Hebrew Academy is an exceptional learning environment for:

• We stress academic excellence in both general and Judaic studies.  The Judaic studies program reinforces and enriches the general studies program through the development of enhanced language skills and the ability to think critically.

• Our students’ daily schedule is planned efficiently for students and teachers alike in order to maximize learning opportunities.
• Students needing individualized attention do not affect the pace of learning of the entire class. We have very small classes that allow plenty of time for personal attention from teachers and their assistants.
• Our collegial Generals Studies and Judaic Studies faculty frequently plan complementary lessons that integrate the two curricula so that learning is mutually reinforced.
• Attending a Jewish Day School eliminates the need to go to Sunday school or afternoon Hebrew school allowing more time for homework and extracurricular activities.  The elimination of after school shlepping creates less stressed parents, less tired students and more quality time for families to spend together.
• HACD parents share a commitment to education that supports the work of our professional educators.  This creates an environment at home and in school that best cultivates a child’s lifelong commitment to learning. 

• Our alumni are a testament to our success.  Our graduates enter public high schools with a strong foundation of knowledge, social skills and study habits.  Many graduates experience an immediate academic advantage, especially in the area of critical thinking.   Students leaving the school at the end of 8^th grade often have completed at least one, and sometime two, Math Regents credits for high school.  Our students take the Hebrew Regents exam and are given credit for as many as three years of the foreign language requirement.  This is well in advance of public schools.

• Our nurturing school environment during the child’s most impressionable years builds emotional stability, self-worth, and a strong grounding in Jewish values.  This helps young adults cope with the real world.

• Endless possibilities await our graduates.  In their high schools many assume leadership positions, most appear on the honor roll, a few are valedictorians.
• Students are taught to care about their school and their community.  Reach Out And Read is a program for our 8^th graders to tutor reading skills to public school students.  Our 6^th graders regularly visit and bring good cheer to the residents of the Daughters of Sarah nursing home.

• We strive to give all of our graduates a good sense of themselves as American Jews.  Our goal for Hebrew Academy graduates is to develop into ethical young men and women who understand, cherish and live by Jewish traditions and values, and who possess a sense of responsibility to the American and Jewish communities in which they will participate.

• The Jewish Day School approach produces children with a strong understanding of “Klal Yisrael” – the Jewish people.  Studies indicate that day school graduates are likely to assume leadership positions in the Jewish communities in which they reside. This promotes the continuation of the Jewish community in the future.
• Judaic studies are woven into the fabric of the academic day, allowing students to experience daily the integration of Jewish values and secular life.  This approach promotes a strong and lifelong Jewish identification.
• Children and families make lifelong friendships because of the close-knit nature  of the school’s social environment. These friendships provide a support system that is helpful at times of joy and of sorrow, at times of celebration and remembrance.
• HACD has a special scholarship fund, Shomray Torah, to ensure that any Jewish family, regardless of income, that wants their child to receive an education at HACD is granted that opportunity. 
• Our tuition is kept relatively low compared to other private schools, in part because of help from the Jewish Federation of New York.

• HACD welcomes children from all Jewish affiliations and over the years HACD has attracted students from Orthodox, Conservative and Reform homes.
• Our Judaic staff reflects a cross-section of the Jewish community and our Judaic studies program accommodates differences in observance and promotes tolerance and understanding.  Teachers teach about the breadth of tradition and heritage but do not impose any orientation.
• Our school does not require or expect any level of observance or synagogue affiliation from the parents of students at our school.  We recognize the diversity that exists within the Jewish community and we respect and reflect families’ individual choices of religious affiliation. 
• Our goal at the Hebrew Academy is to provide our students with the knowledge and experiences they need to make informed decisions in the future…decisions about their level of Jewish observance…decisions about their association with the Jewish community…decisions about the incorporation of Jewish values in their lives.