Our Yeshiva’s History

Whether it was known as the Yeshiva of Newark, Hebrew Academy of Essex County, Hebrew Youth Academy or Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy, this school pursued the path of its originators, a handful of people who wished to imbue their children with Torah based general and moral education that only a Yeshiva can teach. The philosophy has always been to educate modern American Jewish children to reach the individual potentials of future productive citizens.

The school was founded in 1942 with a vision that strengthened with time. The first principal of the Yeshiva, Rabbi Sholem B. Kowalsky, set a course of learning that propelled 20th century knowledge with 5000 years of religious guidance and teachings. Through administrators such as Louis Halberstater and Debbie Friedman, the Yeshiva grew.

It was through a merger with four Talmud Torahs in 1948 that school began to take on the atmosphere of a Day School. From the original seven students, the Yeshiva grew to approximately 400 students in its building on Clinton Avenue, Newark.

With the migration of the Jewish community to the Weequahic Section of Newark, and the merger of the Hebrew Youth Academy and the Jewish Institute, the newly organized Hebrew Youth Academy held classes at the Young Israel building, Lyons Avenue before making its move to Maple Avenue, Hillside.

The school moved to Centre Street, South Orange in the 1970’s – the building being an old estate home. With the growth of the student body, the school then moved into much larger quarters in West Caldwell in 1976. At this time the school also opened its SINAI program, the Metropolitan area’s only Yeshiva program that caters to students with special need and disabilities. In 1987 H.Y.A. became the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy. Since then, under the leadership of the Kushner family and the dedicated work of many, the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy moved to Livingston in 1996.

Mrs. Susan Dworken, and predecessor Rabbi Wallace Greene, have seen the growth of the elementary school population and the establishment of the first Yeshiva High School in Essex County in 1997. Under the direction of Rabbi Scot Berman, the Kushner Yeshiva High School opened its doors with 57 freshman students, an unprecedented enrollment for an upstart Yeshiva High School. Kushner Yeshiva High School was recently renamed to the Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School in memory of the schools’ matriarch and wife of Joseph Kushner.

Today the school educates over 850 students living in areas ranging from Livingston, NJ to Staten Island and Monsey, NY

The school is also an important partner with other community organizations as demonstrated by its role as host of the Jewish Education Association sponsored Central Hebrew High School, an after school program that provides courses in Judaic studies for 350 public school teenagers. We also house the Sinai Institute, the metropolitan areas only Yeshiva elementary school program catering to the special needs of developmentally challenged children. Recently Sinai broadened its services to include autistic children in its Hineni Institute. The Friendship Circle is yet another program that underscores our partnership with the community. Scores of our middle and high school students volunteer to “be a friend” to special needs community children.