A merger of Ezra Academy and the Jewish High School of Connecticut would result in a K-12 school

By Cindy Mindell ~
Last week, the board of trustees of the Jewish High School of Connecticut (JHSC) in Bridgeport and the board of directors of Ezra Academy in Woodbridge approved a memo of understanding creating a “strategic alliance” that will explore the viability of a potential merger by September 2013. Among the new ad-hoc committee’s considerations will be a new location for the combined institution.
“We are pleased that the two schools have entered into a 90-day period of exploration towards a merger that would result in a K-12 school,” says Sydney Perry, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven. “Both schools have requested from the Federation to move to the JCC of Greater New Haven. We strongly support ALL our Jewish educational institutions, as we support our other agencies, and look forward to ensuring that they are strong and vibrant. We are also exploring other collaborative efforts to strengthen the community.”
Any resulting merger will involve Ezra Academy and the Jewish High School of Connecticut, and not the Federation or JCC of Greater New Haven, Perry says.
JHSC may move to the facility as early as September 2012.
“Over the last month, the two boards have been talking seriously about opportunities that could benefit both institutions,” says Linda Berger Spivack, president of the Ezra Academy board of directors. Everything is now on the table, she says, from a common mission to governance and staff. “We have a lot of hope going into this process and have been receiving positive feedback from the community,” she says.