Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium


The Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium, originally known as HaGymnasia HaIvrit is a historic high school in Tel Aviv, Israel.

History

The original building

The school was founded in 1905 in Ottoman-controlled Jaffa. The cornerstone-laying for the school's new building on Herzl Street in the Ahuzat Bayit neighborhood of Tel Aviv took place on July 28, 1909. Gymnasia Herzliya was the country's first Hebrew high school. The building was designed by Joseph Barsky, inspired by descriptions of Solomon's Temple.
The building on Herzl Street was a major Tel Aviv landmark until 1962, when the site was razed for the construction of the Shalom Meir Tower. The destruction of the building sparked widespread recognition of the importance of conserving historical landmarks. The Council for Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel was founded in the 1980s partly in response to the fate of Herzliya Hebrew High School.

The current building

Located today on Jabotinsky Street, it serves as a six-year secondary school. The modern campus is entered through a gate that is a replica of the facade of the 1909 building.

Principals

Former principals include Haim Bograshov, Baruch Ben Yehuda and Carmi Yogev. In 1992, former Air Force fighter pilot and Brigadier General Ron Huldai was appointed principal. He implemented many changes and modernizations later adopted by other schools. After leaving the school, he was elected mayor of Tel Aviv. The current principal is Ze'ev Dgannie.

Notable faculty