Hebrew Academy of Tidewater
The Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is a dual curriculum school that was founded in 1955 by Rabbi Joseph Schecter with the assistance of Rabbi Joseph Kaminetzky from the Torah U'Mesora Organization. Rabbi Samuel Lichtenstein was the first principal of the school. At its inception rooms were rented from the Jewish community center in Norfolk. The first class was in February 1955. It spans from preschool to 5th grade. It is a school designed specifically to teach Jewish youth of their people, language, and many other things. It teaches Judaic, as well as general studies. The school also helps its students prepare for their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs; teaching them to read and write Hebrew as well as to understand the grammar and words. Students learn a great amount of both general and Judaic studies, and they still have the time to participate in such subjects as physical education, music, art, health education and others. The school has small classes, promoting one on one time with teachers and so students get to know one another well.
Graduates are well prepared to meet the challenges of the modern world as evidenced by their acceptance and confident transitions in the best private and public school programs.
