The Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy is an institution in Philadelphia Jewry, but for many past graduates, the school still goes by a different name.
From 1946 to 2007, the school was known as Akiba Hebrew Academy. In 2007, it received a $5 million gift from the Barrack Family Foundation and was renamed after Jack M. Barrack.
Now, in 2025, the Barrack Family Foundation is doubling down and showing once again why its care for the school merited the name change.
Barrack Hebrew Academy recently announced that it received a $10 million gift from the foundation, the largest gift from a single donor in the school’s history, to purchase a large part of its Bryn Mawr campus that it previously rented from the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. The school will also develop a number of new facilities on the campus.
Head of School Rabbi Marshall Lesack said that Leonard Barrack, who is, like Lesack, an alumnus, cares immensely for the school and its well-being.
“The Barrack family, most significantly Len and Lynne Barrack, have been deeply committed to this school for many, many years. We moved to our current campus in 2008, and we have been dreaming of the day that we could purchase our portion of the campus,” Lesack said.
Working with the Federation was a fruitful partnership, but Lesack said this is the school’s best path forward.
“We’ve been great partners with the Federation going back decades, and this purchase is something that is in Barrack’s best interest long-term, and the Federation’s best interest long-term,” he said.
The president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Michael Balaban, echoed this sentiment.
“Barrack Hebrew Academy and the Federation share the same goal of ensuring Greater Philadelphia’s Jewish community thrives now and in the future,” he said. “We are delighted that we could reach an agreement with Barrack for them to acquire their portion of this beautiful campus, thereby securing their future in Bryn Mawr. At the same time, the sale frees up more of the Federation’s resources to advance our mission to enrich Jewish life across the region, making it a win for both organizations and for the Greater Philadelphia Jewish community.”
The school’s new projects will include a fully renovated performance arts center, a brand-new learning center and a fitness center. Those projects don’t have a specified timeline at this point, but Lesack said that he is hoping to commence some during this school year and some next summer.
Lesack said that the Barrack Hebrew Academy community is thrilled with all of these developments.
“It’s a great step forward, especially for those who have been with the school for a long time. They know how important this is, and those who are newer to the school are excited about what’s to come. So overall, [there is] really great excitement and hope for the future,” he said.
The school announced the purchase on Sept. 26, stating that this portion of the campus will be named the Leonard and Lynne Barrack Campus for Jewish Life. Overall, the Barrack Family Foundation has donated more than $25 million to the school across decades of support.
Barrack Hebrew Academy’s board co-president Jonathan Zabusky said that this announcement marks a major landmark in the history of the school.
“It bolsters our ability to deepen our impact today and to achieve our strategic goal of building a stronger Jewish community in Greater Philadelphia for future generations,” he said.
Marvelous donations. But I object to having their name on everything. The school itself should go back to its meaningful name of Akiba, and the Barrack name can go on buildings, on the campus. The meaning of a school is what it should be named for, not sold to the highest bidder. Just ask Larry David.