The Rabbi Alexander S. Gross Hebrew Academy, is a coeducational,

yeshiva A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy a ...

and college preparatory,

Zionistic Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after ''Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Jew ...

, private, Modern Orthodox

Jewish day school A Jewish day school is a modern Jewish educational institution that is designed to provide children of Jewish parents with both a Jewish and a secular education in one school on a full-time basis. The term " day school" is used to differentiate ...

, located in

Miami Beach, Florida Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter of which ...

. The school has been awarded a

Blue Ribbon School of Excellence The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...

History

Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as '' semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form o ...

Alexander S. Gross founded the school in 1947 and was instrumental in its development as the first Orthodox

Jewish Day School A Jewish day school is a modern Jewish educational institution that is designed to provide children of Jewish parents with both a Jewish and a secular education in one school on a full-time basis. The term " day school" is used to differentiate ...

south of

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

. The Hebrew Academy serves a diverse Jewish community that is reflective of

South Florida South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of ...

. Beginning with just six students in first grade, the Hebrew Academy has grown over the years to a student body of approximately 600 students. It provides education for children ranging from 6 weeks of age through grade 12. Students complete daily coursework in conversational

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

, the study of

Chumash Chumash may refer to: *Chumash (Judaism), a Hebrew word for the Pentateuch, used in Judaism *Chumash people, a Native American people of southern California *Chumashan languages, indigenous languages of California See also *Chumash traditional n ...

Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...

, and Judaic history. In addition to a full Judaic curriculum, students are also receive instruction in college preparatory math, language arts, science, and social studies, with opportunities to participate in Advanced Placement and college level courses. Graduates of the Hebrew Academy subsequently attend universities and yeshivot worldwide. Hebrew Academy is the only religious, Zionistic, and college preparatory school in

Miami-Dade County Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The county had a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most populous county in ...

Athletics

As members of the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA), students compete at the 2A level in organized sports against other private schools in girls and boys volleyball, girls and boys basketball, girls and boys soccer, girls and boys tennis, girls and boys flag football, and girls and boys cross country. There are clubs, shabbatonim, school field trips, and other activities that provide students with a full school life. The Varsity Basketball program began under Coach Robert "Bob" King and Assistant Coach Jonathan Grossman in the 1981-1982 school year. The first basket in RASG Varsity history was scored in the St. Patrick's gym by freshman Rich Scharlat on a pass from senior Jay Schechter. Avi Littwin, Bernie Schuster, and Gil Neuman also played significant roles for the varsity that year. In 2013, standout basketball player Ellis Greenstein, led the Warriors to a FHSAA JV Championship and received MVP honors for averaging 16.7 points a game and 5.9 assists per game. Fellow Players Nathan Miller, Mikey Shakib, and Caleb Katz, played large roles in helping the Warriors make it to the Big stage. The Warrior Girls Varsity Basketball team has won District Championships for the 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 years. Additionally, the Boys Varsity Basketball team won the Tier 2 Championship at Yeshiva University's Serachek Tournament in 2016. Recently, Hebrew Academy Junior, Ben Tal, was named Underclassman of the Year and was placed on the 1st Team by All Jewish Hoops America. An Honorable Mention was also received by Junior, Jack Esformes.

Honors

In 2008

Commission Chairman Bruno A. Barreiro presented the "Key to the County" to several families and individuals who have made significant contributions to Rabbi Alexander S. Gross (RASG) Hebrew Academy. During the award it was also noted that the Hebrew Academy was "Launched in 1947, the RASG Hebrew Academy is the oldest

in the state of

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

... The presentation was part of the 60th Anniversary Diamond Dinner celebration where

Sumner Redstone Sumner Murray Redstone ( Rothstein; May 27, 1923 – August 11, 2020) was an American billionaire businessman and media magnate. He was the founder and chairman of the second incarnation of Viacom which was dissolved in 2019 (a year before Redst ...

, the executive chairman of the Board for Viacom and

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

delivered the keynote speech and received a "Distinguished Visitor" recognition." Several educators associated with the school have won notable awards: "Rabbi Chaim Benhamou of the Rabbi Alexander S. Gross Hebrew Academy... a Bible, Talmud, Philosophy, and Art teacher for 9th – 12 grade students at the Rabbi Alexander S. Gross Hebrew Academy on Miami Beach" won the 2007 Grinspoon-Steinhardt Awards for Excellence in Jewish Education sponsored by the Jewish Life Network of

Michael Steinhardt Michael H. Steinhardt (born December 7, 1940) is an American billionaire hedge fund manager, philanthropist, and former antiquities collector. In 1967, he founded a hedge fund, Steinhardt Partners which he ran until he closed it in 1995. After a ...

Notable alumni

Shmuley Boteach Jacob Shmuel Boteach ( ; born November 19, 1966) is an American Orthodox Jewish rabbi, author, and television host. Boteach is the author of 31 books, including the best seller ''Kosher Sex: A Recipe for Passion and Intimacy'', and '' Kosher Jes ...

, rabbi, author, TV host, and public speaker."#IsraelIndependenceDay celebrations at my alma mater The Hebrew Academy of Miami Beach,"
Twitter.

References

External links

Official Hebrew Academy Website
{{Coord, 25.7809338, -80.7608966, display=title Jews and Judaism in Miami Beach, Florida Orthodox yeshivas in the United States Modern Orthodox Jewish day schools in the United States Educational institutions established in 1947 Private K-12 schools in Miami-Dade County, Florida Buildings and structures in Miami Beach, Florida 1947 establishments in Florida Zionism in the United States