The New Jewish High School (NJHS), which is currently located on the corner of Main Street and Prospect Street, and is attended by approximately 225 students, is in the process of expanding its property. Currently, they have leased space in an office building where their students attend class, but once it opens its new doors, the renovated school will be located on Forest Street, near Bentley College.On Wednesday April 17, the school community had a ceremony during which they broke ground for their 20-acre campus. At this ceremony, attendees were told the name of the school is going to be changed once the new location opens. It will be called "The Gann Jewish Academy," in honor of Joseph and Rae Gann who contributed the funds for the expansion.

The school first opened in September 1997 in a building on Turner Street. Its first year, the school housed approximately 50 students, and the following year, it relocated to an office building on the corner of Main Street and Prospect Street.

The Headmaster of NJHS, Rabbi Daniel Lehmann, announced the reasons why they school decided to expand its property. "We're leasing a facility that's inadequate," he said. He also added the current school prevents accommodating the growing student body. Still, he said the school does not have adequate facilities.
"We don't have dedicated music and art spaces, and we don't have dedicated tefilah (prayer) spaces, and don't have dedicated athletic spaces, and the new school will have those," Lehmann said.

Lehmann said since their school does not have designated areas for various activities, the students have to use other people's facilities."The kids don't have the specialized spaces like lounges," he said.

Lehmann said the students are currently bused to the YMCA and to Brandeis where they satisfy their gym requirement. But, he said that after the expansion, the school will have adequate athletic facilities so that they will no longer to have be bused to the YMCA or to Brandeis to use the facilities.

Also, Lehmann said the students sometimes come to Brandeis to use the library. Currently, NJHS only has a very small library, and in the new school, it will have a library that is a little bigger. But, he said that even if the new school has a bigger library, the students still might come to Brandeis because the new library will not have research materials like Brandeis.

Lehmann said that since the new building will be close to Bentley College, it might want to work out something, where the students will be able to use some of their facilities. "We might want to work out something with Bentley because it's so close, but I don't know what it will be yet," Lehmann said.

"Everybody's excited about being in our facility … it's much more spacious and better designed for educational purposes," Lehmann said.

"They'll (the students) have better environments and facilities to do things," Lehmann said.

"The school is being built for 320 students," Lehmann said. Students and faculty are expected to be moving into the new location by September of next year.