A free public school open to all, with no admission requirements or entrance exams. If there are more applicants than available seats, students are admitted by lottery. Charter schools are run by a local nonprofit board, and are separate from the local school district.
All children who are eligible to attend a traditional public school are eligible to attend any charter school, including students with special needs and those who are English Language Learners. Students are admitted to a charter school through a random lottery. However, charter schools typically must give admissions preference in the lottery to children who reside in the school district in which the charter school is located.
Established in 2009, Hebrew Public is a national organization leading a movement of exceptional, diverse public charter schools that teach Modern Hebrew to children of all backgrounds and prepare them to be successful global citizens.
Currently, there are 11 pre-kindergarten through 8th grade campuses across the country. There are Hebrew charter schools in NYC, East Brunswick, NJ, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Minneapolis, San Diego and Los Angeles.
Hebrew Public acts as a charter management organization for the schools in NYC and Philadelphia and has an affiliate agreement with other schools in the network.
All schools follow the same model of teaching Modern Hebrew and being diverse-by-design.
Our schools typically have an average of 25 students in each classroom. There are two teachers in integrated teaching classrooms (ICT) and two teachers co-teaching Modern Hebrew lessons
Students in our schools learn Modern Hebrew for about 50 minutes a day, taught by native speakers of the language. Modern Hebrew is a fascinating language. It uses a different alphabet, and is read from right to left! It is a new language that was developed from an ancient one. It is in an entirely different language family from English, and in the same family as Arabic. As our students learn this challenging language, they expand their minds and their understanding of different places and cultures. And as their studies progress, we will connect them to opportunities to apply their language skills in real-life contexts through travel, internships, educational opportunities, and experiential learning
Hebrew instruction happens in a designated Hebrew class taught by two instructors. Hebrew is taught through a communicative approach (also referred to as “proficiency-based”), which is considered the gold standard in world language instruction. Students are immersed in Hebrew right from the beginning in a classroom environment where only Hebrew is spoken. Hebrew is further immersed in the school in community times – breakfast, lunch, recess – where Hebrew teachers oversee those gathering times, and communicated in Hebrew. Through this model, children are able to acquire the language by actively being engaged in meaningful interactions in the language, thus developing their speaking and comprehension skills in a highly effective way. As students advance through the grade levels, speaking and listening skills continue to be developed and reading and writing are introduced, developed and strengthened. Important to the acquisition of the Hebrew language is the study of the attendant history and culture of that language.
All children are taught the core subjects of English Language Arts, math, social studies, and science, as well as Hebrew. In addition to these core subjects, students have regular physical education. Science, art, and music are also important parts of the curriculum and students receive regular instruction in these subjects during the week. The use of educational technology is integrated into core subject areas.
No. Like all other public schools, our schools abide by the First Amendment and are totally non-sectarian. We are open to and welcome students of all faiths and backgrounds. And we neither encourage nor discourage religious devotion in any way.
Hebrew is a distinct language and culture that stands on its own. It is naturally associated with Judaism, but it is not inherently religious – much the same way that Greek is not inherently Greek Orthodox, Arabic is not inherently Muslim, Italian is not inherently Roman Catholic, or English is not inherently Anglican.
The best proof of Hebrew’s secular nature is the fact that it has long been taught and studied at public schools and colleges across America without raising any First Amendment issues.
For example, Hebrew is currently being taught at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, Townsend Harris High School in Queens, middle and high schools in Long Island, at Bellaire High School in Houston, and several schools in the Chicago area, among others.
We are working to open and/or establish relationships with enough schools across the country so we can ultimately serve tens of thousands of students each year.
If you have any additional questions regarding charter schools or Hebrew Public’s work, please contact: info@hebrewpublic.org
Our teachers and support staff are mindful to ensure a positive learning and emotional environment for all our students and to ensure that every student develops a sense of belonging with fellow students, teachers, and support staff. Families with special needs students are welcomed and encouraged to apply.
