Yeshiva of South Shore (YOSS) was established in 1956 by Rabbi Binyomin Kamenetzky, a long time activist and problem solver. As a result of the suburban immigration of New York’s Jewish population, more and more families were moving into what is known as the Five Towns.

But, in the 1950′s, the neighborhood was still a fledgling community without the amenities of today. The South Shore Jewish Center, as it was then called, was the very first school of its type in the Five Towns Area. In 1956, a bequest for the 11 advancement of Jewish education enabled the young school to purchase a building on Oak Street. The initial enrollment was only 12 elementary school aged students, but as the neighborhood grew, so did the school.

In a short amount of time, acquisition of another building on William Street in Woodmere, and expansion of the school became necessary. As children graduated from elementary school, it was clear that it would be necessary to open a middle school so the graduates could maintain continuity of education. A preparatory school was therefore established to provide youngsters with the educational tools and skills they would need in high school. With the first graduation in 1963, YOSS began to make measurable, visible inroads in the community. In addition to educational initiatives, YOSS began to address other emerging community needs by providing various human services.

In 1965 Rabbi Kamenetzky took what was considered a daring, even foolhardy step. A piece of land was purchased in Hewlett, Long Island and a brand new school was constructed. The neighborhood itself was relatively new, but Rabbi Kamenetzky was intent upon extending the borders of the community and time proved him prescient. The school continued to grow and in 1987 the Ateres Yaakov High School was founded with a view toward providing a quality college

Today, the original Yeshiva of South Shore has grown to an educational and social service network servicing students from preschool to college age and their families. YOSS works collaboratively to ensure the optimal development of every child through an educational support system, a nurturing of each student’s unique creativity, an offering of educational challenges, a broad liberal arts curriculum, character building and development, guidance counseling, family counseling and integrated career planning. YOSS has successfully demonstrated the ability to imbue young people with idealism and a proactive approach to learning about their heritage.