Perelman Jewish Day School Buck County Branch housed at Ohev Shalom Congregation in Richboro.

Perelman Closes Bucks County Branch

The end of an era

Six years ago, Perelman Jewish Day School embarked on a special journey, opening a branch in Bucks County. Nine families jumped on board, and the Perelman Jewish Day School welcomed 10 students into Kitah Aleph in September 2000 at Congregation Ohev Shalom in Richboro.

These first students completed their studies last June with a Gesher Ceremony marking their transition to Middle School as the first class to have gone through first through fifth grade at the Buck County Center. Principal Chagit Nusbaum said "From the start this was a unique group of students, members of special families who took risks and were committed to Jewish education and to the existence of a Conservative Jewish Day School in Bucks, County." 

However, after a two-year review and enhanced effort to maintain its facility in Bucks County, the Perelman Jewish Day School's board voted yesterday to consolidate its Bucks County Center into its Forman Center Branch at the conclusion of the 2005-2006 school year as a result of enrollments being below sustainable levels. 

"For the last six years the Bucks County Center, led impressively by Chagit Nusbaum and some of our finest teachers, has provided students with exemplary academic programming in both general and Judaic studies in a creative and nurturing environment that fulfilled the school's mission. Despite the academic success, the Center has unfortunately experienced six years of low enrollment, with little evidence of future growth" said Stuart D. Appel, president of the Perelman Jewish Day School. "This was a sad and painful decision to have made, but the Board acted in a responsible manner to
the entire system. PJDS is one school with multiple centers in diverse geographic regions. While the education of every child is equally important, we have limited resources that must be maximized in order to maintain the viability of our entire institution."

"Perelman is one school with multiple branches throughout the Greater Philadelphia area," said Jay Leberman, head of school of the Perelman Jewish Day School. "The affected students at the Bucks County Center are being provided the opportunity to continue their Jewish day school education in the 2006-2007 school year at no additional cost, including free transportation, at the closest Perelman branch -- the Forman Center in Melrose Park." 

Founded in 1956, the Raymond and Ruth Perelman Jewish Day School, will be celebrating its 50th anniversary with a very special celebration on May 16, 2006 on the Mandell Education Campus where the Forman Center and Saligman Middle School students will be joined by students from the Bucks County and Stern Centers. Together as one school - 645 students strong - they will mark the occasion of Lag b'Omer and the beginning of Perelman Jewish Day School's year-long 50th anniversary. Festivities will include a World Record Dance Competition that will be acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records

The Perelman Jewish Day School serves Jewish students in the elementary and middle school grades. Its mission is to provide students with a values-based, Jewish education within the context of a rigorous academic program. The goal of the school is to produce confident, accomplished and caring graduates who have a solid understanding of their history and culture as both Americans and Jews.