Meira Academy Opens New Campus

A crowd of more than 100 gathered on Sunday, Nov. 16, at the Meira Academy campus in Palo Alto, to celebrate the official opening of the school’s new campus.

Nearly four years after first opening its doors as the only all-girls Orthodox Jewish high school between Los Angeles and Seattle, Meira Academy has expanded from a one-room facility into a dedicated building at the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center and from one class of six girls into four classes with over twenty students. The school recently received three-year accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) – the strongest endorsement for which it was eligible.

Close to two dozen girls are enrolled across four grades at Meira Academy, where they receive a first-rate secular education and equally strong Jewish studies. The school is fully focused on meeting the needs of observant Jewish families that had once been forced to send their teenage girls away to school, as well as serving families from as far away as Denver, Los Angeles and Seattle.

During the two-hour event, which was attended by current and prospective school families, staff and community supporters, students led the program with sample lessons and speeches, demonstrating Meira Academy ‘s focus on all aspects of their personal growth: intellectually, spiritually, socially, and creatively. They answered many questions regarding the Jewish and secular academics, social life, and dorm living for the prospective students and their families.

Along with displaying their school work and presentation skills for the community to see, the students showcased a wide variety of their delicious kosher sushi. Beginning last year, the Meira Academy students have been supplying the local community with kosher sushi which is available at the front desk of the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center Monday through Friday.

Meira Academy empowers young Jewish women through an education devoted to academic excellence. The school’s academic, co-curricular and extra-curricular programs benefit from their unique geographic location in Palo Alto, California, the capital of Silicon Valley. The region’s signature intellectual creativity, hi-tech know-how, “green” innovation, and focus on sustainable living all infuse the school’s offerings. Meira Academy is the only traditional girls-only Jewish high school in Northern California and the surrounding region. Their unique integrated curricula prepare students for acceptance to and success in the universities or seminaries of their choice.

--Information and photos provided by Meira Academy