Bess and Paul Sigel Hebrew Academy (Hartford Yeshiva) records

The Hartford Yeshiva, founded in 1940, was the second Jewish day school established in New England. The Yeshiva was created by members of the Orthodox community who felt that only a day school could provide the quantity and quality of education needed to perpetuate traditional Judaism. At the time, the school was one of relatively few in the country that offered girls a Jewish education equal to that offered to boys. In addition to a half day of Judaic studies, the school also provided an equal amount of time on secular education and was supervised by the Hartford Board of Education.

At its founding, the school immediately became a center of controversy, according to "Making a Life: Building a Community," as some of the more liberal Jewish leaders in Hartford felt that such a school perpetuated the segregation left behind in Europe and was "un-American." These critics supported the use of public schools, supplemented with after school classes in Judaism, in order to promote the acculturation of the community and foster assimilation. As materials in the collection demonstrate, the Yeshiva's response to this attitude was to institute a program of patriotism to foster "Americanism." The school continued this practice with student charity to non-Jewish (as well as Jewish) community organizations, an annual Election Fair with local political candidates, and various patriotic programs during the year.

Although most of these early critics eventually were convinced of the school's desire to fit into modern American life, some members of the community continued to feel that an Orthodox day school was a retrograde idea, even though most of the students attending the school were not "traditional" Jews. The school responded by focusing on the quality of its secular education, establishing a computer lab, programs for the "gifted and talented" students, and active competition in statewide and national science and mathematics competitions.

The Yeshiva of Hartford officailly changed its name in November 1969 to the Hebrew Academy of Greater Hartford. The Academy changed it name to the Bess and Paul Sigel Hebrew Academy of Greater Hartford in 1979. In 1988 "of Greater Hartford" was dropped from the name. The New England Jewish Academy was formed in July 2019 when the Bess and Paul Sigel Hebrew Academy of Greater Hartford and Hebrew High School of New England merged to form a single preschool – Grade 12 entity.