Hebrew Public Approved for Second School in Brooklyn

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Hebrew Language Academy 2 to Open in CSD 21 in Fall of 2017
Regents Approved only Three of 25 Applicants

 

November 16, 2016 – The New York State Board of Regents has authorized the opening of Hebrew Language Academy 2, a school that will be part of the Hebrew Public schools network.

Hebrew Public, a New York-based nonprofit that manages three public charter schools in the city, will work with the new school’s board to open the school in the Fall of 2017.

The new school will be located in Community School District (CSD) 21 in South Brooklyn. Open to all children eligible for kindergarten and first grade in 2017, the new school will be patterned after Hebrew Language Academy in CSD 22, which opened in 2009 and has now expanded to include a middle school. Hebrew Public’s New York City network also includes Harlem Hebrew Language Academy, which opened in 2013 and currently serves children in grades K-4.

Each Hebrew Public school emphasizes global citizenship, serves students from all backgrounds, and provides a rigorous and supportive academic program that includes a focus on the study of Modern Hebrew.

Jon Rosenberg, president and CEO of Hebrew Public, which also works with six affiliated schools around the country, said the Regent’s approval is a testament to the organization’s and its schools’ hard work, dedication, and commitment to the children of New York City.

Rosenberg says he is particularly grateful for the Regents’ stamp of approval since only three applications were selected from 25 submitted. “It is a very rigorous process, so the fact that we were one of the three approved to move forward with a school is a strong validation of our work.”

The new public school will serve students in grades K-1 in its first year and add an additional grade level each year. Children living in CSD 21, which in­cludes parts of Midwood, Gravesend, Sheeps­head Bay, Brighton Beach, and Coney Island, will have preference for admission to the school.

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HEBREW PUBLIC is building a national network of academically rigorous dual-language charter schools that teach children of all backgrounds to become fluent and literate in Modern Hebrew and prepare them to be productive global citizens. The network includes schools in Brooklyn, Harlem, New Jersey, Washington, DC, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis.

Former State Department Executive Leads Israel Studies Program

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jessicaJessica Lieberman, a founding board member of Sela Public Charter School in Washington D.C., has been named director of Israel Studies and Partnerships for Hebrew Public.

In her new role, Lieberman is guiding and coordinating the Israel Studies curriculum, and overseeing a trip to Israel for middle school students. She will also develop Israel partnerships and alumni programming that provide students with access to Israel-related educational, cultural, and career opportunities as well as offer support in development of teacher and leadership pipelines for the Hebrew instruction program.

Lieberman has over 15 years of experience in human rights, intercultural exchange, and international affairs including in Israel. Prior to joining Hebrew Public, she was the deputy director for the office of global programming at the U.S. State Department, where she supervised a team of program officers responsible for managing over $100 million in grants to civil society organizations around the world.  She initially joined the State Department  in 2006 as American Association for the Advancement of Science science and policy fellow. Lieberman has worked for a number of human rights and non-governmental organizations in the Middle East and the United States, and has taught at George Washington University’s Elliot School of International Affairs.

Lieberman has a PhD in political science from George Washington University, an MA in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School and is a graduate of Smith College. She speaks Hebrew, Spanish and some Arabic.