Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy

Berman Hebrew Academy
Front Entrance
Address
13300 Arctic Ave
Rockville, Maryland
United States
Coordinates 39°4′25″N 77°6′1″W / 39.07361°N 77.10028°W / 39.07361; -77.10028Coordinates: 39°4′25″N 77°6′1″W / 39.07361°N 77.10028°W / 39.07361; -77.10028
Information
Type Private
Established 1944
Locale Residential area
Headmaster Rabbi Dr. Yossi Kastan
Grades 2N-12
School color(s) Blue, orange and white
Athletics Cougars
Website www.mjbha.org

The Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy, referred to locally as Berman or The Academy, is a coed Modern Orthodox Jewish day school serving the greater Washington area. The school has grades from Pre-K to 12. It was founded in 1944. The school moved to its current location in Rockville, Maryland in 1999, site of the former Robert E. Peary High School. It changed its name from the Hebrew Academy of Greater Washington to its current name after its benefactor Melvin J. Berman in the process. The student body consists of about 700 students, including 185 in the Upper School in the 2009-2010 school year. There were about 200 students in the 2014-2015 school year. The school has a dual curriculum including secular subjects and judaics, with the school day generally split in order to cover both curricula. The NETA program serves as the Hebrew language curriculum for the school.[1]

History

The Hebrew Academy was founded in 1944 at 1202 Decatur Street, NW Washington, D.C. It was founded by a group of Orthodox Jewish leaders and was one of the first Jewish Day Schools founded outside of the greater New York area. As the school has expanded in size, it has moved several times before arriving at its current location in Rockville.[2]

Administration

The MJBHA has gone through pivotal changes in its administration: the current headmaster, high school principal, lower school principals and middle school principal have all been hired.

Subjects

Grades 1, 2, and 3 consist of two classes: General (English) Studies and Jewish (Hebrew) Studies. Beginning with grade 4, there are four classes: English, Chumash, Hebrew and Navi. In grade five, there are five classes: English, Hebrew, Chumash, Navi and Mishnah. Middle and Upper school students take nine classes. Most students take English, History, Math, Science, Chumash, Navi, Talmud, Hebrew language, and an elective.

Athletics

The MJBHA fields cross-country, soccer, basketball, track and field, ultimate frisbee, baseball, and volleyball teams. The teams compete in the Potomac Valley Athletic Conference, the ISBVL for boys volleyball, and the WAFC for ultimate Frisbee.

Other extra-curricular programs

Among the many extra-curricular programs that are available to MJBHA students is a Mock Trial team that competes yearly with other local high schools in Montgomery County, MD. Further, Model United Nations is offered which competes in the annual Yeshiva University Model United Nations[3] (YUNMUN). Several other student run clubs also meet throughout the school year.

The Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy changed its logo and school colors from blue and yellow to blue and orange. The new logo which emphasizes a big "Berman" is designed to look more professional than the old logo.

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ http://www.mjbha.org/about_mjbha/MJBHA%20Profile%202007-2008.pdf%5Bpermanent+dead+link%5D
  2. ↑ The Record, Volume 20, 1993-1994, pp. 29-38 by Evelyn Becker
  3. ↑ "Berman Hebrew Academy - Rockville, Maryland - MD - School overview". www.greatschools.org. Retrieved 2017-06-13.
  4. ↑ Leftley, Nick (13 January 2015). "Ari Shaffir interview: 'You wouldn't want to tape a special on mushrooms'". TimeOut. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
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