Akiba Hebrew Academy is a private, coeducational, college-preparatory Jewish day school founded in Philadelphia in 1946. Recognized as the oldest pluralistic Jewish secondary school in the United States, it was established without affiliation to a single Jewish denomination to provide a community-based education integrating general and Jewish studies. The school's founding was a counter-cultural move at a time when most Jewish parents favored public schooling. Its early curriculum was notably progressive, influenced by Dr. Joseph Butterweck of Temple University, emphasizing democratic participation and student-centered learning. Originally located in Center City Philadelphia, the school moved several times before purchasing a 5.3-acre estate in Merion Station, Pennsylvania, in 1956, which became its home for over five decades. In September 2007, following a $5 million gift from the Barrack Family Foundation—which has provided over $25 million in cumulative support, including a $955,000 unrestricted grant in fiscal year 2022—the school officially renamed itself Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy. It relocated to a larger 35-acre campus in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, in 2008. The original Merion property was sold and is now home to Kohelet Yeshiva High School. The school's history includes notable moments such as a 1967 commencement address by Elie Wiesel and Kobe Bryant frequently practicing in its gym while his father coached the girls' basketball team. Journalist Jake Tapper attended the school during his formative years.