North Hills-based Spector Group tackles North Shore Hebrew Academy

Long Island Business News, Jul 16, 2004 by Nick Anastasi

The North Shore Hebrew Academy High School will be a one of its kind. The Spector Group, the architectural firm charged with building the school, said North Shore Hebrew will blend traditional materials - brick and stone - with a contemporary design.

The $25 million facility, at the corner of Community Drive and the North Service Road of the Long Island Expressway at exit 33, will be one of the largest Jewish high-school complexes in New York State, and its design will couple the trappings of an educational institution, such as desks and chairs, with spiritual elements, such as a place of worship.

I'm thrilled to see this vision finally come to life, said Arbor Realty Trust CEO and North Shore Hebrew President Ivan Kaufman, who noted that the school has been in the works for several years.

Last month, there was a ceremonial groundbreaking for the 118,000- square-foot facility, which is scheduled to open in 2005. Construction of the building, which will consist of three main sections, is expected to take 18 months.

Executives of North Hills-based Spector Group said the center- most section of the 11-acre site will house the school, dovetailing with the descending slope of land on which it sits.

The academy will be designed to encourage student-teacher interaction and the pursuit of studies both cerebral and spiritual, said the Spector Group.

The synagogue, the central place of worship, will be round and will be separate from the school itself, which will include classrooms, laboratories, a library, a music conservatory, an art studio and a gymnasium. Outdoor facilities are expected to include a soccer field, tennis courts, basketball courts and outdoor terrace gardens.

Currently, North Shore Hebrew's elementary school is in Kings Point; the middle school is in Great Neck. Each offers a dual curriculum of Judaic and general studies for pre-school through 8th grade.

In 2001, the school extended its curriculum to include high- school classes and set up shop at its current temporary facility at 175 Community Drive in Great Neck. On June 13, the high school celebrated its first graduating class.

That high school, which already possesses Middle States Accreditation, New York State Association of Independent Schools Accreditation, New York State Education Department Registration and College Board Membership, is growing and expects a September enrollment of more than 300 boys and girls.