SCHOOL 2023

JEWISH HIGH SCHOOL PROFILE 2024

3900 Fabian Way · Palo Alto, California 94303 · 650.213.9600 · Fax 650.213.9601

Daisy Pellant, Head of School Kaylin Liang, Director of College Counseling

Roy Danovitch, Associate Head of School kliang@kehillah.org
Jordana Bischoff, College Counselor
CEEB/ACT CODE: 053173 jbischoff@kehillah.org kehillah.org

OUR STORY
FOUR COMMITMENTS Kehillah is distinguished by an exceptional academic program in a
supportive environment. At Kehillah, students embark on a journey of
self-discovery guided by a community of passionate educators. They
1 Everyone counts. graduate with the knowledge, values, and community that enable them to
2 Everyone has equal create extraordinary futures.
access to great learning.
3 Everyone’s unique talents
BACKGROUND
are valued equally. Kehillah is an independent high school that welcomes a diversity of
students from Silicon Valley and the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
4 We take responsibility
Our campus offers state-of-the-art physics, chemistry, biology, and
for ourselves, our
engineering arts labs, music and art studios, a “black-box” theatre, and an
learning, and our
exceptional gym and athletic facility in collaboration with the Oshman
community.
Family Jewish Community Center. Average classroom size is 12 students.
Kehillah is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and
Colleges and by the California Association of Independent Schools.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Kehillah’s experiential learning program is central to the student experience. It includes weekly Reflective
Practice/Heart-Work, Beit Midrash (lit. house of meaning-making), Kabbalat Shabbat, Advisory, grade-level Seminars, Just
Communities townhalls, and annual local and international grade-level educational travels. These programs help our
students become citizens of the world - socially aware, engaged, and working for a more just and kind world.

CURRICULUM
Kehillah operates on an 8-block schedule. Students engage in a challenging array
of courses in English, History, Social Studies, Math, Visual and Performing Arts, CLUBS
Science, and Language (see graduation requirements). Students in grades 9-11 Architecture, RAMbassadors,
enroll in at least 7 courses (with 1 free block). At least 6 courses (and 2 free Bridge, Women in Science,
blocks) are required for students in grade 12. Biology, The 3900 (student
In addition, each smester, students are required to choose one Jewish Studies newspaper), Gardening, Fun
elective from three areas of concentration: Thought and Tradition, Life and and Games, Debate Team,
Culture, or History and Identity. Our text-based courses focus on the exploration Chess, Screenwriting,
of canonical texts from biblical and rabbinic literature and involve the study of Robotics, Creative Coding,
both Hebrew and Aramaic. All courses offered by the Jewish Studies department Video Production, Kindness,
are UC-approved, draw upon 3,000 years of Jewish tradition, and prepare Debate, GSA, Model UN,
students to become better global citizens. Yearbook, Jewish Life
Committee, and MishMosh
NOTES ON THE CURRICULUM (not an exhaustive list)
• Students enroll in Honors and AP courses through a process of individual
course counseling and academic departmental recommendations. ATHLETICS
• Jewish Studies are required every semester. Students often make curricular Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer,
choices for junior and senior year taking this additional course requirement Tennis, Cross Country,
into account. This might mean opting out of an AP course to accommodate Baseball, and Track
the additional Jewish Studies core requirement in their schedule.
 COURSE OFFERINGS
GRADUATION DIRECTED STUDIES MATHEMATICS
Directed Studies Algebra 1
REQUIREMENTS Geometry
ENGINEERING ARTS
Algebra 2/Trigonometry
English 4 years Computer Science and Coding
Algebra 2/Trigonometry Honors
Mathematics 3 years Engineering 1 & 2
Precalculus
Robotics 1
Science 3 years Precalculus Honors
Data Structures/Adv. Algorithms Honors*
Calculus
History 3 years AP Computer Science
AP Statistics
World Languages 2 years ENGLISH AP Calculus AB & BC
English 9 Multivariable Calculus/Linear Algebra*
Jewish Studies 4 years English 10
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Physical Education 1 year English 10 Honors
Physical Training
English 11
Visual & Performing Arts 1 year AP English Language SCIENCE
AP English Literature Biology
Additionally, all students must Senior English Options: Chemistry
successfully complete and present a Contemporary Jewish Literature Chemistry Honors
Capstone Senior Project as a The Harlem Renaissance Physics
requirement for graduation. Tolkien's Mythopoeia Physics Honors
Utopias and Dystopias Human Anatomy and Physiology
Voices in Magical Realism Marine Biology
Students in grades 9-11 must take at Yiddish Literature Introduction to Astronomy
least 7 courses. Grade 12 students AP Biology
must take at least 6 courses. HISTORY
AP Chemistry
World History 1 & 2
AP Physics C: Mechanics
World History 2 Honors
US History VISUAL &
GRADING SYSTEM Cold War & the 21st Century World PERFORMING ARTS
Diaspora History + Studio Art
& CLASS RANK Introduction to Economics Intro to Illustration
AP US Government and Politics Digital Design 1 & 2
• Grade point average (GPA) is calculated
AP US History Digital Photography
on the basis of all courses taken at AP Psychology Photography 2
Kehillah, except Physical Education The Reel Perspective +
and Directed Studies. JEWISH STUDIES
Advanced Art Making
Bibliodrama: 440 Years
• Courses taken outside of Kehillah are Senior Studio
Big Jewish Decisions: Stage and Page +
not included in the cumulative GPA. Cana'an to Kehillah
Publication Design (Yearbook)
• Kehillah uses a 4.0 GPA scale. Acoustic Guitar-Family Ensemble 1 & 2
Contemporary Israel
Jazz/Rock Ensemble
Honors and Advanced Placement Culture of Jews
Music Theory and Composition 1 & 2
courses receive a weight of +1. Holocaust and Society
Theater 1 & 2
• Consistent with Kehillah’s commitment Holocaust Historical Perspectives
Theatre Arts 3 Honors
to being a supportive academic Introduction to Comparative Religions +
Senior Studio - Theatre Lab
Introduction to Jewish Art & Vision +
environment that values all of our AP Studio Art - Digital
Introduction to Jewish Studies 101
students, Kehillah does not rank Jewish Monsters, Magic, and Superstition +
AP Music Theory
students or award academic Beyond AP Music Theory
Jews & the Early American Experience +
distinctions. Kabbalah and Human Personality + WORLD LANGUAGES
Kabbalah: God, Ourselves, & Each Other French 2, 3, 4 +
Monsters & Magic: Jewish Folklore + French 3 Honors +
ACADEMIC PROFILE OMG: 20th & 21st Century Jewish Theology
Self & Other in Jewish Thought
AP French
Hebrew 1, 2, 3, 4
CLASS OF 2024: 48 STUDENTS Space and Time in Jewish Thought Hebrew 3, 4, 5, 6 Honors
Theology, Ritual, & Theater + Spanish 1, 2, 3, 4
Mean Unweighted GPA 3.78 Warriors & Prophets: Biblical Women 1 & 2 Spanish 3, 4 Honors
Basic Hebrew required: AP Spanish Language (Level 4 req.)
Mean Weighted GPA 4.10 JSH Great Debates of the Talmud + AP Spanish Literature (Level 4 req.)
JSH Ethical Wisdom of the Talmud + Latin 1, 2, 3
May 2023 JSH Medieval Jewish Thought + AP Latin
JSH Moral & Spiritual Challenges Beyond AP Latin
122 students took 259 AP exams Level 3 Hebrew required: Mandarin 1, 2, 3, 4
Exams with scores of ≥ 3: 83% JSHI Moral & Spiritual Challenges
+ Not offered in 2023-24
Exams with scores of 4 and 5: 57%
* Offered alternate years
 SCHOOL 2023
JEWISH HIGH SCHOOL PROFILE 2024
3900 Fabian Way · Palo Alto, California 94303 · 650.213.9600 · Fax 650.213.9601

Daisy Pellant, Head of School Kaylin Liang, Director of College Counseling

Roy Danovitch, Associate Head of School kliang@kehillah.org
Jordana Bischoff, College Counselor
CEEB/ACT CODE: 053173 jbischoff@kehillah.org kehillah.org

SCHOOL PROFILE ADDENDUM

COVID-19 IMPACTS ON KEHILLAH

SCHOOL OPERATIONS
• School operated remotely for one full year (March 2020-March, 2021).
• School operated on a hybrid basis between March 8, 2021- June, 2021.
• Kehillah ran synchronous classes four days per week, with Wednesdays reserved for
experiential education, additional 30-minute AP class meetings, office hours, and a
much-needed break from Zoom-fatigue.
• After March 8, 2021, students were given the option to return to the building for in-person
classes. About 75% returned.
• Because of the particular challenges that Covid-19 presented, some students were approved
to take classes on a pass/fail basis during the spring semester of 2020. A passing grade
indicates a grade of 70% or above.
• School became fully operational for in-person classes beginning August, 2021 with no
option available for remote learning.

STUDENT LIFE
• No athletics teams met or competed between March, 2020-March, 2021.
• A limited number of school clubs met virtually.
• Spring athletics and many school clubs resumed in March, 2021.
• All normal school activities and athletics teams resumed beginning August, 2021.