There is an exciting new development for many Jewish South Florida families who are currently sending their children to public school: the opening of a Jewish private school that perfectly blends public and private school education. Shorashim Academy is a premier day school that will offer cutting-edge general studies along with Hebrew and Judaic studies, all at a low tuition. The cofounders of Shorashim Academy, Dr. Gur Berman and Rabbi Isaac Melnick, have over a decade of education leadership specifically focused on Jewish public school students, many who wish they could afford the tuition of a top Jewish private school. “The bottom line is that parents who opt to send their children to public school are motivated by two things: No tuition and the quality of academics,” explained Berman, Shorashim Academy’s head of school, who was a well-loved principal of Ben Gamla Plantation.
Melnick, Shorashim Academy’s executive director, believes that the Jewish community has an unprecedented opportunity. “We believe that with the advent of the generous Florida’s school vouchers, along with other grants targeted to Jewish public school students, we can offer an excellent education–all for the amount parents are currently paying for after school programming,” said Melnick. However, there is very little knowledge of how easy it is to attain these vouchers and how much money they can subtract from a typical family’s tuition payments. As Melnick explains, “I had the privilege of speaking with a well-educated mother who sends her children to a local charter school, and she was completely in the dark as to how attainable and substantial the vouchers are.” When combined with grants from Jewish organizations who help transfer Jewish public school students to private school, there is really no reason not to send your child to a school like Shorashim Academy.
Dr. Berman, who has more than two decades of educational experience, envisions a school in which students will be nurtured in an Israeli environment. “Our goal is to design our physical space with murals of the land of Israel. The children will learn from a young age about the beauty of our homeland and will develop an authentic love of Eretz Yisrael. We will have a Hebrew curriculum and Hebrew teachers who will provide our students with a command of the language of the Jewish people,” explained Berman.
Shorashim Academy will be located on the expansive and gated 16-acre Soref JCC campus in Plantation. Rabbi Melnick, who co-founded Camp Coolanu –believes that the amenities of the campus will create a well-rounded and enjoyable school environment. “There is an indoor gym, auditorium, volleyball court, and even an Olympic-sized pool for us to use for our PE classes,” Melnick explained. “I plan to use my experience as a camp director to make school a friendly and warm environment that kids enjoy going to every day.” Also, as the school will be located in the renowned Brodzki Early Childhood Center, parents will have the convenience of a single dropoff for the entire family.
For more information, visit www.shorashimacademy.org.
