Milken Community High School
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| Milken Community High School | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| 15800 Zeldins' Way, Los Angeles, California, 90049 Bel-Air,  California,  USA |
|
| Information | |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Enrollment |
approx. 800 |
| Faculty | approx. 120 |
| Type | Private, coeducational 7-12 |
| Mascot | Wildcats |
| Color(s) | Blue and White |
| Newspaper | The Roar |
| Established | 1990 |
| Homepage | www.milkenschool.org |
Milken Community High School, colloquially Milken, is a private Jewish High School. It is located on Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles, California|Bel-Air]] area of Los Angeles, California.
Though it is affiliated with the Reform Stephen S. Wise Temple, it is officially non-denominational.
The school's middle school spans grades 7 through 8, while the high school spans 9 through 12. Currently, about 200 students are enrolled in the middle school, while 600 students are enrolled in the high school, making it the largest Jewish day school in the United States.
Contents |
[edit] Programs
The school prides itself on several self-styled Centers of Excellence, including the Stephen S. Wise Music Academy and Los Angeles Youth Orchestra, its Educational Technology and Broadcast Studio Program, its Wildcats Athletics Program, the Advanced Jewish Studies Center, and the Mitchell Academy of Science and Technology. Other student organizations include The Roar student newspaper, the student-run Yearbook committee, the Writes of Passage literary club, Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), Junior Statesmen of America, "Robotics Team", WISE, the Friendship Circle Club, and Model United Nations, among others.
The school has a Mexico Exchange Program, an Israel Exchange Program (exclusively for the 8th Grade) and a monumental four month study abroad experience in Israel, called the Tiferet Israel Fellowship, based at Alexander Muss High School.
[edit] Tiferet Israel Fellowship
In partnership with the Alexander Muss Institute for Israel Education (AMIIE), MCHS offers an exciting and historic opportunity for students to learn and live in Israel for the Spring semester of the 10th grade. Through a full academic program, schedule of tiyyulim (field study and trips), personalized Chuggim (individualized activities) and partnership with Israeli teens, Tiferet Israel Fellows learn inside and outside of the classroom and build relationships with the land and people of Israel.
[edit] Academics
The academic departments are English, Social Sciences, Science, Mathematics, Jewish Studies, Hebrew, World Languages (Spanish, French, Latin, Chinese), Health, Information Technology and Media Studies, Physical Education, Visual Arts, Theatre Arts, and Music. All departments offer elective courses.
[edit] Judaism
All students are required to take four years of Hebrew, of which 18 different levels are offered. Four years of Jewish studies are also required, offered at regular, honors, and high honors levels (9th-Jewish Law, 10th-Chumash, 11th-Jewish Law, 12th-Jewish Thought). Minyan takes place once a week, with varied options such as traditional-egalitarian, yoga, social action, meditation, liberal, doubters, and others. An optional daily Mincha minyan is also offered. Through the Advanced Jewish Studies Center (AJSC), numerous Judaic electives are offered, including comparative religions, intensive Talmud study, comparative film, and others. Kivuns, in which guest speakers lecture students on topics relating to Judaism, are offered every week or two, of which each student must attend two each semester.
Milken, unlike Stephen S. Wise Elementary, does not directly affiliate itself with Reform Judaism or any stream of Judaism in specific. It aims to cater to all streams and levels of observance of Judaism.
[edit] Administration and Faculty
Milken's faculty and administration are extremely qualified in the subjects they teach, many holding advanced degrees including Masters and Ph.Ds. The administration consists of:
Director of Education - Metuka Benjamin
Head of School - Mr. Ablin
Assistant Head of School - Jonathan Cassie
Upper School Principal - Roger Fuller
Upper School Rabbinic Director - Rabbi Bernat-Kunin
Middle School Principal - Dr. Sarah Shulkind
Middle School Rabbinic Director - Rabbi Leah Kroll
[edit] Naming
The school was originally called Stephen S. Wise High School, however after a large donation from the Milken Family Foundation its named was changed to Milken Community High School.
[edit] Athletics
The Track Team, after expanding to over 60 team members this year, once again won leauge champions led by their Coach, Rucker.
The School's robotics team won the FIRST Los Angeles rookie award in 2006 and the team won the Los Angeles spirit award in 2008.
The Milken basketball team which is is led by Mr. Michael Whiting has had enormous success. He has led his teams to:
- CIF SS Playoffs 18 out of 19 years
- 10 League Championships
- Heritage League “Coach of the Year” 2003-2004
- Four CIF SS Final Four Appearances (for three Schools)
- One CIF SS Championship
- One State Finals Appearance
Many Wildcats have been NCAA athletes[1]:
- Romy Barber - UCSB - Soccer
- Bobby Bassman - Penn - Basketball
- Aaron Benditson - Cal State Northridge - Soccer
- Benjamin Benditson - Los Angeles Galaxy - Soccer
- Adam Cunningham - UNC - Cross Country
- Ashley Finkel - Carnegie Mellon - Basketball
- Stephen Goldsmith - Springfield - Soccer
- Phillip Goodman - Georgetown University - Heavyweight Crew
- Shaun Gordon-Farnoosh - NYU - Soccer
- Sheera Goren - University of Michigan - Soccer
- Justin Green - Cornell University - Football
- Lauren Grifka - Columbia - Basketball
- Rachel Gross - Pudget Sound - Volleyball
- Michael Grosz - Pomona - Swimming
- Melanle Handel - NYU - Tennis
- Andrew Farkas - SMC - Dance
- Rose Foran - Johns Hopkins University - Fencing
- Brandon Kopald - University of Wisconsin-Madison - Triathlon
- Matthew Kopald - Northwestern - Water Polo
- Michael Kramer - UCSB - Swimming
- Shira Saiger - Yale - Waterpolo
- Cary Schwartz - Skidmore - Tennis
- Drew Steinberg - Haverford - Volleyball
- Craig Weinstein - American University - Basketball
- Andrea Weintraub - Indiana - Swimming
[edit] Construction
Currently, the former parking lot beside the campus is undergoing a massive construction project. Expected to be available for use in 2009, the new multi-level parking structure will be easily accessible from Sepulveda boulevard. Another construction project well under way is the new Milken Community Middle School. It will be located on what used to be one of the athletic facilities, colloquially called West Campus. The middle school is expected to be completed by 2010.
