Last week, for the first time in 70 years in Germany, students from the ‘Chabad Berlin Jewish-Traditional School’ were tested on the halacha and mitzvos of keeping kosher as part of their high school finals.

The student’s, studying in the eleventh grade, were tested on their kosher halacha and mitzvos finals project, becoming the school’s first group of students to be tested on these topics as part of their high school finals. The project’s grade will be added to the student’s total GPA, which includes all the other mandatory core subjects in Germany, making it an official part of the student’s official high school diploma.

In addition to teaching the core subject (foreign language teachings, math, and sciences), private schools in Germany are allowed to integrate different subjects into their curriculum, provided that they are acknowledged by the ministry of education and are being taught in German. As part of this policy, the ‘Chabad Berlin Jewish-Traditional School’ has put together a unique curriculum, combining Hebrew, halacha, Chumash and Torah studies, along with all of the required core subjects.

The school, from which the high school was developed, was established 10 years ago by Rabbi Teichtal, Rabbi of the Jewish Community in Berlin and is the only fully Jewish observant high school in Germany.

Consequently, the school gathers students from all over the Jewish community in the city. “We started out as an Elementary school only”, Tells Rabbi of the institution, Rabbi Gvirtz. “In the beginning, we had only two first grade classes and today, 10 years later, we have about 150 students, studying from the first grade to the eleventh. Next year, as part of the school’s growth, we are planning on opening a twelfth-grade class as well.”

In addition to its’ Jewish studies program, students of the ‘Chabad Berlin Jewish-Traditional School’ enjoy a rich Hebrew studies program, in which they learn Hebrew from as soon as the first grade. “One of our biggest achievements”, says Rabbi Gvirtz, “is that we are able to bring our first graders, who some of which come from non-Hebrew speaking homes to a full control of the Hebrew language, in both verbal and written Hebrew. The children then bring this knowledge back to their homes, passing that information to their parents and allowing them to also learn Hebrew”.

Photos: The school, Rabbi Gvirtz and of the students (credit: Berlin Jewish community center)

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)