New public charter school offering Hebrew education to open outside Las Vegas

Kesher Academy, the newest school in the Hebrew Public network, will open on Aug. 10 in Henderson, Nev., welcoming its inaugural class of 45 students, from kindergarten through first grade.

The tuition-free public charter school, located about 16 miles southeast of Las Vegas, will offer students a standard public-school curriculum alongside daily Modern Hebrew instruction. The school plans to add one grade each year until it serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Kesher is the 12th school in the Hebrew Public network, which includes flagship schools in Brooklyn and Staten Island, N.Y., and Philadelphia, as well as affiliate schools in New Jersey, Washington and California. Olam Public Charter School is slated to open in Stamford, Conn., in 2027, and the network is exploring additional expansion opportunities, including in Charlotte, N.C.

“We are thrilled to be opening Kesher and expanding what Hebrew Public offers families. We’re seeing real and growing demand for Hebrew charter schools, particularly from families who have concerns about their public school options and are looking for a rigorous, welcoming alternative that is still free and open to all,” Valerie Khaytina, Hebrew Public chief external officer, told JNS.

Kesher Academy is scheduled to host a Founding Family Open House on Thursday.

“Opening a school is a community effort, and this night is a chance to celebrate the people who made it possible,” said Dr. Eve Breier, Kesher Academy founding principal. “Our founding families took a leap of faith with us. We want their children to walk in on day one already knowing their teachers’ faces and a few of their classmates’ names.”

Hebrew Public emphasizes that while its schools celebrate the Hebrew language and Israeli culture, they do not provide religious instruction. As public charter schools, they are open to all students regardless of background, and network officials say about half of the system’s students are not Jewish.

The network was started by the Areivim Philanthropy Group and the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life in 2009 to provide an alternative for parents and students searching for an education that could provide access to Hebrew and Israel.

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