Hebrew Reali School

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Hebrew Reali School of Haifa

The Hebrew Reali School of Haifa (Hebrew: בית הספר הריאלי העברי בחיפה‎), (known as the Reali School, or Beit Hasefer Hareali) located in Haifa, Israel, is one of the country's oldest private schools.

History

The Reali school was established by Arthur Biram on behalf of EZRA, a German Jewish organization, and in close connection with the Technion in 1913, before the outbreak of World War I. The fundamental values of the school are Zionism, humanism, tolerance and democracy. At the time, the Yishuv, or pre-state Jewish community in Palestine, was engaged in a debate over the language of instruction in the country's Jewish schools. When it was decided that the sciences would be taught in German, Biram responded by founding the Hebrew Reali School. The first branch of the school was opened in the Hadar neighborhood of Haifa. In 1923, the school moved into a building on the old campus of the Technion which had formerly been used as a British military hospital. During that period the school founded a Scouts troop "MeShotetey Carmel" (Hebrew: משוטטי כרמל‎) and in 1924 the school opened a Humanistic major, in addition to the previously offered science major. At the very same year the schools motto was determined: "Walk Humbly" (Hebrew: הצנע לכת‎) (Micha, 6:8). This motto expresses the schools aspirations in the realm of education.

Between the years 1940-1948 in light of world war two and the strive towards establishing the country the students took the classes in shifts and the graduates joined Service Year (Hebrew: שנת שירות‎).

In January 2014 Ron Kitrey retired and Dr. Yosi Ben-Dov replaced him as the school's headmaster.

Branches

Today the school has seven branches: Yesod Hadar (elementary school); Tichon Hadar (middle school); Yesod Ahuza (elementary school); Tichon Ahuza (middle school); Tichon Merkaz (elementary and middle school); Tichon Bet Biram (high school). In 1953, a military boarding school was established in proximity to Tichon Bet Biram.

In September 2008, the school opened it latest branch, the "Reali-gan" (kindergarten). The kindergarten advocates ecological education: Recycle, Energy saving and Nature protection.

Notable alumni

Ezer Weizman

• Shlomo Bentin
• Yoav Benjamini
• Ruth Gavison
• Aharon Yadlin
• Amihai Mazar
• Noga Alon
• Yehezkel Dror
• Shulamith Shahar
• Avraham Biran
• Bezalel Narkiss
• Michael Bruno
• Yehoshafat Harkabi
• Ruth Amiran
• Zev Vilnay
• Yaacov Dori, the first Chief of Staff
• Azaria Alon
• Michael O. Rabin, one of the founders of computer science in Israel and a Turing award laureate
• Miriam Ben-Peretz
• Shlomo Arman, honored soldier with "Itur haGvura" from IDF in Yom Kipur War
• Rachel Adato
• Miriam Adelson, medical research scientist and noted philanthropist
• Galila Ron-Feder Amit (born 1949), children books author
• Yosi Ben-Dov
• Yitzhak Danziger (1916–77), sculptor
• Aryeh Dvoretzky
• Amir Gal-Or
• Or Israel Vaknin
• Emil Grunzweig
• Uri Gordon
• Dahlia Gredinger
• Ron Kitri
• Haim Laskov (1919–83), Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces
• Amnon Lipkin-Shahak (born 1944), Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces
• Uri Lubrani
• Ehud Manor (1941–2005), songwriter, translator, and radio and TV personality
• Amram Mitzna
• Matan Vilnai
• Yochanan Vollach (born 1945), footballer
• Ezer Weizman (1924–2005), seventh President of Israel, Commander of the Israeli Air Force, and Minister of Defense
• David Witzthum
• Miron Bleiberg, Israeli-Australian football manager