Paramus—April 15 marked an historic day for Ben Porat Yosef (BPY). On that day, the thirteen-year-old school completed the purchase of its permanent home – a 72,000 square foot facility set on a seven acre cul-de-sac which it had been renting from the Frisch School, concluding an agreement that was struck between the two schools five years ago.
“The purchase of this building represents the culmination of a dream and is a significant milestone for our entire school community,” said BPY president Cheryl Rosenberg.
BPY opened its doors in September 2001 with 27 early childhood students, under the leadership of Jessica Kohn, Early Childhood Director, and Rabbi David Bassous, founding Rabbi, housed in Congregation Sons of Israel in Leonia. In 2008, with 120 students in toddler through third grade, the school moved to Frisch Court as a sub-tenant of Bat Torah high school, which was renting the facility from Frisch. Since then, BPY has enjoyed extraordinary growth in both size and reputation, its enrollment nearly quadrupling and the school becoming widely known for its deeply committed and closely connected community of students, staff members, parents, and grandparents.
Rav Tomer Ronen, BPY’s Rosh HaYeshiva explains: “When we moved into this building, we were using about ten classrooms. Now, we are using nearly every one of the 30+ classrooms and our enrollment is projected to approach 500 students next year. Between the two gymnasiums, auditorium, full size cafeteria, and the outdoor property, we are blessed to have spaces where our entire student body can assemble to learn and grow as a community. Providing opportunities for students across the grades to connect and learn together is a core value and this building gives us the space to put it into practice.”
The building purchase was made possible through the generosity of donors, who contributed millions to BPY’s Shorashim Capital Campaign to finance the transaction. “The enthusiasm for BPY and its mission resulted in such strong participation that we were able to consummate the transaction almost four months ahead of schedule,” explained Daniel Cohen, chair of the campaign. “The school’s growth is evidence of its value to our community, and reinforces that BPY is an essential communal institution here in Bergen County.”
Indeed, BPY’s building is in use around the clock. During non-school hours, it hosts a wide variety of community programs, including sports leagues, summer camps, group meetings and events, and BPY’s own popular summer day camp, Camp Kef.
BPY founders Solomon and Shirley Bitton, Enrique Levy, Dr. Rochelle Moche, and Steven Sarao set out to create a school with a unique vision that remains in place today. Their idea was for BPY to emphasize a Klal Yisrael approach, teaching both Sephardic and Ashkenazic traditions side-by-side, so that students would be comfortable and knowledgeable in any Jewish setting. Another important objective was to include a true Hebrew immersion program where students would graduate with complete fluency and literacy. A third essential goal was to create a warm, creative, and individualized learning environment for students.
As the school took off, its administrative leadership team implemented a progressive educational philosophy focused on meeting individual needs and stimulating creativity and critical thinking skills. Students are frequently taught in small groups to encourage confidence and strong student-teacher relationships, and effectively teach higher level thinking and analysis skills. The school is also widely known for its warmth and community. Visitors to BPY often remark about the palpable excitement, welcoming atmosphere, and vibrancy one feels, even just upon entering the building.
Shoshana Glickman, BPY’s Director of Development explains that the Shorashim Capital Campaign is not yet complete: “We are profoundly grateful that so many have recognized the importance of investing in BPY and in the future of our community through this campaign. Going forward, the campaign will support capital improvements that ensure the optimal physical learning environment for our students.” For more information or to join the campaign, contact Shoshana Glickman, Director of Development, or visit www.benporatyosef.org/capital campaign. For full background about Ben Porat Yosef, and to view videos about different elements of BPY’s educational program, visit the school’s website at www.benporatyosef.org.
