School Leadership
Sharon P. Levin
Head of School
Sharon has been a leader in education for more than 45 years and found her passion in teaching American history and government first as a public school teacher in New York City and then in Fairfax County, Virginia.
Currently in her 34th year at Akiba-Barrack and her 9th year as Head of School, she previously served as Coordinator of Humanities of the Upper School as well as Academic Dean.
Sharon was among the first group of inductees in RAVSAK's Head of School Professional Excellence Program (HOSPEP) and was also the recipient of a Wind Fellowship that allowed her to spend a month in Israel writing curriculum.
Serving as a Board Member of ADVIS (Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools) as well as on the PAIS (Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools) Commission on Accreditation, she is active in the independent school community.
Sharon received her B.A. in History and Political Science from Brooklyn College and her M.Ed. at the University of Maryland.
slevin@jbha.org
Christine Farrell
Director of the Middle School
Christine serves as Middle School Director and Department Chair for our Core and Arts programs. As one of our primary educational leaders, she nurtures our Middle School students’ emotional, social, and spiritual growth. She has held several leadership positions at Barrack, including serving as our Dean of Students. She also spent 10 years as an 8th grade core teacher, faculty advisor, and Middle School Council advisor. She holds a B.S. in History from Saint Joseph's University and an M.Ed. from Cabrini College.
cfarrell@jbha.org
Jennifer Groen '91
Director of strategy and enrollment management
A Barrack alumna and Day School Leadership Training Institute graduate, Jen is proud to serve our school community and help it thrive. Jen was previously Director of Education and Program at Moving Traditions and Assistant Director and Master Teacher at the Jewish Community High School of Gratz College. She was selected as one of the "Top 10 Jewish Influential Leaders Under 50" by Inside magazine and continues to bring her passion and expertise to the field of Jewish education. Jen received her B.A. in Psychology and Religion from Muhlenberg College, attended The Hebrew University, and holds an M.S.W. from Temple University.
jgroen@jbha.org
Darin Katz
Director of the Upper School
dkatz@jbha.org
Rabbi Judd Kruger Levingston
Director of Jewish Studies
Judd has served as Director of Jewish Studies since 2009. Before coming to Barrack, he taught and held senior administrative posts at the Rebecca and Israel Ivry Prozdor High School at the Jewish Theological Seminary, the Solomon Schechter High School in New York, and at Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia. A Wexner Graduate Fellowship alumnus, he received the 2018 Ettenberg Fellowship for Research in Jewish Education for “The Moral Case for Play” and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education (CSEE). He has published widely on moral development and Jewish education and is the author of Sowing the Seeds of Character: The Moral Education of Adolescents in Public and Private Schools. Judd holds a certificate in Chinese Studies from Peking University in Beijing, an A.B. in History and Science from Harvard University, an M.A. in Education followed by rabbinic ordination and a Ph.D. in Jewish Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary.
jlevingston@jbha.org
Alex Stroker
Chief Operations and Development Officer
Alex has spent nearly 25 years working in the Jewish community in various leadership capacities, including his 5 years at Barrack. He previously served as Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Interim Chief Executive Officer at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. A graduate of Penn State University, he is responsible for business and finance office oversight, facilities management, transportation, and security. He is also primarily responsible for all annual, short-term, and long-term restricted fundraising efforts. Alex holds a B.S. in Marketing and Advertising from Penn State University.