Hebrew Gymnasia “Herzliya”

The first institution to be built by the people of Tel Aviv was a school. They built it even before constructing their homes. It was meant to be education for a new generation, creating the elite of a new country. The second Prime Minister of Israel went to this school, as have many members of Parliament and other notables. They studied language (the main language of the school was Hebrew, even in other classes), science, Bible and Talmud. The goal of the school was to integrate the best of both European and Jewish. The school sat at the end of the main road in Tel Aviv, clearly visible and obviously what they saw as the most important place in their community.
In 1964, the school was torn down to be replaced by the first skyscraper in the Middle East. A school that had existed before the town did was knocked down. Someone had failed to protect the initial values of the community. An organization in Israel today whose mission is to protect historical buildings and values has the Herzliya as its logo. Today, that school has moved and is still in business, though it enjoys a very different place in Tel Aviv’s society.