The nation’s first Hebrew-English charter school is set to open Aug. 20 in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The word of mouth response to its establishment has been simply overwhelming. So overwhelming that school principal Rabbi Adam Siegel must already consider expanding enrollment to include additional grades.
The school, named after Joshua Ben Gamla, a first-century high priest in Israel who allegedly established the concept of public education system in antiquity, will be open to all residents of both Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
With all of the excitement, Siegel emphasized that Ben Gamla is not for parents who want their children to receive a traditional Jewish day school education.
“I have four kids and I’m not sending them there,” he said. “I want my kids to study Torah and daven.
The visionary behind the school is former U.S. Congressman Peter Deutsch. He helped the National Ben Gamla Charter School Foundation, a non-profit organization; secure a charter from the Broward County Public School District.
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3 Responses
What type of school is this? Will it be open to only Jewish families?
From the few facts included in this story, I can’t make much out of it. Is this a public school like the Arab public school they plan to open in Brooklyn? If so, what makes it “frum”?
If it is, why is it legal? If it isn’t, what’s the significance to us? Another “Jewish Culture” school? Big deal. Unlike the Arab school you can expect they won’t have a shred of religious education.
ok for the record — it is not a frum public school –according to laws of the state thats illegal – it is a jewish themed school which means kids who go to public school that are isreali for instance now can do there and they will teach navi as history and teach ivrit as the langauge but cannot make a minyan or bench out loud or any of that sort — it is a jewish themed public charter school –the director adam segal has said many times that if you have a frum kid and want him to go there ,he does not recomend bec he wont get a frum education …big difference