The school's mission

Akiva Hebrew Day School - Yeshivat Akiva was founded in 1964 to promote religious Zionism

Religious Zionism

Religious Zionism is an ideology that combines Zionism and Jewish religious faith...

 and offer a combined the Judaic and secular studies education. Akiva is a Nursery through 12th grade Jewish Modern Orthodox school in Southfield, Michigan. It promotes a love of Am Yisrael (the nation of Israel), Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel) and Torat Yisrael (the Torah of Israel), together with an intense commitment to the Torah way of Life. Most Akiva graduates go to a year study in Israel, and then on to high-ranked colleges in the United States and Israel.

Early childhood education

The Early Childhood Program includes a variety of programs, such as yoga and gross-motor classes. Children have Hebrew-immersion, learning Hebrew with an Israeli teacher. Enrichment classes for Nursery children provide a way of mixing students through other classes and focusing on other strengths. Some enrichment options are singing - Shir La La as well as the Tumble Bus.

Elementary school

The Akiva elementary school has a half-day of Judaic studies classes and a half-day of secular studies classes. While this curriculum is more challenging than a conventional day school, it is necessary in order to give "the best of both world" to students. Elementary school students participate in a variety of extras, including the "Gedalya Mitchell Kol Haneshama youth choir

Choir

A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...

", art, gym, and yoga.

Middle School/Upper school

In the past, the Akiva "upper school" started in 7th grade. In the 2007-2008 school year, 6th grade became a transition year, with classes in the morning for secular studies and Judaic studies in the afternoon. The sixth grade is thus able to participate in upper school activities as well.

High school/Upper school

Judaic studies at Akiva include Halacha, hashkafa, Torah Sheba'al Peh (oral Torah), Chumash, Navi, Ivrit and Jewish history. Secular studies include math, science, social studies, English and history. Akiva also offers AP and honors classes. The tenth grade (and more recently the eleventh grade) goes on a two-and-a-half week trip to Israel, called Lehava

Lehava

Lehava is an Israeli organization whose primary objective is opposing marriages between Jewish women and non-Jewish, particularly Arab, men. It has been described as "far-right-wing" in the Israeli media...

. There is an active student government and a variety of extra-curricular activities.

Chidon Hatanach

The school participates in the Chidon Hatanach (Bible Contest) competition, under the direction of Rav Pinchas Amior. At the 2006 national Chidon Hatanach competition, both Dovi Nadel and Elizabeth Goldmeier were finalists. In the 2007 chidon hatanach competition, Nadel and Goldmeier both qualified for the international competition in Israel. In the 2008 international competition in Israel, both made the final round. This was the first time in Chidon history, where two finalists were from the same school. Goldmeier finished eighth, while Nadel finished third overall.

Akiva sports

The Akiva basketball team is called the Pioneers. Both boys and girls schools have been in national tournaments in New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, Miami, and Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

. At one point in the 1980s, Akiva hosted an annual tournament called the Akiva Invitational.
Akiva's elementary school has a soccer team as well.
In the late 1980s, Akiva had a floor hockey team as well, known as the Cougars.
All sports are played in the Meer Family Gymnasium which was constructed in 2003. The gym has locker facilities, bleachers, an office and a climbing wall

Climbing wall

A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet, usually used for indoor climbing, but sometimes located outdoors as well. Some are brick or wooden constructions, but on most modern walls, the material most often used is a thick multiplex board with holes drilled...

.

School facts

Akiva moved into the current building, (the former home of Congregation Beth Achim) on 12 mile road in 1999, in preparation for the 2000-1 school year. It had previously been located in three other locations, most recently on Southfield Road in Lathrup Village.
The school colors are blue and yellow, and more recently blue and white.

Yeshivat Akiva is located on the Schostak family campus.

In 2008, Akiva opened the "lower level" for high school use. The lower level has new classrooms, lockers and bathrooms.

Sidney Katz is the current Executive Director of the school.

Founders

The following people are listed on the founding documents of Akiva:
Ithamar Koenigsberg, Dr. Charles Levi, Rabbi James I. Gordon, Rabbi Hayim Donin, David Berris, Phillip Stollman, Seymour Ribiat, Jerome Kelman, Dr. Jacob E. Goldman, Elliot Steiman, Fayga Dombey, Raiselle Snow, Rabbi Max Kapustin, and Rabbi Israel Halpern.
Rabbi Gordon was the rabbi of Young Israel of Oak-Woods at the time, and Akiva's first home was in that synagogue, until 1972.