful, informed choices on their own terms while building strong personal relationships with the American Jewish community and the land of Israel.