Outside of Catholic schools, Jewish schools represent the largest religious affiliation for high school education in the city. The vibrant Jewish community has access to a host of school options that provide both competitive academic programs and religious educati𝔍on🐽.
Most Jewish scꦫhools offer longer school days to host this dual curricula. Some are fully co-education while some co-ed schools may divide religious subjects by gender and still other institutions are all-boys or all-girls, focusing on different areas of religious education.
Many Jewish schools also encourage graduates to spend a gap year in Israel to study Judaic topics in a purely religious school, or♚ yeshiva.
Stand-alone institutions accept applicants from across the city and regio🅠n, while many high schools are connected to middle or elementary school programs that feed their freshman classes. Smaller schools often cater to local students in a given borough; larger schools accept students from across New York State and beyond, including from neighboring communities in the tri-state area.
The Post’s select📖ion💝 of schools reflect their strong academic performance and offerings, religious instruction, student resources, community engagement and reputation. The graduation rates are self-reported by the schools.
ABRAHAM JOSHUA HESCHEL HIGH SCHOOL
20 West End Ave., Manhattan
Enrollment: 250 (approx.) (co-ed)
Four-year graduation rate: N/A
Tuition: $50,760
This school on the Upper West Side seeks to embody the inclusive ethics and philosophy of its namesake, 20th-century theologian, philosopher and civil rights leader Abraham Joshua Heschel. From its coursework through its religious programming, the school emphasizes diversity andꦆ pluralism.
Like many Jewish schools, He🔯schel begins the school day wꦐith prayer service, or tefilah.
Diver💞sity holds a place in electives throughout the school’s curriculum, especially for students in their final year.
Heschel also boasts a robust musical department, with a jazz band, a ☂capella group an electronic music club, as well as a recording studio.
RAMAZ UPPER SCHOOL
60 E. 78th St., Manhattan
Enrollment: 359 (co-ed)
Four-year graduation rate: 100%
Tuition: $34,815
Ramaz models itself as a college preparatory program with highly structured Jewish and secular education programs. With approximately 90 students in each grade — composed of students from its💛 middle school program and other schools — the school boasts high 🐬SAT and ACT scores and four-year college attendance.
In line with Ramaz’s college focus, students can hone their studies with a choice of five general studies majors, four Judaic studies majors and four academic minors. In addition to elective classes in business, journalism, media, politics, science and technology, the🧔 school hosts more than a dozen honors courses for seniors to take Advanced Placement exams.
Ramaz students can enjoy a rich extracurricular life, competing across several sports, debate, mock trial, model United Nations, 🍷model congress and a national Bible contest, among others. There’s also a feminist club, a French culture club, a choir and numerous stude🌊nt publications.
THE SALANTER AKIBA RIVERDALE ACADEMY (SAR)
655 W. 254th St., The Bronx
Enrollment: 634 (co-ed)
Four-year graduation rate: 100%
Tuition: $26,510
This Bronx school’s ethos revolves around individual development and growth over pure academic performance. Students are not ranked, grades are unweighted and there are no honor society 🦹or academic awards for individual students, aimed at promoting a noncompetitive environment focused on exploration.
“We reallꦫy think the more the kids feel connected to the school and the happier students are in their school, the better they’re going to learn and the more strongly they will identify with the school’s values,” said Rabbi Jonathan Kroll, principal of the school.
For more individual focus💃, each grade of 150 students is broken up into groups of about 10 for a weekly meeting with a dedicated member of the faculty or administration, wher𝕴e students work through issues like acclimating to high school or planning their futures after graduation.
The school offers French, Spanish and Arabic courses for all four years. Hebrew studies expand from language courses t💟o explorations of classic and contemporary literature. After a full year of studio art and a year of music, humanities-focused students can choose courses ꩲin 3-D art, musical theater, Asian history and more.
YESHIVAH OF FLATBUSH JOEL BRAVERMAN HIGH SCHOOL
1609 Avenue J, Brooklyn
Enrollment: 670 (co-ed)
Four-year graduation rate: 100%
Tuition: $36,000
With extensive facilities, student resources and extracurricular activities, the co-ed Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School’s students have plenty of choices, with a balance of secular and religiouಌs education.
The school’s Judaic studies are gender-separated and shaped around the school൩’s core Zionist ethos, with Jewish subjects taught in Hebrew. On the secular side, Flatbush Yeshivah offers dozens of Advanced Placement courses and requires that students graduate with a Regents diploma with an advanced designation.
“It’s fully integrated, and I think that’s one of the things that sets us apart as a Jewish school is we value them both and say each one informs the others,” said Rabbi Joꦦseph Beyda, the head of the school. “The Judaic and the secular, each make th♌e other excellent.”
A recent extension to the building added a library, additional classrooms, student meeting spaces and a center for religious learning. The school also sports a Mac lab and 🧸provides every freshman student with a Chromebook laptop.
YESHIVA UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL FOR BOYS (MTA)
2540 Amsterdam Ave., Manhattan
Enrollment: 290 (approx.) (boys)
Four-year graduation rate: N/A
Tuition: $23,000
Housed in a century-old Washington Heights building, this all-boys school was a trailblazer in the dual secular and religious curriculum format now common across Jewish high schools💞. As the prep school for Yeshiva University, the institution — also known as the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy, or MTA — blends extensive religious learning with college-level work.
Acceptiꦯng students from across the city and beyond, the school provides dormitories, events and meal options. Seniors can also elect to spend a few nights a week in the school’s residences for additional religious learning.
MTA ♎emphasizes religious studies and provides for additional learning opportunities with Yeshiva University students and rabbis outside of the normal school day. Likewise, the school has access to university-level facilities, labs and resources. Select students can collaborate with university faculty advisers on independent projects and take up to four courses at either the university or its business school program.
(The writer attended Yeshiva University.)
