Written by Simon Lichter, Director of Alumni Engagement at NEJA and HHNE Class of 2008
In the summer of 1996, Independence Day hit theaters, thrilling audiences with alien invasions and Will Smith’s heroic, action-packed performance. Meanwhile, in a basement that felt more like a bunker—with its concrete walls seemingly prepared for an extraterrestrial landing—another pioneering effort was taking shape.
Parents and community leaders gathered with excitement, discussing the launch of a new Jewish high school, something Connecticut had never seen before. Their vision: a high school dedicated to teaching the ancient texts of Judaism. And so, the Hebrew High School of New England (HHNE) was born, housed in a basement shaped like an “H”—two long hallways connected by a central corridor. The building was a synagogue, Agudas Achim, built in 1967.
Though the school itself was underground, the enthusiasm was sky-high. “A school is not a building,” parents reassured their teenagers, hoping to keep them optimistic about attending high school in a basement. It was affordable, available, and, most importantly, ready for learning.
At the helm was Rabbi Zvi Kahn, HHNE’s first head of school. More than just a principal, he was a mentor and a friend—one who wasn’t afraid to play football in knee-deep snow or take a shot at the single basketball hoop during breaks.
While Will Smith was saving humanity on the big screen, these pioneers were shaping the future, ensuring that a new generation wouldn’t grow up disconnected from Jewish laws, customs, and community as they prepared for college and beyond.
Among those pioneers were my parents, Dr. Arlen and Audrey Lichter, alongside Ann and Jeremy Pava and others. Audrey and Ann, as co-presidents in the early years, led the charge to engage Jewish communities beyond West Hartford, reaching Springfield, MA, and New Haven, CT. I graduated from HHNE in 2008, marking the end of a 12-year Lichter legacy—following in the footsteps of my sisters, Jenny (Class of 2000) and Shari (Class of 2004).
Independence Day remains cemented in Hollywood history as one of the most influential sci-fi blockbusters of the ‘90s. And, further down the road—and underground—HHNE carved out its own legacy, sending alumni into the world to achieve remarkable things.
Today, February 12, 2025, that chapter officially closes.
HHNE, which merged in 2019 with Bess & Paul Sigel Hebrew Academy to become New England Jewish Academy (NEJA), has now lost its physical embodiment. The original basement high school, once filled with laughter, learning, and late-night study sessions, has been demolished—leveled by alien-like machinery.
For the nearly 300 alumni who once walked its halls, HHNE remains more than a school—it was a community, a family. The memories are vivid, sometimes strange. In the winter, we walked down the stairs as the sun was rising and, at the end of the day, climbed back up to find the moon shining—back at ground level once again.
The building may be gone, but the impact of HHNE endures in all of us who once called it our school, our community.
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Contact Simon Lichter at slichter@neja.org
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