King David Schools, Johannesburg Explained

King David Schools
Type:Private Jewish day schools
Established:1948
Locale:Suburban
Grades:preschool – 12
Head Name2:Exam board
Head2:IEB
Province:Gauteng
Country:South Africa
School Colors: Blue and White

The King David Schools are a network of Jewish day schools in Johannesburg, South Africa, offering nursery through high school education. There are three campuses across Johannesburg: Linksfield, Victory Park, and Sandton; "each school has an atmosphere of its own serving the specific community".[1] The schools are under the auspices of the South African Board of Jewish Education.[2]

King David aims to deliver "an excellent general education together with the study of Hebrew, Jewish Studies and the living of the Jewish calendar and year cycle"[3] and to produce "graduates who are menschen, confident and equipped to pursue any opportunity they wish to, who are proud of their Jewish heritage and its traditions, who have a love for learning, and a determination to contribute to their society."[4]

The Linksfield campus, in northeastern Johannesburg, was established in 1948 as South Africa's first Jewish day school (the high school was founded in 1955); see further under History of the Jews in South Africa. Many of the original buildings of the high school from 1948 still exist on the campus. As a relatively large school, King David Linksfield fields strong teams in several sports.[5] The Victory Park campus (primary school, 1960; high school, 1964) serves northern and northwestern Johannesburg. It has fewer students than Linksfield. The Sandton campus, a primary school, is the most recently established (1982), and feeds into both high schools. Each campus also has its own nursery school.

The schools write the Independent Examination Board examinations for Matriculation; pass rates are very high, and pupils are often amongst the top-ranked, nationwide.[6] [7] The King Davids also achieve in various cultural activities,[8] and, particularly Linksfield, in sporting activities.[9] Each school is involved in several outreach and charity programs, focused on the Jewish and broader communities,[10] [11] [12] including (matriculation) support and enrichment programs for Schools in Alexandra and Soweto. Many King David alumni are noted for their achievements, in South Africa and internationally – see Links below.

Although only a small minority of the pupils are observant – Johannesburg has several Religious day schools – the schools are (nominally) Orthodox. Practically, no school activities take place on Shabbat or on Jewish Holidays, all catering is Kosher, and the school day begins with Shacharit (Morning prayers). Educationally, each school has a Rabbi on staff, Hebrew and/or Jewish Studies are compulsory subjects until Grade 11 (Form IV), and the schools offer a "Beit Midrash stream" – established by Chief Rabbi, Dr. Warren Goldstein – for Grade 10s and 11s who choose this over the regular Jewish Studies classes.[13] The schools are also served by "the DIJE" (Division of Informal Jewish Education), offering programmes which "complement the formal classroom and allow learners to engage with and experience their Judaism".[14] "Encounter", for Grade 11s, is the DIJE's premier educational programme – it aims to "create a domain of conversation in which the participants are able to question, learn about and understand the relevance of Judaism in today's modern world."[15]

An interesting fact is that the two high schools were headed by identical twin brothers, Elliot and Jeffrey Wolf, from the early 1970s through the 1990s;[16] their involvement with the King Davids has continued since retirement, and they have devoted a combined 75 years to the schools.[17]

The King David Schools' Foundation (KDSF) is active in fundraising, with a dual focus on outreach and subsidies/scholarships. Relatedly, it also acts as an alumni association through monthly e-newsletters, reunions and other fundraising events. KDSF was founded in 1994 under the auspices of the SABJE, as a registered non-profit organisation.

Notable alumni

Linksfield

Victory Park

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: About KDS – Our Schools . SABJE . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120313091037/http://www.sabje.co.za/About-Us/Our-Schools.aspx . 13 March 2012 .
  2. Web site: South African Board of Jewish Education . SABJE .
  3. Web site: About KDS – Rabbi Welcome . SABJE . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120313091056/http://www.sabje.co.za/About-KDS/Rabbi-Welcome.aspx . 13 March 2012 .
  4. Web site: About KDS – Purpose Statements . SABJE . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120313091150/http://www.sabje.co.za/About-Us/Purpose-Statements.aspx . 13 March 2012 .
  5. Web site: Results for King David High School Linksfield in 2011 | 15.co.za | | Rugby News, Live Scores, Results, Fixtures . Rugby15.co.za . 7 July 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120405102835/http://www.rugby15.co.za/2011/06/results-for-king-david-high-school-linksfield-in-2011/ . 5 April 2012 . live .
  6. Web site: Archived copy . 5 October 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100326144319/http://www.sajewishreport.co.za/pdf/2010/jan/top_results.pdf . 26 March 2010 .
  7. Web site: Archived copy . 18 April 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111007015415/http://www.sajewishreport.co.za/pdf/2011/jan/14-january-2011.pdf . 7 October 2011 .
  8. Web site: Past Winners . Raps.org.za . 27 October 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120314081601/http://www.raps.org.za/winners/previous-winners . 14 March 2012 . dead .
  9. http://www.kdsf.org/pages/NewsletterItem_Display.asp?NewsletterID=120&UserID=&Email=&NewsletterItemId=559
  10. Web site: Outreach Programmes at King David Linksfield Schools . SABJE . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120313091002/http://www.sabje.co.za/Development/Forms/KD-Linksfield.aspx . 13 March 2012 .
  11. Web site: Outreach Programmes at King David Victory Park High School . SABJE . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120313091211/http://www.sabje.co.za/Development/Forms/KD-Victory-Park.aspx . 13 March 2012 .
  12. Web site: Outreach Programmes at King David Sandton Primary School . SABJE . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120313091252/http://www.sabje.co.za/Development/Forms/KD-Sandton.aspx . 13 March 2012 .
  13. Web site: Chief Rabbi's Report : UOS Conference August 2009 . Chiefrabbi.co.za . 19 August 2007.
  14. Web site: Division of Informal Jewish Education (DIJE) . SABJE . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120313091127/http://www.sabje.co.za/Dije/Overview.aspx . 13 March 2012 .
  15. Web site: Division of Informal Jewish Education (DIJE) Encounter . SABJE . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120313091301/http://www.sabje.co.za/Dije/Encounter.aspx . 13 March 2012 .
  16. http://www.anglo-list.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=103&Itemid=161
  17. Web site: Elliot & Jeffrey Wolf – 75 + 75 + 75 . MyShtetl . 21 January 2011 . 13 January 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110725093211/http://www.myshtetl.co.za/community/schoolsandstudy/schoolcampus/elliot-jeffrey-wolf-75-75-75 . 25 July 2011 . dead .
  18. Web site: Danny Koppel . kdsf.org.
  19. Web site: Shaun Rubenstein . kdsf.org.
  20. Web site: Adrian Gore . kdsf.org.
  21. Web site: Professor Dan Stein . kdsf.org.
  22. Web site: Gail Louw . kdsf.org.
  23. Web site: Larry Cohen . kdsf.org.
  24. Web site: Jonathan Kaplan . kdsf.org.
  25. Lewis . Carole . Carole Lewis . 1998 . A Tribute to Etienne Mureinik—Friend and Colleague . South African Journal on Human Rights . en . 14 . 1 . 1–10 . 10.1080/02587203.1998.11834965 . 0258-7203.
  26. News: 30 November 2023 . Alum News . 5 June 2024 . Davidian Update . 13.
  27. News: 30 November 2023 . Alum News . 5 June 2024 . Davidian Update . 13.
  28. Web site: Akiva Tatz . kdsf.org.
  29. Web site: Lance Metz . kdsf.org.
  30. Web site: Dr Max Price . kdsf.org.
  31. Web site: Meet Joe Biden's South African daughter-in-law . 2023-08-08 . News24 . en-US.
  32. Web site: Lael Bethlehem . kdsf.org.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "King David Schools, Johannesburg".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.