Jewish Community Chronicle July/August 2022

Mary Cramer at the Hebrew Academy Visionary Dinner surrounded by her family.

Finding comfort, community and Jewish Connection at Hebrew Academy

Karen Berger | Admissions Director, Hebrew Academy of Orange County

Long-time Hebrew Academy supporter and this year’s Visionary Award recipient, Mary Cramer admits that while her Hebrew skills could use some improvements, her adult children read and write Hebrew beautifully — thanks in large part to the Hebrew Academy, Mary adds proudly.

“I grew up on a farm in Norco, where there wasn’t much of a Jewish community,” Mary recalls. “Our family would drive a long way to find a synagogue, so my connection to Jewish traditions and culture was limited. I wanted something different for my own children.”

The daughter of holocaust survivors from Poland, Mary understood that her parents associated their Jewish faith with trauma and fear. “They did the best they could to raise me in a Jewish home, but their experiences as survivors made it difficult for them,” she explains. “Reconnecting to my Jewish heritage was important to me, especially when I had children of my own.”

Raising her young family in Norco, Mary wasn’t sure how to provide her children with the Jewish experiences that were unavailable to her. She shared her concerns with Rabbi Eliezrie, who had started a synagogue that included a small Hebrew school in nearby Yorba Linda. He advised her to join his community which offered a more vibrant Jewish presence. So, Mary packed up her family and moved.

Resettling in Yorba Linda, Mary saw that her children still weren’t finding a meaningful connection to their Jewish identity. “It became clear that my children didn’t feel like they fit in or belonged in their new school,” she remembers. “I could see the stress on my daughter’s face, and knew this was not right.”

After a Sunday evening visit from Rabbi Eliezrie and Rabbi Newman, Hebrew Academy’s Head of School, Mary made the decision that changed her family’s life. The next day, she enrolled her children at the Hebrew Academy.

“We were immediately welcomed and accepted,” she says. “My children were supported through this transition as they acclimated socially and academically, and were soon happy and thriving.”

Mary also saw her children’s love and pride for their Jewish heritage come to life. Being part of a supportive Jewish community became especially important when the children’s father suddenly passed away. “My children were not alone,” explains Mary, “the entire school community was there for them.”

The close-knit community has created lifelong friendships. After excelling as Hebrew Academy students, Mary’s daughter Erica and her son Joey are still in touch with their classmates. Her second son Michael, another Hebrew Academy alumnus, is now an accomplished lawyer and Rabbi.

“In Poland before the holocaust, our relatives included rabbis,” Mary says. “To have a rabbi once again in our family means so much. My father, who once shied away from his Jewish faith, now speaks with such pride about his grandson, and is happy to join the family for Shabbat meals.”

For Mary, her family’s reconnection to their Jewish identity has been one of life’s greatest blessings. “I have Hebrew Academy to thank for this,” she says. “The school was the rudder for my children, the moral compass. I give Hebrew Academy credit for helping me raise three exceptional Jewish adults.”

Recalling a quote from fellow philanthropist and good friend Mr. Allen Alevy, Mary adds, “If you want Jewish grandchildren, send your kids to Hebrew Academy. Well, I have five wonderful Jewish grandchildren!”

For over four decades, Mary Cramer has been instrumental in making sure other families have access to Jewish learning as well. Through the generous contributions of Mary and other supporters, the Hebrew Academy is able to offer scholarships and financial aid that connect more students to the school’s award-winning, academic programs and enriching educational experiences.

“I can say to any family, from any Jewish experience or background, Hebrew Academy will welcome you with open arms, and kindle pride in what it means to be survivors and to be Jewish,” shares Mary.

We thank Mary Cramer for allowing us to be a part of her beautiful family and for helping so many others find their home as part of the Jewish Community and Hebrew Academy family.