I was moved to read the article “'This is the dream’: Israeli Diaspora Minister praises HBHA as global model.” I attended Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy and our two children are students there now, and one of the most cherished aspects of the school is how students of all levels of Jewish observance find a home there and learn in ways that resonate with their own families’ traditions.
I think it’s important to clarify that HBHA has a very specific structure that can serve as a global model for Jewish day schools: the dual-track Jewish education program that the school created 12 years ago. HBHA has already drawn national attention for this program, which is the first of its kind to integrate an Orthodox track within a Jewish community day school.
In a relatively small yet flourishing Jewish community like Kansas City, this program makes it possible for Jewish students from many different backgrounds to study at one school, and in so doing, to experience how much they share in common.
I hope HBHA’s dual-track program will serve as a global model. It should.
Sarah Aptilon
Overland Park, Kansas
