Day schools move, grow

Enrollment nears 600; King David and Pardes relocate

BETH OLSON
Staff Writer

Enrollment at the Valley's five Jewish day schools is approaching 600 students, an all-time high. And while the student population is booming, two of the schools prepare to open their doors at new locations.

The King David School will inaugurate its new 35,000-square-foot facility at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus on Aug. 23.

"To see it all come together - when we first had a dream about it, a concept - makes it that much more exciting," said Esther Feuerberg, head of school.

The school will welcome more than 230 students to its campus, which includes a fully equipped science lab, library, sanctuary and art room.

Additional sixth- and eighth-grade classes will open this year, making two classes at each grade level, except for fifth grade. Several classes have waiting lists, according to Feuerberg.

Feuerberg said she is looking forward to being situated next door to the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center and the Bureau of Jewish Education, so students can take advantage of the opportunities those organizations offer.

"We're fortunate to have the Bureau of Jewish Education right next to us, and they have a very nice Judaic library," Feuerberg said. "They are very willing to work with us in letting our students visit and check out books."

King David is also welcoming a new principal this year, Mitch Flatow, who hails from the Yavneh Day School in Cincinnati.

Flatow, 45, worked with Feuerberg for six years at Yavneh before she left to head King David here. He replaced Feuerberg as head of school when she came to Phoenix.

He says he was drawn to the Valley because it is "a wonderful opportunity to be part of a vibrant, growing school in a part of the country I knew would be nice to live in."

Flatow, who has worked in Jewish education for 16 years, is a licensed principal of both elementary and secondary schools. He is also a certified math and Spanish teacher and will use those skills to teach Spanish to King David's seventh and eighth graders. He received a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University and a master's in education from Xavier University. Prior to his nine years at Yavneh, a pluralistic school, Flatow taught at an Orthodox Jewish girls' high school.

"I enjoy the pluralism (at King David), working with students of all affiliations and background," he said.

King David's move left the school's previous location at Temple Beth Israel open for the Pardes Jewish Day School. Pardes was previously split between two locations - an elementary campus at Temple Solel and a middle school campus at Temple Kol Ami - and moving to Beth Israel will allow the school to operate at a single location.

"We're extremely excited to have all of our students, (kindergartners through eighth graders), on one campus," says Jill Kessler, head of school at Pardes. "We have upgraded the building by putting in a science laboratory and a computer laboratory, and all of our students will benefit."

The school, which will open with an enrollment of 160 students, has also hired a part-time learning resource teacher. Deborah Weiner will provide "assistance to students in need," says Kessler, and "she'll be a resource for the teachers for students who need any kind of accommodations, be it gifted or learning issues."

A kindergarten-fourth grade technology specialist will also be added to the staff.

The Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School also boasts its largest enrollment to date, with 55 students this fall. The incoming class of 17 freshmen is the largest first-year class since the school opened four years ago. The school graduated four seniors in its first commencement last spring; this year there are 12 seniors.

The school has added an admissions coordinator, Katie O'Connor, and will welcome three teachers from the Jewish Teacher Corps programs, two teachers in Hebrew and Jewish history, a teacher for physical education and after-school athletics, and a social studies teacher.

Headmaster Janice Johnson said the school has been accepted to begin using the NETA Hebrew language program, which incorporates Israeli culture and society, as well as Hebrew, into the curriculum.

"The program has a clear scope and sequence, the program's goals are well articulated and there are clear steps on how to achieve these goals," Johnson said.

The program required the school's Hebrew teachers to attend a 10-day training program in Boston, and includes a mentor who will visit the high school once a month during the year.

"Since all of our classes here are at the honors level, we were looking for a Hebrew program at the honors level," Johnson said.

Rabbi Harris Cooperman, principal of the Phoenix Hebrew Academy, also reports that enrollment has increased to 125-130 students for the fall term.

"We're excited to see the kids again," said Cooperman. "We're looking forward to pushing on and to get the most we can out of the kids so they can learn at their true potential."

Cooperman, who is marking his 20th year as principal, said the school is gearing up for a celebration this year of its 40th anniversary.

"It is true that we're the oldest, and from a Jewish standpoint probably the most traditional, but what that means for us also is that Jewish continuity is extremely important," he said. "Of the 13 or 14 graduates we had from eighth grade (last year), 10 are continuing on with Jewish education."

The Tri-City Jewish Community Center Day School will add a sixth grade class for the new school year, according to a staff member. The school now has three combination classes: first/second, third/fourth and fifth/sixth. The total enrollment in grades kindergarten through sixth is 49. The JCC director, Ilene Blau, and the preschool and kindergarten director, Cynthia Benedict, were out of town and unavailable for comment.

Contact the writer at beth_olson@jewishaz.com.

Home