Proposals for a new Jewish secondary school are gathering pace, and two rival bids are being made for Hillside School in Borehamwood.

On Monday more than 500 people went to a meeting at Borehamwood and Elstree Synagogue, to hear about the United Synagogue (US) proposal for a new Jewish secondary school.

The US scheme has gained wide-ranging support in the Jewish community and from outside, and a letter of encouragement from Britain's Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, was read out at the meeting.

But another section of the community believes it has a better plan for Hillside School.

The Jewish Community Secondary School (JCoSS), which represents all of Hertsmere's Jewish congregations, also wants to open a secondary school there.

The county council plans to sell Hillside School to property developers, to get back some of the £19million it spent building Hertswood School.

Both groups plan to offer market value for the site, and to make facilities such as the sports and drama halls available to the public.

The key difference between the proposals is that the US school would only admit Halacha Jews, accepted as Jewish by the orthodox movement, while the JCoSS school would accept all Jews.

With 4,200 members in Hertsmere, the United Synagogue represents the majority of the Jewish community, but JCoSS claims that under its proposals many children attending progressive or reform synagogues would be excluded.

The JCoSS steering group includes a US rabbi, Rabbi Zvi Solomons from Potters Bar Synagogue.

He said there were successful inclusive Jewish schools around the world, and that despite conversations with, among others, Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, he had not heard any valid arguments in Jewish Law against establishing one in Hertsmere.

"I have a nephew and niece who will be going Clore Shalom, and I will have to explain to them why, say, five of their classmates will not be able to go with them to the secondary school.

"I cannot see any reason why we should not have a school which makes no compromise over its Jewish education, but allows for diversity."

He called for the two groups vying for the school to join forces, as together they would have a better chance of securing the Hillside Avenue site.

July 11, 2002 13:30