About Us
Mandel JDS - Cleveland’s only Jewish community day school, embracing a wide spectrum of the community in terms of perspective and affiliation while celebrating the richness of pluralism and the strength of diversity.
We believe that a community school is one in which Jewish students from all backgrounds and perspectives can learn from each other and celebrate our commonalities while understanding and appreciating our differences.
Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School was founded as The Agnon School in 1969 by a group of parents and community leaders for children from all Jewish backgrounds and affiliations. Agnon's founders included Robert & Linda Goldberg, Peter & Aliki Rzepka, Rabbi Mordecai & Haniti Schreiber, Simon & Ziona Kadis, and Walter & Beth Schaffer.
The Agnon School was named after Shmuel Yosef Agnon, the first Israeli to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1966. Agnon was firmly rooted in both worlds, just as we are here. The school's original mission was to teach students about their American and Jewish heritage in a non-regimental manner. In 1969, Agnon had a total of 19 Kindergarten and 1st-grade students with classes held at Congregation Brith Emeth in Shaker Heights. By 1994, Agnon School introduced Integrated learning and had classes for children in Early Childhood through 8th grade.
In 2015, Agnon School became Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School, in appreciation of a generous gift from the Joseph and Florence Mandel Family Foundation. Today we have over 350 students and remain true to the original vision set forth by our founders. As Cleveland’s only Jewish community day school, we embrace a wide spectrum of the community in terms of perspective and affiliation while celebrating the richness of pluralism and the strength of diversity. Our mission is to develop ethical leadership, confident critical thinking and a lifelong love of learning in our students. By integrating superior general academics and Judaic studies, we achieve academic excellence in a nurturing, welcoming environment that engages and teaches to the whole child.