Welcome from our Head of School

Rochelle Zell Jewish High School first opened its doors in 2001 as Chicagoland Jewish High School, featuring a pioneer class of 26 students in rented space at Northwest Suburban Jewish Congregation in Morton Grove. Now in our 21st year, we are firmly established in our permanent Deerfield home where 149 students come to us each day from over 19 communities in the Chicago area and beyond.

In November, 2015 our school received a transformative gift from the Zell Family Foundation. In honor of this extraordinary support, our school was renamed Rochelle Zell Jewish High School.

As we have grown in size, so too has the reputation that Rochelle Zell has established for the excellence of its students, its faculty, and its rich program of Jewish and general studies, extra-curricular activities and athletics. But even as we have grown, certain fundamentals remain unchanged – the warmth and intimacy of our community, the close and caring relationships between teachers and students, and our commitment to the intellectual, spiritual, and ethical growth of each student. The individual journeys of our students are personal ones, to be sure, yet they are framed by the cumulative wisdom and experience of our Jewish traditions and values. Students at Rochelle Zell do not merely absorb the wisdom of others; they acquire their own wisdom. As our students work to define their faith, their identities, their connection to communities of purpose and their place in the world, they construct personal blueprints for living Judaism as responsible and involved citizens in the modern world.

More than 620 students have graduated from our school over the years and they are now making their mark on their colleges and universities of choice, and in the world beyond. Time and again, colleges that have accepted their first Rochelle Zell alumni reach out to us and ask whether there are any other students like the ones we sent their way. As our alumni community grows, we are gratified to discover that they are proud of and grateful for the many ways in which Rochelle Zell Jewish High School has prepared them to tackle the new challenges they face as independent young adults.

So thank you for visiting our website and I look forward to welcoming you in person when you come to visit our school!

Sincerely,

Tony Frank

Head of School