Hebrew High School of New England

Hebrew High School of New England
Location
West Hartford, Connecticut
Information
Type Private
Established 1996
Principal Rabbi Jeremy Bruce
Enrollment 68
Website http://www.hhne.org/

The Hebrew High School of New England (HHNE) is a private Jewish high school located in West Hartford, Connecticut, USA. The school was created by members of the New Haven, Springfield, and Hartford communities, and its students hail from communities throughout central Connecticut and western Massachusetts. The school is affiliated with the Modern Orthodox denomination but caters to a wide variety of Jewish backgrounds and religious affiliations.

From its opening in September 1996 until December 2010, the school was housed in the basement of the Agudas Achim Synagogue in West Hartford. In January 2011, the school moved into a newly constructed facility, located on Bloomfield Avenue in West Hartford across from the Zachs Campus and Mandell JCC.

History

The Hebrew High School of New England first opened its doors to 18 students in ninth and tenth grades in September 1996 under the leadership of its founding president, Ann Pava. Rabbi Zvi Kahn, who had been hired earlier that year, assumed the role of principal. The school prides itself on an experienced and dedicated faculty, five members of which have won Harold Grinspoon Foundation Teaching Awards.

In the 2005-2006 school year, Rabbi Daniel Loew assumed the role of Head of School. The school currently has an enrollment of roughly 80 students.

Campus

In June 2007, the school purchased the property across the street from the Greater Hartford Jewish Community Center. The property was previously owned by the University of Hartford and included the university's Alumni house.[1] The school received zoning approval in November 2009 to demolish the Alumni House and build a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) school building in its place.[2] An old carriage house on the property was also demolished, and a free-standing art and music center that resembled the carriage house was built in its place. The new building was designed to accommodate up to 120 students.[3] The school moved onto the $6.8M campus over the course of December 2010, and the first day of classes in the new facilities was January 3, 2011.

The school's new main building features 11 state-of-the-art classrooms, three college-level science labs, a library and learning center, study and prayer space, and full-court gymnasium. The building was made possible through donations from Ann and Jeremy Pava, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, and Doris and Simon Konover. The campus (Pava Educational Campus) and main building (Grinspoon-Konover Building) were named in recognition on their contributions.[4] The Zachs family of West Hartford donated the art building, named the Louise Silverman Zachs Art and Music Center.

School activities

Students participate in a dual-curriculum program that includes four periods of Judaic studies prior to lunch, and five periods of general studies in the afternoon. Students also participate in a variety of clubs, such as dance and culinary arts, and extracurricular activities. These include a drama society that performs at Hartford Stage; basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, and tennis programs; and school retreats and Shabbatons. Students are empowered to develop their leadership and social action skills. One example is the school's attendance at the Rally for Darfur in Washington, D.C., spearheaded by the students after they read Night by Elie Wiesel.

Tuition

Tuition for the 2011-2012 year is $18,025. Breakfast is served daily, but students bring lunch from home. Subsidized transportation from Springfield, Massachusetts and New Haven, Connecticut is available.

Post-Graduation

Virtually all students go on to four-year colleges after graduation, and HHNE students have been accepted to top schools such as Yale University, Princeton University, Cornell University, Cooper Union, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Michigan, University of California, Los Angeles, Barnard College, Brandeis University, Boston University, New York University, Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence College, and Yeshiva University. Also, many choose to spend a year prior to college in Yeshiva/Seminary and university programs in Israel.

References

  1. ↑ "University of Hartford to Sell its Alumni House property to Hebrew High School of New England" (Press release). United Jewish Communities. 2007-06-18. Archived from the original on 2007-08-22. Retrieved 2007-06-21.
  2. ↑ "Hebrew High School of New England Gets Green Light". Creedible. 2009-11-11. Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
  3. ↑ "Hebrew High School Begins Building Its Own Facility". Life Publications. 2010-03-01. Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
  4. ↑ "School is in Session". The Jewish Ledger. 2010-12-24. Retrieved 2011-05-22.

Coordinates: 41°48′12″N 72°45′02″W / 41.8032°N 72.7506°W / 41.8032; -72.7506

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