What Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy does

Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy is a private, nonprofit Jewish day school serving grades 6 through 12 on a 35-acre campus at 272 S. Bryn Mawr Avenue in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1946 as Akiba Hebrew Academy, it is the nation's first pluralistic Jewish secondary day school, integrating rigorous college-preparatory academics with comprehensive Jewish studies (Torah, Talmud, Hebrew language, Jewish history, and ethics). The institution is structured into the Robert Saligman Middle School (grades 6-8) and the Upper School (grades 9-12), with specialized Barrack Institutes offering multi-year pathways in STEAM, Business and Entrepreneurship, and Fine Arts. Co-curricular programming includes 32+ athletic teams, 40+ clubs, 6 publications, performing and visual arts, an 8th-grade Israel trip, an 11th-grade Alexander Muss trimester in Israel, and senior service-learning projects.

The school's core "technology" is pedagogical rather than software-based: a pluralistic dual-curriculum model, individualized learning support via a Resource Center, dedicated college counseling, and an extensive bus/SEPTA transportation network that draws students from three states and 70+ zip codes. The product surface is delivered through standard private-school infrastructure including the RenWeb admissions platform, FACTS tuition management, and a standard IT help desk. The business model is a recurring annual subscription (tuition) priced at $34,900 for grade 6, scaling up to $42,700 for grades 10-12 in the 2026-27 academic year, supplemented by EITC/OSTC tax-credit funding through the Pennsylvania Foundation for Jewish Day Schools, an Annual Fund, a 23rd Annual Gala, affinity-group philanthropy, and a Family Referral Incentive Program ($1,500 tuition credit). The go-to-market is direct admissions, including inquiry, campus tours, shadow visits, on-campus interviews, and a rolling admissions cycle with a January 20 priority deadline.

Barrack is governed by a Board of Directors and operates as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit with no parent company or institutional equity backing. Notable alumni include CNN anchor Jake Tapper, Rabbi David Wolpe, physician-author David Agus, and Major League Baseball executive Chaim Bloom. In 2026 the school announced a merger with Perelman Jewish Day School to take effect in the 2027-28 school year, which would create the only unified pre-K through 12th-grade Jewish day school in the Philadelphia area.

Name

Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy

Legal name

Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy

Website

https://jbha.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy is a private, nonprofit Jewish day school in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, serving grades 6-12 through a pluralistic dual curriculum of college-preparatory academics and Jewish studies, with specialized STEAM, business, and arts institutes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Jewish Day School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Jewish Theological Seminaries & Rabbinical Colleges (EDAHAKAH)

Keywords

• Jewish day school
• Private secondary education
• College preparatory curriculum
• Jewish studies education
• STEAM institute programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bryn Mawr

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Primary revenue from tuition fees for grades 6-12. Tuition ranges from $34,900 (Grade 6) to $42,700 (Grades 10-12) for 2026-2027 academic year. Additional fees include Tuition Refund Plan, Activity Fee ($400), Security Fee ($900), Technology Fee ($400), and optional Transportation Fee ($2,800).
2. EITC/OSTC Programs: Educational Improvement Tax Credit and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit programs through Pennsylvania's Foundation for Jewish Day Schools, providing additional funding streams for eligible families.
3. Annual Fund and Donations: Development office manages annual giving, gala events (23rd Annual Gala mentioned), and donor cultivation for operational and capital funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy is a private pluralistic Jewish day school delivering a dual curriculum that integrates rigorous college-preparatory academics with comprehensive Jewish studies for students in grades 6 through 12. The offering is organized across the Robert Saligman Middle School and the Upper School, and is reinforced by three Barrack Institutes (STEAM, Business and Entrepreneurship, and Art), Israel education programs, college counseling, and a broad co-curricular program of athletics, arts, and clubs.

Product overview

Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy is a pluralistic Jewish day school offering a unified educational product spanning grades 6-12. The core offering is a dual curriculum combining rigorous college-preparatory academics with Jewish studies, delivered through the Robert Saligman Middle School (grades 6-8) and Upper School (grades 9-12). Specialized programming includes three Barrack Institutes (STEAM, Business and Entrepreneurship, and Art) that provide focused pathways for upper school students. The institution also offers Israel travel programs, comprehensive college counseling, learning support services, athletics (32+ teams), performing and visual arts, and over 40 student clubs. Financial services include FACTS tuition management for payment plans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Robert Saligman Middle School of Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy: The middle school division of the school, unified with the Bryn Mawr campus in 2013 after previously operating in Melrose Park.
• Akiba-Barrack Alumni Association

Products and services

• Middle School (Robert Saligman Middle School) Middle school program serving grades 6-8 with a dual curriculum of secular and religious subjects, guiding students to build self-esteem, navigate greater independence, and develop academic and social skills in a dynamic, nurturing environment.
• Upper School College-preparatory program for grades 9-12 integrating comprehensive academics with Jewish values and learning, teaching students to discuss, write, question, and lead.
• STEAM Institute Upper school institute incorporating STEM fields, computer science, engineering, and art, encouraging students to think outside the box through hands-on projects and capstone experiences from concept to prototype.
• Business and Entrepreneurship Institute Upper school institute exploring economics, budgeting, strategy development, marketing, and entrepreneurship through hands-on experience with classroom learning and business plan development.
• Art Institute Upper school institute offering exploration in painting, drawing, ceramics, and sculpture, teaching color theory, perspective, design, and artistic expression.
• Jewish Studies Comprehensive Jewish education covering history, ethics, and theology through Bible, rabbinic texts, medieval commentators, and contemporary essays, teaching proficiency in Torah and Talmud.
• College Counseling Hands-on counseling program helping students find the right college fit, with reported outcomes of 85% of students accepted to first-choice university and 95% admitted to at least one of their top three schools.
• 8th Grade Israel Trip Capstone middle school experience where 8th grade students travel to Israel for almost two weeks, exploring Israel as a living classroom.
• Alexander Muss High School in Israel (11th Grade Trimester) Junior-year trimester study abroad program in Israel where students learn and study together while experiencing their homeland, run in partnership with Alexander Muss High School in Israel with JNF-Muss funding.
• Senior Service Learning Service learning program where graduating students complete meaningful projects connecting their passions to the needs of the broader community.
• Resource Center / Learning Support Academic support services providing individualized educational programming and learning specialists for students needing additional assistance.
• Transportation Services Transportation options including local school district busing, Barrack-coordinated busing, SEPTA train connections, and shuttle services serving students from 3 states and 70+ zip codes.
• FACTS Tuition Management Third-party tuition payment plan management through FACTS Management Company offering flexible payment options for families, also powering FACTS Grant & Aid Assessment for need-based assistance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of students accepted to their first-choice university; 95% admitted to at least one of their top three schools
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS)coreOthersAccreditation and professional network membership providing quality standards and peer collaboration among independent schools in Pennsylvania
• Jewish Federation of Greater PhiladelphiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Federation for community support, campus ownership (purchased American College campus in Bryn Mawr in 2007 and invited Barrack as anchor tenant), and EITC/OSTC program funding through Foundation for Jewish Day Schools
• PrizmahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJewish day school network providing leadership development (YOU Lead fellowship), professional development, and strategic planning support
• Jewish National Fund (JNF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJNF-Muss/Barrack partnership helping fund 11th grade study in Israel through the Alexander Muss High School in Israel program

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Perelman Jewish Day School: Philadelphia-area pluralistic Jewish day school serving PreK-8 across Wynnewood/Melrose Park campuses. Announced 2027-28 merger partner with Barrack and the most directly comparable institution, sharing the pluralistic philosophy and overlapping community feeder patterns.
• Frisch School: Pluralistic Jewish secondary day school in Paramus, NJ with roughly comparable student body size, similar dual-curriculum model, and overlapping feeder markets from the NY/NJ corridor. Operates a comparable institute/specialization programming model for upper schoolers.
• Golda Och Academy: Conservative pluralistic Jewish day school in West Orange, NJ serving PreK-12. Shares the pluralistic Jewish identity model, comparable tuition band, and similar college-preparatory dual-curriculum approach with overlapping mid-Atlantic applicant pool.
• Ramaz School: Modern Orthodox Jewish day school in Manhattan serving PreK-12. Operates the same dual secular/Jewish studies college-preparatory model, comparable tuition, and a strong NYC feeder network that competes for similar family profiles.
• Donna Klein Jewish Academy: Pluralistic Jewish day school in Boca Raton, FL serving K-12. Barrack's current Head of School previously led the high school division here, and the institution offers a directly comparable dual-curriculum, college-prep, Jewish identity-building model at similar scale.
• Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy: Pluralistic Jewish day school in Overland Park, KS serving PreK-12. Similar scale and educational approach (dual curriculum, college-prep outcomes, pluralistic Jewish identity-building), offering a like-for-like comparator outside the mid-Atlantic.
• Margolin Hebrew Academy Feinstein Elementary School: Pluralistic Jewish day school in Memphis, TN serving PreK-12. Closely comparable in mission and operating philosophy (pluralistic, college-prep, dual curriculum) and similar student-body size, representing a peer institution at similar stage and scale.
• Westchester Day School: Pluralistic Jewish day school in Mamaroneck, NY serving PreK-12. Operates similar college-prep + Judaic studies dual curriculum at similar scale and tuition band, with comparable admissions-driven enrollment model in an affluent suburban community.

Broad incumbents

• Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School: One of the largest Jewish day schools in North America, serving PreK-12 in the Greater Washington, DC area. Operates as a broader incumbent with overlapping curriculum philosophy (secular + Judaic studies, college-preparatory) but significantly larger scale and broader programming.
• Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School: Large pluralistic Jewish day school in Baltimore, MD (PreK-12). Operates in a comparable mid-Atlantic Jewish community, similar mission of college-prep with Jewish studies, but at materially larger scale and broader program offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYj3IDBZU88n65dLcsYcm8A/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/JackMBarrackHebrewAcademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/jbhacademy
• Xx.com/Barrackjbha
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jack-m.-barrack-hebrew-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy