Hebrew Academy

Trusting the Next Generation to Color Their World

Rochie Popack

It’s not every day a student is handed a spray paint can and told, “This is yours.”

Perhaps it should be.

Something extraordinary happened at Hebrew Academy.

Thanks to the vision of artist Yitzchok Moully and the generosity of the Jewish Community Foundation of Orange County, our students, from tiny preschoolers to confident middle schoolers, were invited to participate in something bigger than themselves.

They didn’t just paint.

They created.

They chose colors that spoke to them. Shapes that felt right. And they made their mark on the wall and on the story we’re building together.

Because we didn’t just give them paint.

We gave them trust.

We gave them a voice.

We said: This is yours.

And when a school says that—when it hands over fundamental tools with real purpose—something shifts.

It’s not just permission. It’s ownership.

Not just participation. Its identity.

This is what Jewish education can be.

Where values aren’t only taught—they’re lived.

Where even our youngest students are empowered to express themselves boldly, meaningfully, and with pride.

That’s what artist Yitzchok Moully helped us create.

With intention, with heart, and with belief in every child.

Yes, the mural is bold or colorful—

But what it represents is even more powerful:

A school that believes in its students.

A community that invests in creativity.

An education that equips kids not just to learn, but to lead, to shape, to shine.

Because when we trust our children,

When we invite them in,

When we say, “This is yours,”

They rise to meet the moment—and they color their world.