COMMUNITY NEWS
Zucker Jewish Academy Marks New Chapter With Ribbon-Cutting in Boca Raton, Fla. More than 300 people gathered Sunday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the new Boca Raton home of Zucker Jewish Academy, marking a historical milestone for the young Jewish day school and the families it serves. Hosted by Head of School Rabbi Binyamin Fogelgarn, the event brought together students, parents, educators, rabbis, community leaders and representatives of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office for an afternoon of celebration and reflection on the journey that brought the school to its new campus. Among those attending was Rabbi Ephraim Palgon, a Senior Education & School Coach within the Zucker network. The fast-growing Zucker expansion currently includes 11 Zucker schools across North America and Canada, all sharing a commitment to providing strong academics, a love of Judaism and transformational education. The ceremony also reflected the support of Boca Raton’s Jewish community. In attendance were Rabbi Efrem Goldberg of Boca Raton Synagogue, Rabbi Yaakov Gibber of Boca Jewish Center, Rabbi Schwersenski, Head of School at Katz Hillel, Rabbi Sklar, Outreach Director at the Boca Raton Kollel, Rabbi Korkus and community leaders Shlomi Lagassi and Reuven Elmekayis. Their presence underscored the significance of the new school within a community that has long
placed a strong emphasis on Jewish education, Achdut (unity) and communal life. Several representatives of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office were also present, including Sergeant Yerian, Deputy Moss and Deputy Raschty. The school expressed its appreciation for the ongoing support it receives from the Sheriff’s Office, led by the beloved Captain David Moss. A Long Road to Boca Raton For the Zucker community, Sunday’s ceremony represented the end of a long and sometimes complicated journey. It represents the culmination of years of work
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and the dream of families who believed in the Zucker mission. Before arriving at its permanent home in Boca Raton, the school operated from a temporary location in Deerfield Beach. It moved to Coral Springs in 2024 before returning to Deerfield in 2025. Despite relocating several times, the school community was growing increasingly stronger. Leubitz said, “We weren’t just implementing someone else’s vision; we had the opportunity to create the kind of school we believed our students needed.” Getting to the ribbon-cutting required considerably more than locating a building. It required a