The Brandeis School of San Francisco
The Brandeis School of San Francisco, or Brandeis, is an independent, co-educational, Jewish day school for students in kindergarten through eighth grade, located in the Park Merced neighborhood of San Francisco, California, United States. From its founding in 1963 until 1973, the school was known as Brandeis.[1] Following the merge with the Hillel School, the school was known as Brandeis Hillel Day School. As of July 1, 2015, the San Francisco campus of the former Brandeis Hillel Day School is now The Brandeis School of San Francisco.[2]
The school is a member of the California Association of Independent Schools.[3]
History
Brandeis was founded in 1963 by Rabbi Saul White of Congregation Beth Sholom (San Francisco, California) and named after Jewish US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis.[4] In 1973, Brandeis merged with the Hillel School and became known as Brandeis Hillel Day School (BHDS), and in 1983 BHDS moved to its present location on Brotherhood Way.[5] The school was designed by architect Robert Marquis.[6] In 1978, Brandeis Hillel Day School opened a second campus in San Rafael, California. In 2014, the Brandeis Hillel Day School Board of Trustees approved the creation of two separate independent schools.[7] As of July 1, 2015, the San Francisco campus is now The Brandeis School of San Francisco.[8]
Facilities
In addition to lower school and middle school classrooms, Brandeis has a cutting-edge science center, an art studio, a regulation-size gymnasium, and large outdoor athletics and play areas. In 2002, Brandeis completed the newest building, the mercaz, a $10 million, 24,200 square foot building which houses the kindergarten through third grade classrooms; administrative offices; a 2,800 square foot media resource center and library; an acoustically-designed music room; and beit midrash (used for weekly tefillah).[9]
Athletics
Brandeis offers athletics opportunities in cross country, soccer, basketball, volleyball, and track and field for boys and girls in fifth through eighth grades. The school participates in the Bay Area Interscholastic Athletic League (BAIAL)[10] with other Bay Area independent schools. In some sports, Brandeis participates in the Catholic Youth Organization.
Student Community Board
Every year, the middle school Student Community Board (SCB) holds elections for the executive board. Positions up for election are co-presidents, secretary, treasurer, and Jewish voice.[11] In addition to the executive board, each middle school advisory group (of which there are 12) selects a representative for SCB. The SCB helps plan the school dance, runs the school store, and organizes the annual basketball tournament.
The annual basketball tournament is hosted by SCB to raise money for tzedakah. Teams of middle school students face off against each other all week. The winning team competes against a team of faculty and staff during a Friday afternoon event attended by the entire school. The money raised from the tournament and all proceeds from the school store on the day of the students vs. faculty/staff basketball game are donated to a cause selected by the middle school students.
The SCB also spearheads an annual penny war in which advisories compete to raise money. The winning advisory selects where the money is donated. Money raised during the 2014–15 penny war was donated to Develop Africa.
Sukkot in Yosemite
Beginning in 2001 and occurring every three years, Brandeis hosts Sukkot in Yosemite National Park. Hundreds of members of the community come together to celebrate the holiday of Sukkot. The event takes place in October.[12]
The Opposite of Spoiled
In February 2015, The New York Times' personal finance columnist Ron Lieber published the book The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and Smart about Money. The book features a section about Brandeis and the school's seventh grade Tzedek Fund.[13] When interviewed about the book, Lieber said, "I visited the Seventh Grade Philanthropy Fund [at Brandeis Hillel Day School in the San Francisco Bay Area] and it was completely inspiring. In addition to giving 13 year olds adult responsibilities and seeing them rise to the occasion and evaluating adults that come to them for money, it's a lesson for tradeoff: Who is most in need? Who are we to make that decision? What do we need to know about the world in order to make a good choice? It's so spectacular in so many ways."[14]
Notable students
- Charlee Minkin (born 1981), Olympic judoka
- Rafael Mandelman, Member of San Francisco Board of Supervisors
References
- ^ Ghert-Zand, Renee (February 6, 2014). "Brandeis Hillel campuses in Marin and S.F. agree to split". The J. Weekly.
- ^ "Brandeis Hillel S.F. getting a new name". The J. Weekly. April 2, 2015.
- ^ "Alphabetical Listing of Our Schools". CAIS.
- ^ "White (Saul) papers, 1931-1983". Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life.
- ^ "Brandeis Hillel marks 50th year with jubilee gala". The J. Weekly.
- ^ Kitty Luce; Jessie Durant, eds. (2012). "Robert B. Marquis Collection, c. 1947, 1953-1994" (PDF). Online Archive of California. University of California, Berkeley. p. 4.
- ^ "Brandeis Hillel campuses in Marin and S.F. agree to split". The J. Weekly. February 6, 2014.
- ^ Himmelstein, Drew (September 17, 2015). "Brandeis schools in S.F., Marin go their separate ways". The J. Weekly.
- ^ Goldsmith, Aleza (November 9, 2001). "A new building is taking shape on S.F.'s Brandeis Hillel campus". The J Weekly.
- ^ "BAIAL Member Schools".
- ^ "The Votes Are In! Middle School Holds Elections for 2015-16 Student Community Board Officers".
- ^ Ghert-Zand, Renee (September 30, 2010). "Day school families celebrate Sukkot in Yosemite". The J. Weekly.
- ^ "Tzedakah lessons take root at BHDS". The J. Weekly.
- ^ "An Interview with Ron Lieber, Author of The Opposite of Spoiled". JTFN.
External links
- The Brandeis School of San Francisco official website
- v
- t
- e
- The Brandeis School of San Francisco
- de Toledo High School (New Community Jewish High School)
- Jewish Educational Trade School
- Kehillah Jewish High School
- Milken Community Schools
- San Diego Jewish Academy
- Shalhevet High School
- Tarbut V' Torah
- Valley Torah High School
- Yeshiva University High Schools of Los Angeles
- Denver Jewish Day School (former Rocky Mountain Hebrew Academy)
- Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy of Connecticut (Jewish High School of Connecticut merged into this school)
Closed |
|
---|
- Rabbi Alexander S. Gross Hebrew Academy
- Donna Klein Jewish Academy
- David Posnack Jewish Day School
- Esformes Hebrew Academy
- Katz Yeshiva High School
- Samuel Scheck Hillel Community Day School
- Temple Beth-El School (Ormond Beach)
Merged |
---|
- Chicago Jewish Day School
- Ida Crown Jewish Academy
- Fasman Yeshiva High School
- Telshe Yeshiva
- Rochelle Zell Jewish High School (former Chicagoland Jewish High School)
- Bruriah High School for Girls
- Foxman Torah Institute (Cherry Hill)
- The Frisch School
- Golda Och Academy
- Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy
- Kellman Brown Academy
- Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High School
- Politz Day School of Cherry Hill
- Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County
- Abraham Joshua Heschel School
- Central United Talmudical Academy of Monsey
- Hebrew Academy of Long Beach
- Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway
- Kinneret Day School
- The Leffell School (former Solomon Schecter)
- Mesivta Ohel Torah
- Ramaz School
- SAR Academy
- SAR High School
- Yeshiva Shaarei Torah
- Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy
- Shulamith School for Girls
- Sinai Academy
- Westchester Hebrew High School
- Yeshiva of Far Rockaway
- Yeshivah of Flatbush
- Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin
- Yeshiva Torah Vodaas
- Yeshivat Shaare Torah
- Columbus Torah Academy
- Fuchs Mizrachi School
- Hebrew Academy of Cleveland
- Yeshiva Derech HaTorah
- Maayan Torah Day School
- Maimonides Jewish Day School
- Portland Jewish Academy
- Abrams Hebrew Academy
- Hillel Academy Pittsburgh
- Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy (formerly Akiba Hebrew Academy)
- Kohelet Yeshiva High School
- Mesivta High School of Greater Philadelphia
- Politz Hebrew Academy
- Rabbi David L. Silver Yeshiva Academy
- Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia
- Torah Academy of Greater Philadelphia
- Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh
- Robert M. Beren Academy
- Beth Yeshurun Day School
- The Emery/Weiner School
- Mesorah High School for Girls
- The Schlenker School
- Yavneh Academy of Dallas
Template:Jewish schools in Canada
Template:Jewish schools in the United Kingdom
Template:Jews and Judaism in Australia (for schools there)