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Arizona Jewish Academy Vision and Philosophy 

Arizona Jewish Academy is a private Jewish high school that serves our diverse greater Phoenix community in an environment aligned with Torah values and Halacha (Jewish law).  Through a rigorous and comprehensive dual curriculum in both secular and Judaic subjects, Arizona Jewish Academy lays the foundation for students to become lifelong learners and scholars steeped in their Jewish roots and identities, confident in their talents, adept at navigating the world around them, emboldened to turn challenge into opportunity, inspired to accomplish their personal bests, and equipped to become G-d’s instruments of light and His ambassadors of goodness and kindness in our world.

Arizona Jewish Academy's Four Foundational Pillars: 

Arizona Jewish Academy is rooted in an ideology molded and inspired by world-scholar Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz ob”m (may he rest in peace); an ideology that stems from the following four pillars: 

“Let My People Know” (Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz): 

At Arizona Jewish Academy, we believe that knowledge builds a firm bridge between our past and our future, so that the former can guide the latter, and provides our students with all of the tools necessary to make the best decisions in life, and to live a life of purpose, meaning, and impact. Our goal is to infuse our students with the rich knowledge of Judaism’s fundamental books and ideas, from the Tanach to the Talmud, from Rashi and Maimonides to modern-day Sages and their commentaries.

Guided by this idea, Arizona Jewish Academy offers a premier academic program of study in general and Judaic subjects, with content that is comprehensive in scope and intellectually challenging. Immersed within a joyful and passion-filled learning environment, students are empowered with advanced foundational knowledge that will enable the pursuit of continued learning and professional opportunities. With further learning opportunities in the arts, great literary works, advanced sciences and technology, world histories, and community outreach, our students will gain a rich cultural education and analytical background that will prepare them to fully engage in the world around them. 

Arizona Jewish Academy also creates knowledgeable and deeply-skilled critical thinkers. This lays a foundation for continued inquiry, personal growth, and intellectual development, preparing students to excel and become future leaders and independent thinkers in a rapidly-developing world.

“Ahavat Israel - unconditional love for every Jew” (Leviticus 19:18): 

Arizona Jewish Academy is a school for ALL Jews, regardless of background and level of observance. At our very core lies the firm belief that:

A. Our Divine souls are all one, and that no Jew can claim superiority over the other. Thus, we treat every single Jew with the same, unconditional love and respect, as we would treat our own selves.

B. The Torah is the inheritance of every single Jew, and it belongs to all Jews equally. No Jew, therefore, can ever claim ownership over it, and it is incumbent upon all to claim their share.

C. Although our Divine souls are one, we each have a different path and purpose. At Arizona Jewish Academy we are here to encourage every student to grow in their own Jewish journey, each, in their own way, so that we can each fulfill the unique purpose for which we were created. 

“The Divine Presence dwells only in a place of happiness” (Talmud, Tractate Shabbat 30b): 

At Arizona Jewish Academy, we strive to infuse every student with happiness, and a passion and zest for life and living, the God of Israel and His Nation of Israel, Torah and Mitzvot, and the realization of our individual purpose in our world. We firmly believe that a life with happiness invites God to partner with us, and enables us to rise above all challenges presented.

“The most important thing is deed” (Ethics of the Fathers 1:17): 

At Arizona Jewish Academy, we firmly believe that the most important thing is, indeed, the deed, and after all is said and done, “we are what we do.” We may possess all sorts of character traits and feelings, but at the end of the day, a smile, a helping hand, a generous act can mold us and our lives infinitely more than our inherent qualities and the emotions of our hearts.

Arizona Jewish Academy has therefore many built-in programs and opportunities to do good, individually, socially, and globally, from encouraging our students to give tzedakah every day, and perform other daily Mitzvot, to our “Tikkun Olam” projects that seek to make a local and even global impact, in our communities and in our world.

school philosophy, Arizona Jewish Academy, located in Scottsdale, AZ