First Hebrew-language charter school gets approval in Santa Clarita Valley

Following months of debate, plans to create the first Hebrew-language charter school in California got the go-ahead this week, after modifications to the charter helped to allay concerns that the institution would violate separation of church and state.
 
On Wednesday, trustees for the William S. Hart Union High School District unanimously approved the establishment of the Albert Einstein Academy for Letters, Arts and Sciences, which will open this fall in the Santa Clarita Valley. One board member recused herself from voting.

“I am elated and relieved,” said Rabbi Mark Blazer, one of the school’s principal organizers. “This is an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of our children.”

At a second public hearing about the school in February, school board members had deadlocked over whether to approve the school’s charter. One of their main concerns was that the school would be a religious academy, since the required study of the Hebrew language — typically associated with Jewish culture — would dominate the syllabus.

The school’s charter had originally stated that it would be compulsory for students to study Hebrew for a minimum of four years. Study of a second language would be required for two years.

On Thursday, Blazer explained that studying Hebrew would no longer be compulsory. Students would be allowed to choose to take Hebrew, Arabic or Spanish for four years.  They would also have the option to study another language after that, Blazer said.

“It was never an issue for me that Hebrew be mandatory; it was for our funders,” the rabbi added. He said it was unclear whether the omission of Hebrew as a study requirement would affect the school’s funding.

The school will open with 225 students in grades seven through nine, adding 75 students each year until reaching full capacity at 450. The student body ultimately will expand to include the 12th grade, according to organizers.

Blazer emphasized that children of all religious and ethnic backgrounds would be welcome to enroll, and no religious courses would be offered.

 “The Hebrew language is rich with culture and history,” Blazer said in written comments.  “But this is definitely not a Jewish school.”

--Ann M. Simmons

Learn more about the enrollment and performance of local schools in the Times' California Schools Guide.

Comments

[Tommy Trojan]

Where is the outrage from neo-cons and Republicans regarding this? I can just imagine Glenn Beck blowing a gasket if this were an Arabic-language charter school....

[TheBigPicture]

As long as anyone can enroll...But who wanst to study Hebrew....That's about a dead language....If I were going to study a dead language, I'd make it Latin...

Languages that are alive and well: English, Spanish, German, French, Arabic, Chinese...etc...

[kuruc]

this is definetly not a jewish school, no, what is it an arab school. who really believes this? oh yeah, the dumb taxpayers.

[Whatever in LA]

And they will study the Old Testament because that's the original book in Hebrew! I object to the mixing of religion and schools, that belongs to the private schools.

But make no mistake about my motives: I taught my kids Hebrew myself and sent them to a regular public school.

[Adrienne]

I have never been proud of Santa Clarita before this, but to finally see them expand the education out there to include Hebrew (which incidentally is NOT a dead language and is spoken everyday by living, breathing people), Arabic, and Spanish--that's incredible!

I wish to goodness that I was able to redo high school, just to go here. Here's to tolerance and thank you William S. Hart!

[mark green]

This Hebrew academy is not a "Jewish school" but there's even a rabbi on board as one of its principle organizers?

Of course this is a Jewish school and its student body will be overwhelmingly Jewish. Its funding should would be seen for what it is: a violation of church (synagogue) and state. But it will likely pass anyway. This is a story about power in America. This is a (secular) Jewish school being funded mostly by goyim tax dollars.

This is a scam that will surely benefit one class of citizens since Hebrew is spoken only in Israel, a country only for Jews. When will the lies and indoctrination end?

[Jeff Gornbein]

Hebrew is not a dead language. There are currently more speakers of Hebrew (including about a half million Israeli Arabs) than there were speakers of English at the time of Shakespeare.

Many of the US founding fathers were familiar with the languages of antiquity, Latin, Greek and Hebrew. If there can be Latin schools, there should also be Hebrew schools, a language more ancient than Latin.

[David in LA]

Well lets see....No one will be required to speak or learn Hebrew. No religious courses are offered. Its open to children of all faiths. I fail understand why it is being labelled a "Hebrew-language" Charter School vs. a charter school that offers Hebrew as a foreign language option. I see no issue with using public funds for this school (as described) and no seperation of church/state issue.

[Manuel]

We need an Aztec Academy in Los Angeles, where Nahuatl language is mandatory.

What's good for the Jewish community is good for the Mexican community.
Glen Beck be damned.

[Sue]

There are rules that have to be followed when a school district authorizes a charter school. If no rules have been broken and the charter school meets all other criteria, then the district can not deny the charter. What has to be looked at then is that basic criteria. This is not the first time that a charter has looked more like a private than a public school. Without strong regulations, charters will continue to develop curriculum that will attract a certain race or religion. You have to be concerned if the charter movement is really all about an alternative to vouchers that will ultimately lead to further segregation of our society. We turned down vouchers for this very reason, so now we have to examine the same outcome with charters.

[Don]

TheBigPicture:

Hebrew is ABSOLUTELY NOT a dead language. I don't know if you're aware of this, but it is the official language of the State of Israel, a country with nearly eight million people. Many around the world speak Hebrew as well in the home and every synagogue involves the Hebrew language.