Two Chabad Girls High School to Merge

ORANGE, CT [CHI] — Beth Chana Academy of Orange, Connecticut and Bnos Chomesh Academey of Valley Stream, Long Island announced today a merger of the two high schools, effective 2008-2009 school year. The combined high school will be housed at the Southern Connecticut Hebrew Academy campus under the directorship of Rabbi Sheya Hecht; Mrs. Dena Gorkin will serve as principal.

The school will retain the ‘Beth Chana Academy’ name. The Keren Bnos Chomesh’ scholarship fund will be established to help eligible students and their families offset tuition costs.

The schools’ merger will enable the two institutions to pool their resources, combine complimentary strengths and create a Chabad high school for girls that will offer the best of both worlds – a small school atmosphere with the vitality and amenities of a large school.

“Everyone knows that the need for this kind of program today is simply extraordinary,” reports Rabbi Hecht. “I was very impressed by what Mrs. Gorkin accomplished at Bnos Chomesh. In just one year since it opened its doors, her program gained a reputation of ‘the school girls love.’ I am confident that here at Beth Chana Academy, Mrs. Gorkin will be in a great position to build on that success.”

“Many of our girls crave a more intimate, creative school experience and that was the main reason I founded Bnos Chomesh. But I also want my students to have access to seasoned teaching staff, great facilities, science and computer labs, and the numerous amenities Rabbi Hecht has built up over the years.” said Mrs. Gorkin. “All that and more will now be available to them at our combined school: Beth Chana Academy.”

Beth Chana Academy was established in 1965 by Rabbi Rabbi Moshe Y. Hecht at the directive of the Rebbe. It has the distinct honor of being the very first school sanctioned by the Rebbe to bear the his mother’s name. Under the direction of its principal Mrs. Susha Alperowitz the school has maintained the highest standards of excellence in both Limudei Kodesh and secular studies for the past 18 years. Mrs. Alperowitz is looking forward to devoting her time exclusively to the Southern Connecticut Hebrew Academy.

Beth Chana Academy has beautiful facilities with every amenity one could wish for. It features large, airy classrooms, beautiful grounds, a fully equipped modern computer lab, a state of the art science lab, a full-sized gym with exercise equipment, a stunning indoor basketball court, two dormitory buildings (one for 9th and 10th grades, one for 11th and 12th grades). Currently Beth Chana has a small group of mostly local students. With the arrival of the Bnos Chomesh girls this fall, both the incredible facilities and the highly professional staff of Beth Chana Academy will be put to full use.

For more information on Beth Chana Academy or to schedule an admissions interview please contact Laura at 203-795-5261. Space is extremely limited.