Activities & Clubs

At Barrack Hebrew Academy, our students are encouraged to take on responsibilities in and out of the classroom. They participate in student government and a variety of clubs and student committees that range from Environmental Affairs to Middle School Council. Any four students can form a club with the cooperation of a sponsoring faculty member.

Barrack Hebrew Academy students are also represented on the Board of Directors, where they are expected to make substantial contributions. The spirit of responsibility fosters a sense of fellowship among the students. This is especially important as students enter Barrack Hebrew Academy at all grade levels and from public, secular independent and Jewish day schools. Barrack Hebrew Academy encourages our students to develop their imaginations and their appreciation of culture. Our school offers a range of arts classes and programs, as well as a fully supported drama program that includes both professionally directed and student directed performances.

*Alliance is a safe space within our school in which people can feel comfortable and accepted, regardless of their sexuality, physical, mental, or intellectual ability, and level of religious observance. By creating this safe space, we aim to educate our peers and our community as a whole and to promote tolerance and respect amongst them, and to discourage bullying in any and all forms it may take. Faculty advisor: Mrs. Gillio

*Love animals? Get involved! The Animal Rights Club meets once a cycle to discuss animal rights-related current events and to plan trips, assemblies, and fund-raising efforts. This year’s topic is The Homeless Cats of Israel and America, but you do not need to be a cat lover to join. Also, although several of our members are vegetarians, we certainly welcome those who are not. Please come and join us if you are interested in advocating for animal rights.
Faculty advisor: Mrs. Miller

*In the Arabic Club we combine discussion about the Arab culture with basic expressions about greetings. Many popular songs will be taught concerning peace, love and friendship. We also discuss recent events of interest in the Middle East and North Africa. Faculty advisor: Dr. Rabeeya

*Art Lab / Club meets A lunch in the Art Room (#160 Athletic Building).
It is a time when both students taking Art and those not currently enrolled in an Art class can work on Art projects.I will be available to help you to navigate the necessary materials and techniques to have your Art ideas become a reality! Faculty advisor: Miss Stern

*The Cancer Awareness Club will hold sales and contests benefiting cancer research, make cards and other fun gifts to give to children affected by cancer and also raise awareness of cancer throughout the school. It will meet every D day at lunch. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Epstein

*Chesed Club: A club devoted to working on and coordinating all sorts of projects related to Chesed and Community Service. Examples include various food and clothing drives, visits to old age homes and soup kitchens, fund-raising efforts for various causes, educational programming on various service oriented organizations and social justice issues, and the commitment to spreading general acts of loving kindness in our community. The club is heavily involved in planning Lag B'Omer each year as well as one major fundraising event. Previous events include Strut to Support (2009), a fashion show for Tikvah Children's Home, Chips for Charity (2010), a casino night for Juvenile Diabetes Research, and Play to Plant (2011), a game show night raising money for Renewal of the Carmel Region in the Israel. New ideas and new members are always encouraged to join! Faculty advisor: Sarah Waxman

*Chess Club: Come to room 303 at lunch on D-Days! Come and learn, play chess and its variations. Anyone can come whether you know how to play or not.
Faculty advisor: Oded Philip

*Computer Club: (B day lunch) Students will decide on projects, both hardware and software, to work on together. Projects may include such things as Java, C#, or other programming languages, Photoshop, Flash and other applications, and installing hardware inside computers. This club is for both Middle School and Upper School students who have an interest in technology and want to learn and have fun together. Faculty advisor: Mrs. McHugh

*Cougar Chronicle: We are Barrack’s English language school newspaper, written entirely by students. We discuss that which interests our readers – world news to school news, and much more. Students write and edit articles, take photos, create artwork, sell ads, organize layout, and learn what it takes to produce a full-fledged newspaper. Faculty advisor: Mrs. Pransky

*The Barrack Drama Department produces five shows a year. Three are for the Upper School grades 9-12: Barrack Repertory Co. Almost, Maine, directed by Dewey Oriente, Upper School Drama: A Shayna Maidel directed by Mira Taichman '12, and Upper School Musical: Once on this Island directed by Dewey Oriente. The Middle School produces the Middle School Musical grades 6-8: Annie, Jr directed by Dewey Oriente and choreographed by Sara Abramson '12, Sarah Glickman, and Jordana Roat. We are always looking for people who do not feel comfortable in front of the footlights, but want a creative outlet, and that is the Stage Crew which is open to both upper and middle school. If you have any questions please email Dewey at doriente@jbha.org. Hope to see you soon!

*The Environmental Action Club is a student-centered organization whose mission is to protect, conserve, and improve the environment by taking action on local environmental issues. The Club will also raise awareness about local, regional, and global environmental issues through publication, presentation, school and public interaction. We have assisted the River Bend Environmental Center, the Heifer Fund campaign by purchasing cattle and the Kibale Reserve in Africa run by two Barrack alumni. The EAC also assisted the spring Chesed program by cleaning and gardening the local Bryn Mawr Prospect Avenue Park. We are directing our efforts to promote conserving energy and effective recycling here at the Barrack campus. We are expanding our efforts and need new members to continue our efforts. Faculty advisor: Mr. DeMuro

*Engineering Club is for students who enjoy designing and creating all kinds of gadgets and gizmos. Some examples of past projects have been rockets, boats, dragsters, solar-powered vehicles, and lip gloss. If you have a question about Engineering club you can email David Treatman or Mrs. Saltz. (D lunch in Room 201) Faculty advisor: Mrs. Saltz.

*Mrs. Sittenfield and members of the Fashion Club explore career opportunities in the exciting field of fashion. Last year students were introduced to successful young women who combine fashion with business, journalism, and design. During our first season club members met Sarah Anolik (Akiba class of 2004) of Vogue Magazine, Elisheva Krupnick (Akiba class of 2007) an intern with Women's Wear Daily, Harpers' Bazaar, Seventeen Magazine, etc... . They also met with Jessica Ferber, a fur designer from Jacques Ferber Furs. In addition, fashion club members have discussions about fashion trends and watch documentaries and feature films on the topic. So, if you have a passion for fashion, join fashion club. Faculty advisor: Mrs. Sittenfield

*Gateway is the literary and art magazine for the upper school. We publish original student work, and the staff selects the material and designs the magazine. We are also going to have an online edition this year. Faculty advisor: Mrs. Schuman

*Great Books is a literary discussion group for upper school students. This year, we will be discussing the short stories of a different author each month. Our first author is Joyce Carol Oates. Faculty advisor: Mrs. Schuman

*HEAR Holocaust Education And Reflection Club plans the assembly and program for Yom Hashoah, discusses literature, movies, current related events in the world and stories about the causes and effects of the Holocaust as well as learning how future generations can effectively educate the public about the time period long after the last survivor is gone.
Faculty advisor: Mrs. Schwartz

*Right now, the Human Rights Club is planning a school-wide human rights conference for March 15, and we need a lot of fresh ideas and help with planning. Besides conference planning, we usually spend our meetings discussing issues and ways we can take action to benefit certain organizations. Any club member who wants to organize a human rights initiative can become a "project leader" and explore ways to turn an idea into a reality. The club is run by co-presidents Devra Goldstein and Nicole Becker, and meets A & D breaks in room 312. Faculty advisor: Mr. McLaughlin

*The Israel Club חוג ישראל promotes the love of Israel at Barrack by bringing a greater awareness of Israel to the school community. The members of the Israel Club generate excitement about Israel and Israel-related activities in the school. Thanks to the Israel Club, the students have many opportunities during the year to experience Israel with culture, music, food, holidays, current events etc. The Israel Club promotes Israel advocacy at Barrack, and sends a delegation of students to the AIPAC convention every year. All students are welcome to join! Faculty advisor: Dr. Strauss

*The JETS TEAM is a group of students from grades 9-12 who meet once a cycle at lunch to prepare and practice for their participation in the JETS TEAMs competition. This is a one-day competition where students work as a team to apply math and science in solving real world engineering problems. This club fosters career awareness, creativity, critical thinking, teamwork and problem solving skills. This year’s competition is on March 5th at Widener University and will be based around the critical need for engineering better medicine and health informatics. In the past, Barrack students have earned first place at the state level and third place at the national level of this competition. If you have a question about JETS you can email Shanni Prutchi or Avi Romanoff or Mrs. Saltz. (C lunch in Room 201) Faculty advisors: Mrs. Saltz & Mr. Tow

*The Latin Club is open to any current or past student of Latin at Barrack. We celebrate Roman culture, history and life. We also plan fundraising to finance our occasional trip to Rome. Join us! Learn how to wear a toga! (D lunch) Faculty advisor: Mrs. McMichael

*Le Çercle Français (The French Club) is a celebration of French culture, language, film, art, music and food. The French club provides cultural learning that is supplementary to that provided in French class. Our goal is to increase awareness of French culture and to practice the language in a non-academic setting. Our activities to achieve these goals include the following: showing and discussion of French language films, inviting guest Francophone speakers, making and serving traditional French food, playing French games, and planning and taking field trips (to Paris). Faculty advisor: Dr. Sigal Strauss

*L’Shem Shamayim: We write to right the world. This magazine publishes students' thoughts and opinions about foreign policy, global issues, and international concerns (in English!) L’Shem Shamayim is a sophisticated journal of foreign affairs with a focus on the Middle East. Open to all upper school students interested in talking and writing about the big issues in our world today. Faculty advisor: Mrs. Taichman

*MathCounts is a club for Middle School students which focuses on competitive math problem solving on both individual and team levels. Students of all skill levels are encouraged to join and bring their friends as they stretch their mathematical muscles and prove what kind of mathlete they can be! Faculty advisor: Miss Leisman

*Upper School Math Club on F-days at lunch. Student work individually or in groups (whichever he/she prefers) on PA Math League Problems. Working on these interesting contest problems prepares the students for PML's and the AMC test. Additionally, students will receive 1 point extra credit in their math class for each time they attend math club. Faculty advisor: Mrs.Gefter

*M’et L’et is Barrack’s Hebrew language publication. The editorial staff consists of students of all grades who have an interest in publishing their written work in Hebrew. Our older editors serve as mentors for younger writers and make sure they will be able to grow and take leadership positions in the future. We also have artists, photographers, layout experts, all having different levels of Hebrew proficiency. What unifies the staff is their love for the Hebrew language and their pride in their product. Several Barrack families have had two and even three siblings working for M’et L’et in succession or at the same time. Our team covered world news, Israel, school issues, art and entertainment, sports, Shaashuon (fun page) and news from our students at Muss. Come, join our team and be proud of your published work in Hebrew! Faculty advisor: Mrs. Cohen

Mock Trial is open to high school students, 9th through 12th grade. The team prepares both sides of a criminal or civil case which is distributed by the Pennsylvania Bar Association. We meet on Sundays with our legal advisor, Nicole McCauley. Nicole is a lawyer working at the Montgomery County Courthouse. In early February we will travel to the Delaware County Courthouse to try our cases in front of a sitting judge. We compete with other Delaware County schools. Faculty advisor: Mrs. Kaplan

*Moot Beit Din: Students in the Moot Beit Din club will prepare for JBHA's participation in the annual Moot Beit Din competition. They will develop skills in halakhic (legal) research and writing, and create a written psak din (judicial decision) for a case to be analyzed under Jewish law. Up to four students will be selected to argue for and defend their decision before a panel of judges at the national tournament, competing against other Jewish day schools from across the U.S. and Canada. Past cases have raised issues of the propriety of cloning a dead person, whether someone can be compelled to donate his bone marrow to save a dying stranger, and what a person can claim copyright protection for under Jewish law. This year's competition will take place in South Florida, and students from more than twenty schools are expected to participate. Faculty advisor: Mr.Stein

*Middle School Council is responsible for informal activities. We organize the MS Dance, Movie Night and other activities that help make our Middle School a vibrant community. Come join us and make your voice heard - you can make it all happen! Faculty advisor: Mr. Gottlieb

*Music: Dr. Orenstein
            Upper School Vocal Ensemble (grades 9 - 12) B Day
US Vocal Ensemble is a vocal music ensemble for students interested in group vocal music.  Meetings will emphasize score study, music theory, rhythmic skills, solo and ensemble singing, proper singing techniques, and concerts. Students will gain a greater understanding of group commitment and increase their creative abilities. There may be the occasional combined rehearsal with the Middle School Ensemble when large group performances are necessary.

            Middle School Vocal Ensemble (grades 6 - 8) C Days
Middle School Vocal Ensemble is a vocal music ensemble for students interested in group vocal music.  Meetings will emphasize score study, music theory, rhythmic skills, solo and ensemble singing, proper singing techniques, and concerts. Students will gain a greater understanding of group commitment and increase their creative abilities. There may be the occasional combined rehearsal with the Upper School Ensemble when large group performances are necessary.

            Chai Notes (all grades) D Days
Chai Notes is a group of students who are also participants in either the upper or middle vocal ensemble. Students involved will work in a small group of vocalists focusing on advanced choir techniques. Students will be required to study music independently and attend rehearsals with music memorized and learned outside of rehearsal. Rehearsals will focus on advanced vocal techniques.

            Instrumental Ensemble (all grades) E Days
Students involved in the instrumental ensemble will focus on collaborative music practices and performances. All instruments are encouraged to attend. Music focused will include that of contemporary as well as more traditional in nature. Students must be able to bring their instruments to school on E days.

            String Ensemble (all grades) F Days
Student string instrumentalists (cello, viola, violin) will be working together on ensemble practices and performances. Music to be studied will include that of the classical as well as traditional nature.   Students must be able to bring their instruments to school on F days.

*The Philosophy Club meets every cycle on A days to talk about the most meaningful questions we can imagine. Here are some topics we might take up: What is friendship? What does it mean to look for Truth? What is the point of being a good person? Should we try to prove that God exists or is it impossible? Philosophy is all about great discussions, so we look forward to having members who want to share their ideas while we all develop our own personal philosophies. Faculty advisor: Rabbi Levingston

*This year, Spanish Club will provide students with the opportunity to learn more about the vibrant culture of Spanish-speaking countries using film, music and the arts. We will learn about the cultural and ethnic diversity of the Spanish-speaking community and incorporate important holiday celebrations into our calendar. Finally, we hope to learn more about the Hispanic community in the area and explore the cultural offering available to us in the Philadelphia area. Faculty advisor: Senora Herrera

*Sports Debate Club: The sports debate club meets once per cycle. To kick off the meetings, President Darren Joffe reviews a list of sports related topics and subjects that will be addressed. From there, each member will have an equal opportunity to provide insight on their stance and disagree with other members. This year, the club will look to visit local sports talk radio stations as well as professional teams’ facilities. In addition, the club will have guest speakers throughout the year. Faculty advisor: Mr. Madeira

*The Student Association (SA) is the group that represents the students to the Administration of the school. Each grade will elect a representative per class section. The discussions that take place in SA meetings involve the day to day life of the student body. From the mundane items such as approval of sales, to much more difficult issues such as disciplinary policies; all these are on the agenda of SA. Join us and represent your fellow students. We plan trips such as the yearly ski trip in January. We run evening events, Coffee House, where students may showcase their talents.Faculty advisors: Rabbi Yondorf and Mr. Kamen

*Walking the Walk pairs Barrack 10th grade female students with students from the Academy of Notre Dame (an all-girls' school) for activities and discussions that are designed to build interfaith understanding. Last year, there were 13 Barrack tenth graders who participated in the first year of this program which is run by the Philadelphia Area Interfaith Council. Most of the activities for Walking the Walk take place in the early evenings (after sports) and on Sundays. We work around students' sports and arts commitments at Barrack. The program involves about ten to twelve sessions that take place at Barrack, Notre Dame (which is about a 5 minute drive from Barrack), or at our community service site. If you are interested in participating in this program, please drop me an e-mail indicating your interest. Faculty advisor: Mrs. Pugach

*World Affairs Club meets once a week to discuss current events, issues of global significance, politics, and international conflicts. Together with the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, we participate in two city-wide simulations In the past these have included a Model UN, a Model G-20 Summit, and Model Senate. These forums give students opportunities to simulate and understand the workings of international relations . Everyone in grades 9-12 is welcome, new and returning members encouraged! Student leaders: David Kolansky and Renee Zwillenberg. Faculty advisor: Dr. Ziskind.

*The Writing Center is a valuable, grade-saving, free tutoring service, staffed daily by an English teacher and several trained student tutors. It is open to every student in grades 6-12, every department, and every type of writing assignment. The Writing Center is available for help with all stages of the writing process, and is open for business every day at lunch in room 313.

*Young Democrats Club is a place to discuss what is going on in our world, in our country and in our community from a Democratic Point of View. Everyone is welcome; you do not have to be a Democrat to join. We will have serious discussions, informative sessions and even debates with The Young Republicans. We will meet A day in Room 108. Faculty advisor: Mrs. Levin

*Young Republicans Club is a place to discuss what is going on in our world, in our country and in our community from a Republican point of view. ALL POINTS OF VIEW are welcome; you don't even have to be a Republican to join (and you would give our advisor, Dr. Epstein, some company if you are not -- please help her out! LOL). Anyway, we have serious discussions, heated debates and informative sessions. Please join us A lunches. Faculty advisor: Dr. Epstein

Day/Time	Name of Club/Publication	Advisor(s)	Tentative Room
A Lunch	Young Republicans	Epstein	310
A Lunch	Alliance	Gillio	108
A Lunch	Yearbook	Kamen/Kaplan	111
A Lunch	Cougar Chronicle	Pransky	311
A Lunch	Art Club	Stern	160
A Lunch	Writing Center	Ziskind-T1&2/Schuman-T3	313

B Break	Cougar Chronicle	Pransky	311
B Lunch	Annenberg	August	203
B Lunch	Holocaust Remembrance	Schwartz	310
B Lunch	M’et L’et (Hebrew paper)	Cohen	104
B Lunch	Spanish Club	Herrera	56
B Lunch	Philosophy Club	Levingston	111
B Lunch	Writing Center	McLaughlin	313
B Lunch	Vocal Ensemble (US)	Orenstein	Aud
B Lunch	Chug Israel	Strauss	110

C Lunch	Student Association	Kamen/Yondorf	111
C Lunch	Mock Trial	Kaplan	307
C Lunch	Human Rights	McLaughlin	312
C Lunch	Vocal Ensemble (MS)	Orenstein	Aud
C Lunch	JETS	Saltz/Tow	201
C Lunch	L’Shem Shamayim	Taichman	311
C Lunch	Writing Center	Ziskind-T1&2/Schuman-T3	313

D Lunch	Latin Club	McMichael	51
D Lunch	M’et L’et (Hebrew Newspaper)	Cohen	104
D Lunch	Sports Debate	Madeira	108
D Lunch	Middle School Council	Gottlieb	311
D Lunch	Yearbook	Kamen/Kaplan	111
D Lunch	Writing Center	McLaughlin	313
D Lunch	AIPAC	Philip	307
D Lunch	Cougar Chronicle	Pransky	303*
D Lunch	Engineering Club	Saltz	201
D Lunch	Gateway	Schuman	310
D Lunch	Chesed	Waxman	110
D Lunch	Chai Notes	Orenstein	Aud

E Break	Chronicle	Pransky	311
E Lunch	Yearbook	Kamen	111
E Lunch	Young Democrats	Levin	108
E Lunch	Instrumental Ensemble	Orenstein	1
E Lunch	Chess Club	Philip	310
E Lunch	Walk the Walk	Pugach
E Lunch	Writing Center	Ziskind-/Schuman	313

F Lunch	M’et L’et (Hebrew Newspaper)	Cohen	104
F Lunch	Environmental Action Club	DeMuro	203
F Lunch	Upper School Math Club	Gefter	307
F Lunch	Math Counts (Middle School)	Leisman	312
F Lunch	Writing Center	McLaughlin	313
F Lunch	Animal Rights Club	Miller	310
F Lunch	String Ensemble	Orenstein	1
F Lunch	Arabic Club	Rabeeya	303
F Lunch	Great Books	Schuman	311
F Lunch	FashionClub	Sittenfield	Library
F Lunch	Moot Bet Din	Stein	110
F Lunch	World Affairs	Ziskind	308
F Lunch	French Club	Strauss	158

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