The Leffell School

The Leffell School (formerly Solomon Schechter School of Westchester) is a K-12 co-educational, independent Jewish day school located on two campuses in Westchester County, New York — a Lower School (K-5) in White Plains and an Upper School (6-12) in Hartsdale. Founded in 1966 by Rabbi Max Gelb, the school has grown from twenty-two students in the basement of Temple Israel Center into a thriving community of hundreds of families drawn from the Tri-State area and metropolitan New York City.

Anchored in traditional Jewish observance, culture, text, and language while embracing a broad spectrum of Jewish ideologies, Leffell combines a rigorous dual curriculum of general studies and Jewish studies. The school emphasizes socioeconomic diversity, individualized learning, and preparing students to become multi-talented, community-minded future leaders.

In recent years, Solomon Schechter School of Westchester was renamed The Leffell School in honor of the Leffell family’s philanthropic support. Today the school offers distinctive programs such as its Space Program, Advanced Science Research, a Reacting to the Past curriculum, and the Akiva Program, alongside strong arts and athletics offerings across its 25-acre campuses.