Rabbi Edward Harwitz, Founding Head of School

The Jewish High School of Connecticut is pleased to announce the appointment of Rabbi Edward Harwitz as the founding Head of School.  With over 20 years of experience in Jewish education, Rabbi Harwitz is known for his leadership in pluralistic Jewish high schools.  Previously, he served as the founding Head of the academically prominent Jewish Community High School of the Bay in San Francisco, CA.

Most recently, Rabbi Harwitz served as the Director of Israel Programs at the Milken Community High School in Los Angeles where he earlier served as the Director of Student Affairs.  In this capacity, Rabbi Harwitz instituted the Tiferet Israel Fellowship, a three-year program beginning with a semester of learning in Israel and now attended by over fifty high school students annually.

Regarding Rabbi Harwitz, the President of the Board of Trustees of JHSC, Susan Birke Fiedler, cited his outstanding record as an academic leader and his ability to produce graduates who are “well-prepared to excel at outstanding colleges and universities and well-equipped to become responsible members of society.” “He is also a very caring person with a genuine interest in the emotional well-being of each student,” she added. “Under Rabbi Harwitz’s leadership, The Jewish School of Connecticut will offer a powerful blend of the most effective modern methods and unparalleled models of traditional Jewish inquiry.  It is ideal for the student who likes to think, explore, and engage—the student who will take an issue and unravel the layers of complexity, often through the lens of Jewish traditions and text,” Fiedler said.

Rabbi Harwitz was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York where he also earned Masters of Arts degree in Hebrew Literature.  Prior to his ordination, Rabbi Harwitz earned a Masters in Hebrew Letters from the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, California and studied extensively at Machon Shechter in Jerusalem, Israel.  Rabbi Harwitz earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History at the George Washington University in Washington, D. C.

According to Harwitz, the Jewish High School of Connecticut will seek to cultivate students “with excellent academic skills, a profound sense of Jewish identity and a strong moral center, prepared for college and for life”. “Teachers at JHSC will expect students to actively express their voices, in and outside of the classroom”, Harwitz said. “While benefiting from world class educators in general and Jewish studies, along with a robust co-curricular program of athletics and the fine and performing arts, students will play a vital role in the development and growth of the culture of our Jewish High School”.  According to Harwitz, “students will develop intellectual and social skills that will be immensely valuable during the college years and beyond.”

In a recent interview, Rabbi Harwitz expressed great excitement with the opportunity to serve as the Head of School for the Jewish High School of Connecticut.  “I am honored and excited to work with such a warm, committed Jewish community – working with students, parents, Rabbis, educational colleagues and lay leaders to build a new model for Jewish education that will serve a broad, diverse Jewish community in Southern Connecticut”.  Rabbi Harwitz lives in Fairfield County and is a member of three Synagogues.  He anxiously awaits the halutzim – the pioneer class of the Jewish High School of Connecticut – when the High School opens in the fall of 2010.  In addition to serving as the Head of School, Rabbi Harwitz looks forward to teaching a course in Jewish text, cheering on the JHSC sports teams, attending school sponsored theatrical and musical performances and, during lunch time and free time, sitting, talking and playing guitar with students.