Our History

Gross Schechter Day School is a member of the Solomon Schechter Day School Association (affiliated with the Conservative movement) that began about 80 years ago and now has about 79 member schools all across the United States and Canada.

The school began modestly in 1980 when it opened its doors as Solomon Schechter Day School of Cleveland with 15 students in kindergarten and grade one in classrooms at Congregation Beth Am in Cleveland Heights. As grades were added, the school outgrew the available rooms at Beth Am and moved to Greenview School in South Euclid where it prospered for several years. It grew to over 150 students in kindergarten through 8th grade.

When the local school system needed its building, Schechter moved to Park Synagogue and in 1992 to its immediate past location in the former Malvern School in Shaker Heights, where a preschool was added.

We opened our own new campus in Pepper Pike in August 2002 with 280 students. Today, Gross Schechter Day School remains a vibrant and growing community of 333 students with a bright future.

Timeline of Significant Events


1979		 Founding members met to discuss establishment of a third option for a Jewish day school in Cleveland. Dr. Coleman Brosilow serves as founding President of the Board through 1984.
   
1979 Founding members joined Solomon Schechter Day School Association
   
August 1980 First Day of School – Solomon Schechter Day School of Cleveland; Beth Am Congregation, Cleveland, Heights Enrollment: 15 students
   

1983-84		 Schechter moved to Greenview School in South Euclid Enrollment: 150 students
   
1984-85 Gained support of Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland (JCF)
   
1985 Middle school established
   
1986-87 Became beneficiary agency of JCF
   
1987-88 First 8th grade graduation (six students graduate)
   
1990 School district re-opens Greenview, Schools moved to Park Synagogue, Cleveland Heights
   
1992 Moved to Malvern School, Shaker Heights  Enrollment: 170 Students
   
1992 First Schechter Alumni to Attend Ivy League University
   
1992 Tribute Dinner Honoring Founding Benefactors Sidney Caplan and Nathan Shafran
   
1993 Tribute Dinner Honoring Bill Heller
   
1993 Preschool Opens
   
1993 First Totally Kosher Rib Burn Off
   
1995 First 8th Grade Israel Trip
   
1997 Tribute Dinner Honoring Gary Gross
   
1999 Schechter begins seven year domination of local Math competition before the competition disbans
   
2002 State-of-the-art 10 acre campus built
   
2003 Co-ed Soccer Established
   
2005 Gross Schechter Day School establishes Great Lakes Regional Schechter Showdown Regional Basketball Tournament
   
2008-09 Matok Bible curriculum adopted
   
2007 First Jewish Day School in America to Win the USDA’s Team Nutrition Gold Award
   
2007-09 Rabbi Jim Rogozen, Chair, National Schechter Principal’s Council
   
2007 Rabbi Jim Rogozen Appointed to Advisory Board, Davidson School of Education, Jewish Theological Seminary
   
2008 Girls Tennis Established
   
2009 Preschool Full for Third Year in a Row
   
2010 Alumni Association Established
   
2010 30th Anniversary Sefer Torah Dedication - Schechter's First Sefer Torah