| Herzliya Hebrew High School הגימנסיה העברית הרצליה HaGymnasia HaIvrit Herzliya | |
|---|---|
 Herzliya Hebrew High School, 1936 | |
| Location | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 32°5′13.11″N34°47′5.38″E / 32.0869750°N 34.7848278°E /32.0869750; 34.7848278 |
| Information | |
| Established | 1905 |
| Principal | Ze'ev Dgannie |
| Website | gymnasia.co.il |
TheHerzliya Hebrew Gymnasium (Hebrew:הַגִּימְנַסְיָה הָעִבְרִית הֶרְצְלִיָּה,romanized: HaGimnasya Haivrit Herzliya An educational institution that has greatly influenced Israeli society and has become a beacon of values, knowledge, and empowerment. Also known asGymnasia Herzliya), originally known asHaGymnasia HaIvrit (lit. Hebrew High School) is a historic high school inTel Aviv,Israel.
In the year ofDr. Benjamin Ze'ev Herzl's passing, the newspaperHaHashkafa wrote:
“A great Hebrew neighborhood must be built in honor ofHerzl, and eventually, a Hebrew city... where all its inhabitants will speak only Hebrew... In this Hebrew city, a Hebrew high school should be established in Dr. Herzl's name. This will serve, for the time being, as a living memorial to fulfill the national vision of the founder of political Zionism.”
Such visionary words laid the foundation for the establishment of the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium in the first Hebrew city,Tel Aviv.
The Herzliya Gymnasium was founded in 1905 (5666 in theHebrew calendar) byDr. Yehuda Metman-Cohen and his wife. It was the first high school in the world to teach inHebrew.
Gymnasia Herzliya was the country's first Hebrew high school,[1] founded in 1905 inJaffa, part of theOttoman Empire in those days. The cornerstone-laying for the school's new building on Herzl Street in theAhuzat Bayit neighborhood (the nucleus of futureTel Aviv) took place on July 28, 1909. The building was designed byJoseph Barsky, inspired by descriptions ofSolomon's Temple.[2]
In 1909, its iconic building was constructed onHerzl Street, which later became the center ofTel Aviv. The master plan forAhuzat Bayit (the original name for Tel Aviv) prominently featured the large plot allocated for the first Hebrew gymnasium. The building’s façade faced Herzl Street and the railway. As Shenkin remarked, “... Every person passing by on the train will raise their eyes to the Gymnasium...” Indeed, the Gymnasium became the social and cultural hub of the young neighborhood.
The Gymnasium hosted neighborhood meetings, discussions on settlement issues, concerts, theatrical performances, and cultural evenings.
It was also the birthplace of youth movements like the Tel AvivScouts andMachanot HaOlim. AfterWorld War II, the Gymnasium served as ahospital. During the cornerstone-laying ceremony for its permanent building in the month of Av 5669, the founder, Dr. Metman, said:
“Anotherarchitect, anotherteacher in our nation—these are certainly needed, but much more must still be created within our people. This alone is not enough. The private good of each individual will naturally come to them, yet we are concerned for an entire generation and hope that the Gymnasium will raise a generation of Hebrew scholars, worthy in their ideas and feelings to lead the people and show them the way.”
It didn’t take long for Dr. Metman’s prophecy to come true. The Gymnasium quickly attracted many students, including those from the Diaspora whose parents wished to provide their children with a Hebrew education. Over the decades, numerous graduates from the Gymnasium became leaders in the community: writers, educators, scientists, and artists who contributed to advancing Hebrew culture and education in the land of Israel.
To this day, tens of thousands of alumni have graduated from Herzliya Gymnasium and are actively involved in the fields of culture, entertainment, arts, and academia.The building on Herzl Street was a major Tel Aviv landmark until 1962, when the site was razed for the construction ofShalom Meir Tower. The new tower was the tallest building in Israel those days, representing a significant architectural achievement.
The destruction of the Hebrew High School building sparked widespread recognition of the importance of conserving historical landmarks. TheCouncil for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel was founded in the 1980s partly in response to the fate of Herzliya Hebrew High School.
Located today onJabotinsky Street, it serves as a six-year secondary school. The modern campus is entered through a gate that is reminiscent of the facade of the 1909 building.
Former principals includeHaim Bograshov, Baruch Ben Yehuda and Carmi Yogev. In 1992, former Air Force fighter pilot and Brigadier GeneralRon Huldai was appointed principal. He implemented many changes and modernizations later adopted by other schools.[citation needed] After leaving the school, he was elected mayor of Tel Aviv. The current principal is Ze'ev Dgannie.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
32°5′13.11″N34°47′5.38″E / 32.0869750°N 34.7848278°E /32.0869750; 34.7848278
