Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on August 28, 2021

Construction is moving forward on a $32.5 million educational complex housing the early childhood and boys elementary school at Hebrew Academy with completion expected in time for the school to open its doors Aug. 26.

The 103,000 square-foot educational complex sits on the 92-acre campus of the former Oakwood Country Club and golf course on Warrensville Center Road in Cleveland Heights. Hebrew Academy had already renovated the 100-year-old clubhouse for use as its co-ed kindergarten, boys junior high school, boys high school and financial offices.

The previous renovation, completed four years ago, entailed retrofitting the clubhouse and preserving the architectural details of the buildings four ballrooms.

We were able to maintain the architectural design and simultaneously retrofit it to serve the needs of the educational landscape of the school, Rabbi Simcha Dessler, educational director of Hebrew Academy, told the Cleveland Jewish News during an Aug. 4 tour of the campus. We wanted to maintain the historic anchor in the community and transform it from a dormant landscape to a vibrant landscape with a promising Jewish future.

Rabbi Simcha Dessler, education director of Hebrew Academy of Cleveland in Cleveland Heights, stands in the courtyard garden of the education complex on the Oakwood campus.

With the new building, which both attaches to and dwarfs the clubhouse, the school gains 41 classrooms in a two-floor, state-of-the art school building with elevators, technology hardwired into classrooms and a gymnasium and auditorium that can be split or combined with capacity seating for up to 1,000.

Weve been blessed with astounding growth in the last decade, Dessler said.

Upon entering the new building, there are windows that look into a courtyard garden. There is also an outdoor patio in front of the school.

The new building includes textured concrete made to call to mind Israel stone. That same feature was included at Hebrew Academys Beatrice J. Stone Yavne High School in Beachwood.

Youre going to see a theme of Israeli stone, Jerusalem stone, throughout the whole building, Dessler said. It still has that cool factor and that sentiment of everything that Israel brings, the rich heritage of Israel. You just feel it.

A ballroom has been transformed into a beit midrash at Hebrew Academy of Clevelands Oakwood campus.

Rabbi Simcha Dessler, education director of Hebrew Academy of Cleveland in Cleveland Heights, stands in the courtyard garden of the education complex on the Oakwood campus.

Students will have lockers within the classrooms.

The innovation lab will have decorative glass dividing the two rooms.

Hebrew Academy of Clevelands Oakwood education complex includes a gymnasium and auditorium.

This is the administrative offices on the day materials were moved.

Rabbi Simcha S. Dessler, education director of Hebrew Academy of Cleveland, points out the Israel or Jerusalem stone treatment that runs through the new building.

Rabbi Simcha Dessler stands in what he calls the indoor wonderland, which will be used by students in the Hebrew Academy of Clevelands early education center.

Students in the early childhood education program and the boys elementary school will use Hebrew Academy of Clevelands $32.5-million Oakwood education complex in Cleveland Heights when school starts Aug. 26.

Books line what was a ballroom of Oakwood Country Club and is now a beit midrash for the boys high school at Hebrew Academy of Cleveland.

The ballrooms have been preserved at the former Oakwood Country Club clubhouse and retrofitted for use by Hebrew Academy of Cleveland.

One wall in the clubhouse building is devoted to the history of the school.

A ballroom has been transformed into a beit midrash at Hebrew Academy of Clevelands Oakwood campus.

Rabbi Simcha Dessler, education director of Hebrew Academy of Cleveland in Cleveland Heights, stands in the courtyard garden of the education complex on the Oakwood campus.

Students will have lockers within the classrooms.

The innovation lab will have decorative glass dividing the two rooms.

Hebrew Academy of Clevelands Oakwood education complex includes a gymnasium and auditorium.

This is the administrative offices on the day materials were moved.

Rabbi Simcha S. Dessler, education director of Hebrew Academy of Cleveland, points out the Israel or Jerusalem stone treatment that runs through the new building.

Rabbi Simcha Dessler stands in what he calls the indoor wonderland, which will be used by students in the Hebrew Academy of Clevelands early education center.

Students in the early childhood education program and the boys elementary school will use Hebrew Academy of Clevelands $32.5-million Oakwood education complex in Cleveland Heights when school starts Aug. 26.

Books line what was a ballroom of Oakwood Country Club and is now a beit midrash for the boys high school at Hebrew Academy of Cleveland.

The ballrooms have been preserved at the former Oakwood Country Club clubhouse and retrofitted for use by Hebrew Academy of Cleveland.

One wall in the clubhouse building is devoted to the history of the school.

There is a beit midrash for 100 students in the elementary school portion; an innovation lab for arts, science, technology, math and engineering projects, with outdoor space for woodworking; and an intervention center for students who need remedial assistance either through tutoring or group work.

Each elementary school classroom will feature the same sort of front wall.

The front wall will have light boards and technology (from) Clevertouch all the ingredients for a child in 2021 to succeed, Dessler said.

There are two cafeterias, a library and offices for a nurse, social worker and administrative staff, as well as two receptionist areas.

In addition, the campus has five playgrounds and a retention pond rimmed with a wrought iron fence.

There is a main entrance to the elementary school, just north of the clubhouse. The early childhood center has a separate entrance further north on the campus.

More than 500 children will have elementary school or early childhood classes in the new complex designed by Ronald Kluchin Architects Inc. of Cleveland. The contractor is Great Lakes Crushing LTD of Wickliffe.

Hebrew Academy has 112 students in its kindergarten, and Dessler estimates 2021-22 enrollment at 1,340 for the entire school. At the Oakwood campus, there will be nearly 800 students.

The early childhood center has a multipurpose room, which Dessler called an indoor wonderland. It will have an indoor playground, riding toys and climbing areas especially useful in Clevelands cold weather.

Construction started in January 2020, and on Aug. 4, the movers arrived from Hebrew Academys Taylor Road campus in Cleveland Heights with classroom materials.

Over the next few years, that campus will undergo renovation for the 350 girls in Hebrew Academys elementary school.

When COVID brought the world to a halt, there was a time that people couldnt believe that we would be able to move on with the project so efficiently and so quickly, Dessler said.

Ivan Soclof, immediate past president of Hebrew Academy, is an alumnus of the school.

Its really a delight to see the vision of providing Jewish education for many, many youngsters. We dont even know how many, but many youngsters in these coming years, he told the CJN Aug. 16, adding he appreciates that one of Hebrew Academys firm commitments is to provide an education to every Jewish child thats interested, and this allows that to continue.

Dr. Louis Malcmacher, president of Hebrew Academy, said the expansion represents both a culmination and a new beginning.

It is a culmination of the incredible efforts of the entire Hebrew Academy family including our parents, administrators, teachers, students, donors and the entire Cleveland Jewish community led by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland to make it a reality, Malcmacher wrote in an Aug. 17 email to the CJN. It is a new beginning for thousands of Jewish children who will build their own future commitment to the Jewish people and carry on the beautiful legacy of their Jewish heritage. This is a momentous time for the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland and we are blessed to be able to continue our mission of excellence in Jewish education to build the future leaders of Klal Yisrael.

We are thrilled that despite the challenges caused by the world pandemic, this project, Vision 2020, is near completion, Amir Jaffa, Hebrew Academys Vision 2020 campaign chair, wrote in an Aug. 17 email to the CJN. It will be a shining star in our community. The success of the academys campaign and the growth in our school community are a testament to the commitment of so many individuals and the importance of Jewish continuity,

Rabbi Eli Dessler, financial director of Hebrew Academy, expressed gratitude for the support the school has received.

Weve been incredibly blessed from the outpouring of support from community members, supporters, parents and alumni towards this transformational Oakwood campus project, Eli Dessler told the CJN Aug. 17, adding the campaign of $32.5 million has raised nearly $31 million, and Hebrew Academy has taken financing until the redemption of the pledges.

The campaign goal of 32.5 million, he said, includes the purchase of the land of the former Oakwood Country Club and the repurposing of the clubhouse building which will continue to house approximately 250 students.

Rabbi Simcha Dessler also added his thanks.

Its really a tribute to our dedicated lay leadership ... to the schools board of directors and to the broad spectrum of supporters throughout Clevelands community and beyond, he said. We could never have done it without that support.

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Hebrew Academy unveils state-of-the-art building - Cleveland Jewish News

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