Tallinn Jewish School
| Tallinn Jewish School | |
|---|---|
Tallinna Juudi Kool | |
 Tallinn Jewish School | |
| Location | |
Karu 16 Estonia | |
| Information | |
| Established | 1924 |
Principal | Igor Lirisman |
| Language | Russian |
| Website | www.jkool.tln.edu.ee |
Tallinn Jewish School (Estonian: Tallinna Juudi Kool) is a school in the center of Tallinn, Estonia.
History
The Jewish School was built before World War II. When the war started the school was closed and the Sea Army center was there during the war and after war time. In 1990 the school was opened again[1][2] with 350 pupils.[3]
Samuel Gurin was director from 1925 until its closure in 1940.[1] From the re-opening in 1990 to 1993, Avivia Gluhovskaja was the director. The headmaster from 1993 until 21 June 2009 was Mihhail Beilinson, and was followed by Samuel Golomb, who remained until 2010, when the current incumbent, Igor Lirisman, took over.
In May 2025, the City of Tallinn, the Estonian Jewish Congregation, and the NGO Estonian Jewish Community (MTÜ Eesti Juudi Kogukond) signed an agreement to support the development of the school in a project that includes renovation of the school building on Karu Street (built in 1924 and owned by the Jewish Community of Estonia) and construction of a modern extension.[4]
In June 2026, a commemorative plaque marking the building's association with the Tallinn Jewish Private Gymnasium (est. in 1924), and the proclamation of Jewish Cultural Autonomy (1926) was unveiled at the school. The unveiling was part of the celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of Jewish Cultural Autonomy in Estonia.[5]
Faculty and facilities
About 30 teachers are working at the school, including staff involved in Jewish studies and Hebrew-language instruction.[6]
The school is the only Jewish educational institution in Estonia and most of the students are from the Jewish community in the country, estimated at a few thousand people (nationwide).[7] Yet, the school's teaching language is Russian, whereas it has been estimated that a third of the Estonian Jewish community speaks Estonian.[3]
See also
References
- 1 2 "Estonia". The Virtual Jewish History Tour. The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
- ↑ "The Jewish Community in Estonia". About Estonia. Estonia.eu. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
- 1 2 Levine, Yasha (12 June 2005). "Russian or Estonian? Language signals rift in Estonian community". NCSJ. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
- ↑ "City of Tallinn supports the development of the Jewish School under a new agreement". City of Tallinn. 23 May 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- ↑ Dylan (2026-06-08). "Commemorative plaque unveiled at the historic Tallinn Jewish school". European Jewish Congress. Retrieved 2026-06-12.
- ↑ "Tallinn Jewish School". Jewish Community of Estonia.
- ↑ "Tallinn Jewish School". World ORT.
External links
- Official website (in Estonian, Russian and English language)