27/10/2024
Did you know that today marks 119 years since the first Hebrew high school opened?
Today, 119 years ago, the world’s first Hebrew high school opened its doors.
The school year began straight after the holidays, on the 25th of Tishrei 5666, October 25, 1905. There was as yet no school building, so the few students gathered in the home of Dr. Yehuda Leib and Fania Metman Cohen in Jaffa, on a street still called Hebrew High School Street.
Four years later, the institution moved to an impressive building on Herzl Street in Tel Aviv, known as Herzliya Gymnasium in honor of Theodor Herzl. The building was designed by architect Yosef Berski in collaboration with Bezalel Academy director, Boris Schatz.
The architecture was a gem, reflecting a style only then emerging in Tel Aviv, later known as the “Eretz-Israel Style.” This eclectic school drew on local building traditions for its distinctly Middle Eastern character, combining classical, Moorish (Islamic), and even French Art Deco elements.
Eclecticism dominated Tel Aviv’s architecture in the early 20th century, embodying the idea that Zionism was a cultural synthesis of East and West. But by the early 1930s, the architectural scene had shifted. The Fifth Aliyah brought German-Jewish architects, many of whom had studied or taught at the Bauhaus School of Architecture and Design in Germany or other European institutions. Their influence quickly transformed Tel Aviv’s architectural landscape, introducing the International Style, known as Bauhaus, which stripped away historical references. Tel Aviv became a “White City,” featuring clean lines and a cosmopolitan feel, leaning away from nostalgia and tradition.
Fifty years after it was built, in 1959, the historic Herzliya High School building was demolished to make way for the Shalom Meir Tower. The demolition sparked outrage among alumni, architects, and cultural figures. In response to the outcry, the Council for the Preservation of Heritage Sites in Israel was established, choosing the gymnasium’s iconic structure as its emblem.
Today, Herzliya High School occupies a new, modern building in a different location. In 2006, a cast-iron gate depicting the facade of the original historic building was installed at its entrance.
Above: The original Herzliya High School building
Below: The current building with the iron replica of the original facade. Photo: Avishai Teicher
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