Leadership

Rabbi Abraham Unger, Ph.D.

Rabbi Abraham Unger, Ph.D., is the founder and leader of Tikvah’s Millstone Scholars program and the founding head of school of Emet Classical Academy. Rabbi Unger possesses a unique background in the world of education, having served as a tenured university professor, a research scholar, a Hebrew school principal, a campus rabbi, a middle school teacher, and the creator of various Jewish youth and outreach programs.

Rabbi Unger was formerly a Professor at Wagner College in urban policy and public administration, where he also served as the campus Hillel Rabbi and established the Chai Society. He has held senior research appointments at NYU and Fordham University and is the author of three peer reviewed books and numerous articles.

Prior to completing his Ph.D., Rabbi Unger was Executive Director of the American Friends of Rambam Medical Center. He founded the Mosaic Colony for the Arts, a non-profit education organization which trained Jewish students in the arts. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Fordham University and his certificate of Rabbinical ordination from Telz-Stone Kollel in Israel. Rabbi Unger was deeply influenced by his undergraduate experience at the Manhattan School of Music and its conservatory model of education.

In shaping Emet Classical Academy, he will draw upon this wide range of experiences—all shaping his belief in the importance of preparing young Jews for excellence in every arena of human life.

Hanna Solomon

In 2020, Hanna Solomon started a NYC micro-school and quickly became a firm believer in the virtues of the classical model of education. As a mother and entrepreneur, she saw moral confusion and pedagogical chaos in the education sector and became determined to find new solutions for the next generation.

Hanna’s entrepreneurial and business acumen arises from more than two decades of experience in marketing, PR, licensing, branding, and merchandising in the fashion, music, and entertainment markets. She founded a merchandise/licensing business and lifestyle brand, forging long-term deals with major music publishing companies such as Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, distributing products at major retailers such as Bloomingdale’s, Urban Outfitters, Target, Kay Jewelers, PetSmart, Macy’s and more. She established partnerships with Penske Media Corp, The Gap, Wrangler Jeans and Hard Rock Café. She launched several successful brands on the Home Shopping Network. In 2017, Hanna sold her company, enabling her to develop her micro-school three years later.

She graduated from Yeshiva University and attended Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business. She holds a teaching degree from the Israel Ministry of Education.

Paul Baly

Paul Baly comes to Emet with over 25 years of private school leadership experience distinguished by his deep commitment to students and school communities. Serving in strategic and academic leadership roles in schools ranging from 200 to 1300 students — urban and rural, day and boarding — his career reflects a broad and textured understanding of school culture, academic excellence, and institutional growth. Prior to joining Emet Classical Academy, Mr. Baly was a division director at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in New York City and Associate Head of School at The Elisabeth Morrow School in Englewood, New Jersey. In these roles, he was instrumental in driving enrollment growth, executing strategic planning initiatives, and leading curriculum innovation rooted in inquiry and tradition. He is also the founder of The Baly Group, a counseling and tutoring firm that supports families navigating private school, boarding school, and college admissions. A graduate of Roanoke College, Mr. Baly earned his MEd in English from the University of South Carolina and a second master’s degree in Private School Leadership from Columbia University.

Dr. Chana Ruderman

Dr. Chana Ruderman’s affinity with classical education has been evident in numerous educational settings. She has taught seminars on literature and politics at Cornell University and Colgate University, where she was also freshman advisor. Moving to Dallas, she taught high school students at Yavneh Academy and middle schoolers at Akiba Academy. Dr. Ruderman was the founding Principal of Torah Day School of Dallas. Over the last two decades she oversaw the school’s growth from 165 to 450 students, guided by a mission to be mindful of each student’s unique needs and potential.

Dr. Ruderman earned her B.A. from Carleton College and her Ph.D from the University of Chicago’s Committee on Social Thought. Her dissertation on Jane Austen, later published as a book, linked education with happiness and virtue — a foundational linkage underpinning all learning by bringing together joy and character-building as students grow academically. While Principal at TDSD, she earned an M.Ed degree from the University of North Texas, specializing in Gifted and Talented education. She is eager to draw upon her classical training and experiences and her deep knowledge of Jewish education to bring Emet students to an integrated understanding of their tradition.