TanenbaumCHAT’s exciting new space offers
more room to meet the school’s growing needs
By Erin Silver
TanenbaumCHAT has held a special place within the Toronto Jewish community for more than six decades. But with enrolment increasing by 60 percent since 2017, the school was bursting at the seams. Thanks in part to a generous gift from the Naiberg family, TanenbaumCHAT was thrilled to open a new wing in September, named the Irving & Bella Naiberg Family Wing, providing room for both regular classrooms and specialized spaces to meet the school’s needs.
“As the only Jewish community high school, we have a mission to provide students with the best Jewish education possible,” says Dr. Jonathan Levy, Head of School at TanenbaumCHAT. “Ensuring that we have the space for everyone while at the same time continuing to provide an outstanding experience is critical.”
To ensure minimal disruption to staff and students, construction took place offsite beginning in summer 2023. Materials were brought to campus in May 2024, work continued throughout the summer, and doors opened to students this fall. Both students, faculty, and staff were thrilled to move into the new wing, which includes six new classrooms, three technology spaces, two science labs, a dedicated physical education room, and a new guidance office to support the influx of learners.
TanenbaumCHAT administrators say that several factors have contributed to the school’s impressive growth in recent years. “Since the campus amalgamation and tuition reduction plan launched in 2017, the school has seen enrolment expand from 874 students to 1,394,” says Dr. Levy. “Certainly, the lower cost of tuition has been a significant factor, as has our continued reputation for having outstanding faculty and staff, academic excellence, and stellar programming.”
This programming includes over 75 electives, more than 100 clubs and committees, and a robust curriculum, all of which requires more space. All of these threads combine to foster a thriving Jewish community that is flocking to TanenbaumCHAT from 10 feeder Jewish Day Schools and 38 public and independent schools. Adds Dr. Levy, “What’s most impressive is that our incoming cohorts continue to grow as parents and students do not want to miss out.”
As a TanenbaumCHAT parent and President of the school’s Board of Directors, Shelley Samel couldn’t agree more with Dr. Levy’s sentiments. “From my perspective, TanenbaumCHAT offers students the opportunity to get a first-rate academic education while feeling the safety of being completely at home in their Jewishness,” she says. “The Jewish profile of the school is truly what makes it special; not only do the students explore a variety of Jewish subjects in class, but they also hone their Jewish spirit. The ruach—including spirit days, assemblies, and other events—also contributes to the ‘special sauce’ that makes TanenbaumCHAT such an incredible place.” Samel adds, “I think our population has been growing because students are looking for that sense of connection and aspire to go to high school in an environment where they can be their authentic Jewish selves.”
With a major role in the discussions about the need for the new wing, Samel says more space was necessary to support the school’s current and future requirements. “The new wing was essential because we wanted to ensure that we had adequate physical space to meet the needs of our growing population,” says Samel. “Given the rise in antisemitism that we are seeing in the GTA, we see more and more families choosing to send their children to Jewish schools. We anticipate a continued influx of new students, so we are very happy to have this additional space.”
Michael Tolensky, the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director is excited to see the school’s plan come to fruition. “With enrolment surging at the Wilmington campus subsequent to the merger of the school’s two campuses in 2017, there was a clear understanding that there would be a need for additional classrooms,” says Tolensky. “The concept was approved by the Board in advance of the COVID pandemic in 2019 and construction physically started in 2023,” he explains. “As one of the world’s largest community Jewish high schools, we are always looking for ways to support the thriving Jewish community in Toronto. The new wing is a great example of the opportunities that could be capitalized upon with community support.”
They believed that a Jewish education was the key to re-establishing Jewish community life, both in Canada and in Israel.” They believed that a Jewish education was the key to re-establishing Jewish community life, both in Canada and in Israel.”
Barry Naiberg ’68
Indeed, the school is incredibly grateful for the generous gift from the Naiberg family that made the wing possible. The Naiberg family includes several generations of TanenbaumCHAT supporters, among them are grandparents, three children, all of whom are TanenbaumCHAT alumni, and many grandchildren. One branch of the Naiberg family has already graduated from the school; two more are still in the school and excited for the new space.
For the Naibergs, donating to the new wing was an easy choice to make. “We called a family meeting and in 10 minutes we were unanimous,” says Barry Naiberg ’68, who graduated in the third cohort at the school. “TanenbaumCHAT has brought us only good things. It’s where I met my future wife, Esther, in Grade 9. Our three children graduated from the school and many of our grandchildren are working their way through.”
The wing is named in honour of Barry’s parents, Irving and Bella, who were Holocaust survivors from Poland. “My parents came to Canada in 1947 with nothing,” says Barry. “As with other survivors, they had lost family and sought to rebuild their lives together. They believed that a Jewish education was the key to re-establishing Jewish community life, both in Canada and in Israel. That’s why the new wing is dedicated in my parents’ memory. It really is their vision of Jewish community come true.”
His son Michael Naiberg ’92 is also proud to continue their family’s tradition. “Now the third generation of our family is going to TanenbaumCHAT. The importance of a Jewish education is so special. It gives us continuity, provides for the next generation, and keeps the Jewish people going,” he says. “Giving back to our Jewish education system is one of those things that feels good—we want to make sure the school can continue to grow and provide a good quality education and environment for even more students.”
Robyn Naiberg ’96 and her two oldest children graduated from TanenbaumCHAT. Their four years at the school were memorable and meaningful for many reasons. “The sense of community, Jewish values and friendships I formed were really impactful,” she says. “I’m still very close with people I went to school with and to pass those experiences on to the next generation was very important.” Naiberg says she always felt that TanenbaumCHAT did a good job preparing students for university, but the experience did much more, especially for her children. “My boys are well equipped to handle university from an education standpoint, but they are also equipped to handle antisemitism. TanenbaumCHAT gave them a deep sense of Jewish identity. They are proud of who they are and don’t hide.”
Jody Yoken ’00 currently has a son at TanenbaumCHAT. She is thrilled he will get to have the same positive experience as she did. “As the school’s enrolment has grown and its need for space has grown accordingly, we’re truly grateful for the opportunity to take part in the creation of the new wing. We’d hate to see prospective TanenbaumCHAT students turned away just because there isn’t enough space. We also understand that, as the school continues to grow, having an adequately sized space is a critical part of providing an outstanding environment to current and future students to learn and grow as young adults. I had such an amazing experience there. I love knowing that all my children will be able to go there and have access to a great environment.”
On behalf of everyone at TanenbaumCHAT, Dr. Levy couldn’t be more appreciative of the family’s generous support. “We are incredibly fortunate to have members in our community who are passionate about Jewish education and understand that the single greatest way to ensure Jewish continuity is to have strong Jewish schools.”
