Introducing The Kehillah School
The Kehillah School is an inclusive, independent high school in Palo Alto, rooted in Jewish values and culture and open to all. Kehillah brings together challenging academics, agency, and a close-knit community to create a highly individualized high school experience where academic achievement, well-being, and personal growth beautifully converge.
At the heart of Kehillah's approach is an understanding that adolescence is a pivotal period of intellectual and personal development. Students are developing their identities, values, independence, and sense of purpose. Kehillah's educational model, Belong, Build, Become, reflects this understanding, creating a continuous cycle of belonging, discovery, challenge, and growth.
BELONG
Kehillah's small size allows teachers to know students deeply and respond to their individual strengths, interests, and readiness. Students are invited to express their identities, build community, and forge meaningful relationships with faculty and peers. We understand that a sense of belonging is the foundation for deep learning, risk-taking, and individuality.
BUILD
Academic and leadership opportunities are guided by readiness rather than age or grade level, giving students access to meaningful challenges and the agency to shape their own educational experiences. Our expert faculty, deeply attuned to adolescent development and progressive education practices, partner with students to build academic prowess, self-reflection, agency, wellness, character, and joy. Over four years, students explore widely, build expertise, and forge paths distinctly their own.
BECOME
From holidays and community traditions to a vibrant Jewish Studies program exploring classical texts, ethics, and contemporary issues, Jewish values and culture are woven into the life of the school.Values including community, knowledge, dialogue, justice, agency, and loving-kindness provide a shared foundation for a diverse community where students learn to engage thoughtfully across differences.
The result is an education that leads to outstanding college admissions outcomes and graduates who know themselves, recognize what they have to offer, and are prepared to contribute meaningfully to the world around them.
A few things families notice first
- Students help shape their learning. Our director of high school and academic department work closely with each student to plan which classes they’ll take based on their interests and where they’re ready for more challenge.
- Athletics and theater are no-cut, so any student who wants to compete or perform gets a spot on the team or in the cast.
- Each Friday, our school community comes together to reflect on the week in our version of Kabbalat Shabbat (welcoming the Sabbath).
Kehillah students matriculate to a wide range of respected colleges and universities nationwide and internationally. - Students don't need to be Jewish, practice Judaism, or adopt any identity other than their own to fully belong here.
Rabbi Dennis Eisner, Interim Head of School
Rabbi Dennis Eisner brings a 43-year career leading local, national, and international Jewish organizations to The Kehillah School, where he now serves as interim head of school. A steadfast advocate for pluralism, interfaith outreach, and communal diversity, he has partnered with lay leaders to strengthen governance, guide strategic planning, raise critical funds, and deepen member participation. His career includes 25 years as a pulpit rabbi, along with directing Jewish summer camps, leading educational travel to Israel, and working with Jewish day schools, national teen programs, Jewish Community Federations, and Jewish Community Centers.
Explore Kehillah, where community, growth, and belonging come together. Join us in a place where your student will belong, build, and become their fullest self.
