New Reform Jewish Independent school opens outside Boston

The Rashi School, one of only 17 Reform Jewish independent schools in North American and Israel, opened a new $30 million facility on a 166-acre campus shared with the Hebrew SeniorLife community on the Charles River in Dedham, Mass. The 300-student, K-8 school, designed by HMFH Architects, Cambridge, Mass., is organized around a central spine with two classroom wings radiating from each end and containing a mix of classrooms, small group breakout rooms, Hebrew study rooms, and offices. The 82,000-sf facility has a double-height music room, an art studio, a full gymnasium, and a 10,000-volume library. The building also houses a range of ceremonial and celebratory spaces, including the Sukkot Shalom and gallery, an 80-seat Beit Midrash for prayer and study, and a 415-seat auditorium. An outside amphitheater, playgrounds, and sports fields complete the site.

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