The success of a new school is always a great story. How did the school come about? Who provided the vision? The money? The early students and faculty. We found an article a few days back that tells the story of the American Hebrew Academy (AHA) and it has a personal connection for us.

We met Rabbi Alvin Mars, AHA’s former headmaster at the Fall 2000 IECA conference in San Antonio. At that point Rabbi Mars was a headmaster without a school.  

Before AHA, America did not have a Jewish boarding school and it’s opening was filled with questions? Will Jewish families send their children to boarding school; does non-orthodox Jewish education have an appeal and role in American Judaism; and, the over arching, what does it mean to be Jewish?

It’s great to see that AHA has grown and prospered.

AHA’s mission and vibrant intellectual life seem to have stuck a chord finding an audience of parents and students working to build and define Jewish identity and an American and world wide context.

Read a full article published by The Jewish Week about where AHA is today and its beginnings or visit the school’s site to learn more- http://www.americanhebrewacademy.com.

The gallery below offers some photo images of the school. Many thanks to AHA’s communications office for providing us with the collection.

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.