Breaking Ground at a Groundbreaking School
The Jewish News was preserved for history this week, when a copy of the publication was included in a time capsule at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Jewish Community Secondary School.
Monday's event marked the official start of construction at the the East Barnet campus which is set to open its doors in September 2010.
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Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, was also on hand to roll up his sleeves and help bury the capsule, which included photos and documents chronicling the school's inception and a piece of shrapnel from a World War II bomb found on the site last March.
Balls said: "This is a very important and significant day... To quote the Chief Rabbi, 'to defend a nation you need an army, to defend a civilisation you need schools'.
"I am a strong supporter of faith schools. I believe we have a responsibility to create cohesive communities. There is cross-party support for JCoSS - the first school of its type in the country and it's a very exciting development. The future of this community is in the hands of the people who set up this school, and they do so with our full support."
Leader of Barnet Council, Cllr Mike Freer, added: "The opening of JCoSS adds to a wonderful collection of schools that we already have here in Barnet.
"The council is genuinely pleased to have supported JCoSS in its establishment. We wish the school well and we wish it bechatzlacha."
In a dedication speech, JCoSS Head Teacher Jeremy Stowe-Lindner spoke about the inclusive nature of the school, saying: "We stretch out our arms to all. As a truly cohesive school, we are unique in the Anglo-Jewish secondary school world to have the word community in our name - for we are building here a true community and a true family."
Gerald Ronson, JCoSS president, added: "Our vision is quite simply this: To equip our students, whatever their particular abilities or outlook, with the skills and information that they need to play a full part in the Jewish community, and beyond, and to become self-confident ambassadors for Judaism."
Read the latest copy of The Jewish News Online by clicking here.
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