Hebrew Academy

You Can’t Always Name the Moment, But You Can Feel It

What does it look like when a school becomes something more?

Rochie Popack

It’s hard to define the exact moment when a school becomes more than a place of learning.

For Paula Savage (Cohen), it may have been the first time she was invited to join her future husband, Ronan, in the sukkah he had built at his student house while attending UCSD.

“He had such a strong sense of who he was,” she remembers. “He knew what he believed in, and he lived it. I wasn’t used to seeing that in someone who was only 22 years old.”

Paula later learned that Ronan’s years at Hebrew Academy shaped that confidence and sense of purpose. So when it came time to raise their children, she and Ronan chose to send them to the same school that had shaped him.

“All five of our children went there,” Paula says. “I’m proud of them—not just for what they’re doing, but for who they’ve become. Whether preparing for a medical career, raising a Jewish family, serving in the IDF, celebrating life in Israel, or advocating for the Jewish community, they each followed their path. But they all carry the same pride I saw in their father—and the values Hebrew Academy helped shape. And I’m proud of where it all began.”

For Paula and her family, Hebrew Academy didn’t just provide an education. “It became the foundation of our family.”

You can’t always name the moment. But you can feel it.

Yoni Leitner remembers that feeling, too. Hebrew Academy was a place of joy and discovery for him.

“School felt like camp,” he shares. “There were plays, choir, skits—we were constantly creating. Judaism wasn’t just something we learned—it was something we experienced.”

That impact sparked something lasting. At Yeshiva University, Yoni went on to found the Arts Festival and the school’s film society. Today, he’s a professional film producer and storyteller, recently creating a nationally aired segment on Dr. Phil honoring IDF soldiers.

“The creativity, the confidence—it started here,” Yoni says.

“Hebrew Academy gave me a place to express myself and to be proud of who I am.”

You can’t always name the moment. But it stays with you.

Rebecca Rabenn felt it in the weeks after COVID, when everything still felt uncertain. As a nurse and single mother, she was looking for a school that could support her daughters, not just academically, but emotionally.

She found more than that.

“They’re thriving here,” Rebecca says. “They’re confident. They feel safe. They feel like they belong.”

While Rebecca didn’t grow up with a strong Jewish identity, she now watches her daughters embrace theirs with pride and joy. “They come home singing Hebrew songs and sharing what they’ve learned about the Torah. And I’m learning right along with them.”

“It gives my girls a sense of who they are. And in some ways, it gives that to me, too.”

You can’t always name the moment. But you know when it’s real.

Discover what Hebrew Academy can offer your family. Schedule a tour at hacds.org/tour