Our History
1966
Schechter Academy of New Haven opens at Congregation Beth El, on Harrison Street in New Haven, under the auspices of the Conservative Jewish rabbis and laity of New Haven, Conn. Eleven students are enrolled, with three teachers on staff. The school is founded with the goal of offering “an integrated [secular and Judaic] educational program utilizing the most effective recent techniques” that teaches students “the Jewish traditions in a way which is positive, creative, and fully integrated with the wider cultural life of our world.”
1969
The school moves to Congregation B’nai Jacob, where it is renamed Ezra Academy.
1971
Ezra becomes the first Jewish day school in the country to implement an open-classroom curriculum, and graduates its first sixth-grade class, totaling five students.
1973
Ezra reinstates scheduled classes, adds an art program, and establishes the Ezra Parents’ League.
1975
Ezra accepts its first Russian student as part of the Refugee Resettlement Program.
1977
Ezra establishes a middle school when it adds its first seventh grade class. The first eighth grade graduation, for five students, is held the following year.
1985
1985: Susan Wall appointed first female head of school.
Pictured here as Head of School in the 80s and years later with our current Head of School, Tani!
1988
The Ezra Academy MathCounts team wins the state championship.
1989
Ezra opens an 11,000-square-foot addition, including a gym/lunchroom, a science lab, a music room, and additional classrooms, in response to a dramatic increase in enrollment.
1981
Ezra becomes a regional Schechter school, or Conservative-movement school, for the Southern Connecticut area, and students from Bridgeport, Trumbull, and Fairfield begin enrolling.
1999
Ezra receives recognition from the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) for its “dedication to academic excellence through an integrated approach of secular and Judaic studies within a nurturing environment.” The school continues to hold CAIS accreditation through participation in the rigorous accreditation process every ten years.
2001
Ezra’s current head of school, Tani Cohen-Fraade, graduates from Ezra Academy.
2016
Ezra creates the Alumni Hall of Fame, with Rafi Prober as the first inductee.
2017
Ezra joins with other schools to found the Alliance of Small Jewish Day Schools, to facilitate joint social justice learning.
2018
Ezra opens its Montessori preschool, responding to demand from current families and the wider community. Also, Ezra students participate in the first trip to Alabama organized by the Alliance of Small Jewish Day Schools.
2020
Ezra Academy moves to open quickly during the pandemic, creating a joyful, in-person learning experience while observing the best practices for health and safety.
2023
Ezra cohosts New Haven event with noted scholar of Sephari literature Ilan Stavans, professor at Amherst College. Also, after the attacks in Israel, the Ezra community rallies around its Israeli and immigrant families, standing in solidarity.
Ezra Academy is joyfully Jewish—and also offers the best preparation your child can receive in secular subjects. Our students learn to love Torah and Hebrew, just as they learn to love math, science, and English. But most important, they are nurtured by warm, dedicated teachers, in a supportive environment that honors all learning styles and ability levels.
