New Milford—Founders and leaders of the Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County (SSDS) “cut the ribbon” on a new endowment donor wall on June 7, representing $3.5 million in legacy and cash gifts raised to date. The Etz Haim endowment campaign, launched in late 2015, recognizes the generosity and commitment of current and pioneer donors committed to the long-term success of the school, which is now in its 43rd year.

Educating some 425 students from 3-year-olds through eighth graders, SSDS has a deep history of laying the educational and moral foundation on which children grow into confident, intellectually inquisitive and compassionate adults who contribute to the Jewish and global community.

From the renowned Singapore Mathematics program in elementary school to an inter-disciplinary, eco-educational organic garden, from its research-grade microscopy lab to its annual eighth-grade Israel Encounter, Schechter provides a cutting-edge education and engaging new and innovative programs, including the gold standard International Baccalaureate certification for Middle School, which SSDS anticipates it will secure in 2018.

Over the past five years, SSDS also has established a thriving annual-giving campaign, enabling the school to continue serving a diverse population from Bergen, Rockland and Hudson counties as well as New York City by providing generous tuition assistance packages to families in need and ensuring delivery of world-class academics, joyful Judaism, a strong moral compass and a warm, inclusive community. For more information about Schechter’s Etz Haim Endowment Campaign, please reach out to Michelle Weinraub, director of institutional advancement at [email protected].