One of the most anticipated moments of the week at Austin Jewish Academy happens every Friday afternoon, when Kindergarten and 2nd grade students gather for Reading Buddies. For the last 30 minutes of the day, the two grades pair up and share the joy of stories together. But this program is about much more than...
This summer, the AJA community was reminded of the strength that comes from standing together. On July 4, devastating floods swept through Central Texas, destroying homes—including that of AJA parent Chrissy Eliashar and her three children. In a recent episode of The Rabbi and the Other Guy podcast, Chrissy shared her family’s harrowing story. Woken...
On July 4, devastating floods swept through Central Texas, destroying the Jonestown home of the Eliashar family—deeply valued members of the Austin Jewish Academy community. In the days that followed, AJA families, staff, and local Jewish organizations stepped up with overwhelming support, offering everything from donations and housing to meals, hugs, and words of encouragement....
This past week, our kindergarten students reached a beautiful and memorable milestone in their Jewish learning journey – the Siddur Ceremony. With joy and pride, each child received their very first siddur, marking the beginning of their personal relationship with Jewish prayer and tradition. The ceremony was a moving celebration, as our youngest students led...
Living His Childhood Dreams WWhile most 8-year-olds would tell you they want to become doctors, police officers or pro athletes, Coach Bobby Schwartz had one goal at that age: to become a coach. Everything he’s done over the years has been to that end, and he says he’s living his dream come true. Schwartz...
Earlier in the fall, AJA fifth graders were learning about natural disasters—like hurricanes—and read about the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene. When they heard that a school in North Carolina called Black Mountain Elementary had lost its entire library, they knew they wanted to help. So they combined two of their big goals: learning about...
