Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy

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Abstract is: Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy, better known by the acronym, SAR Academy, is a coeducational, private Open Orthodox Jewish day school. The school is located in the Riverdale section of the New York City borough of the Bronx. Its name derives from the three schools which merged to form it, Salanter (named after Rabbi Yisrael Salanter), Akiba, and the Riverdale Academy, all Jewish day schools. The three schools merged in 1968 and adopted the current name. The school is situated on the former estate of the Italian operatic and symphonic conductor Arturo Toscanini. The land for the school was purchased in 1968. The school moved into its new building in 1974. Designed by Caudill Rowlett Scott, the building was given the Albert S. Bard Award in 1975. The school's founding principal was Rabbi Sheldon Chwat, who was followed by former Assistant Principal Rabbi Yonah Fuld, who was then succeeded by then assistant principal Rabbi Joel Cohn, all of whom subsequently moved to Israel; the principal since the 2005–06 academic year has been Rabbi Binyamin Krauss, who is helped by associate principals Alana Rifkin Gelnick, Sharon Richter, Beth Pepper, and Rebecca Ostro Nagata. The school is closely affiliated with SAR High School, which is headed by the former assistant principal of the Academy, Rabbi Naphtali (Tully) Harcsztark. Slightly more than half of the High School's student body is made up of students from the elementary school. SAR requires students to take a dual curriculum, taking both General Studies courses as well as Judaic Studies. General Studies classes include Math, Science, English and Social Studies. The Judaic Studies courses are Hebrew language, Mishnah, Talmud (Gemara) and Bible studies (Tanakh). During the 1991–92 school year, Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive. The school also fostered a creative arts program that began in 1985, headed by musician and educator, Jonathan Dzik and professional stage/film producer, Jay Michaels.

Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy is …