Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy (Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania)

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Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy is a pluralistic Jewish Day School for grades 6 to 12, located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. The Academy was founded in Center City, Philadelphia in 1946 as Akiba Hebrew Academy, and the name was changed in 2007. The Academy enrollment was 318 students during the 2007-2008 school year. The Head of School is Ms. Sharon P. Levin, and her predecessors include Dr. Steven Michael Brown, Rabbi Phillip Field, Rabbi Marc J. Rosenstein and Dr. Steven C. Lorch.[1]

Name Change

In February 2007, Akiba accepted a gift of $5 million from The Barrack Foundation, headed by Leonard and Lynne Barrack, and Akiba agreed to change its name to "Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy" in honor of Leonard Barrack's deceased brother. Leonard Barrack became president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia in September 2007.[2] The new name was inaugurated on September 10, 2007, at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia's Radnor Campus in Bryn Mawr.[3]

Location change

In July 2007, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia announced the purchase of the campus of American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. The American College site is 35 acres (140,000 m2) on Bryn Mawr Avenue in Radnor Township.[4] The school inaugurated the new building with a "Hanukat HaBayit" on September 14, 2008[5] at which U.S. Congressman Joe Sestak addressed the crowd.[6]

History

1996 Akiba Hebrew Academy Jubilee Logo

Akiba was founded in 1946 by Dr. Joseph Levitsky, and co-founded by Rabbi Simon Greenberg, Rabbi Elias Charry, and Dr. Leo L. Honor. The school first met at the YM & YWHA at Broad and Pine Streets in Center City, Philadelphia. The first class consisted of 20 boys and girls. After four years at the YM & YWHA, Akiba moved to the Har Zion Temple at 54th and Wynnefield Avenues, where it was located until 1958.[7]

In 1956, Akiba purchased a 5.3-acre (21,000 m2) property off North Highland Avenue in Merion Station, across City Line Avenue on the Main Line. The property had once been part of a large estate, "Ashdale". Ashdale had been built by William Simpson, a 19th-century insurance entrepreneur. After Simpson's death in 1909, his family broke up the estate, and the McMenamin family purchased a 5.3-acre (21,000 m2) section on which they built a mansion that they named "Drake Linden Hall". After Akiba purchased the mansion, the bedrooms were converted into classrooms.

In September 2008, Akiba sold the property to the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia for $4.0 million. At the time of sale, Drake Linden Hall measured 20,247 square feet (1,881.0 m2), including additions made in the mid-1970s, the gym and "new" classrooms building.[8] Kohelet Yeshiva High School purchased the mansion in 2010 and has since renovated it and the adjoining buildings.[9]

Notable alumni

Athletics

Akiba men's sports teams (the Cougars) participate in the Tri-County Independent School League (TCISL). The girl's teams are members of TCISL as well as the Penn-Jersey Athletic Association. Akiba's men's basketball team last won the championship in 1997 defeating Phelps Academy in a dramatic, come from behind win. The 1997 team was captained by Marshall Lesack and Nati Passow, and coached by Barnett Kamen.

In the 2013-2014 varsity men's basketball season, the Cougars were able to make the championship for the first time since 1997 under coaches Robert Kushner and Jose Sanchez. They played Perkiomen in the championship and lose by a score of 57-38.

The women's varsity basketball team was coached by former-NBA player Joe Bryant during the 1992-1993 season.[11] Bryant would leave Akiba in June 1993 to take an assistant-coach position at La Salle University.[12]

The men's varsity Baseball team has won the Penn Jersey championship three times in their history. They consecutively won from 2007-2009.

The men's varsity soccer team has seen success over the past several years, winning championships in the 2006, 2008, and 2009 seasons. The 2009 season was coached by Jerry Kleger and suffered only 1 defeat the entire season. The team was captained by Gabe Duec, Tal Ben-Maimon, Etan Weinstein, and Adam Wachs. Duec became the all-time single season scoring record holder with 30 goals.

References

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External links

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ David Robinson, "New location and name planned for Akiba Hebrew Academy" The Main Line Times, (Volume 77, No. 28, July 12, 2007 - July 18, 2007) page 10.
  3. ↑ Michelle Mostovy-Eisenberg, "New Name Gets Inaugurated at Day School" The Jewish Exponent, September 13, 2007.
  4. ↑ Richard Ilgenfritz, "Akiba to head to American College Site" The Main Line Times, (Volume 77, No. 28, July 12, 2007 - July 18, 2007) pages 1 and 2.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Natalie Kostelini, "Hebrew Academy is sold", Philadelphia Business Journal, September 19–25, 2008, volume 27, number 31, page 10.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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